Alternative marine fuels for cleaner maritime transport

Abstract

To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to the vision of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a good decision-making process is needed for the classification of alternative marine fuels considered as a solution for the decarbonization of maritime transport. The paper aims to classify two alternative fuels (Liquefied natural gas (LNG) and green hydrogen obtained by electrolysis of water, in relation to four criteria (economic, technical, environmental, and social) using the specialized literature. The evaluation of the two fuels in relation to the selected criteria was carried out from a multicriteria perspective using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The obtained results have shown that LNG is the best option, currently, for maritime transport, considering the operational cost, the available infrastructure, the impact on the climate, and operational safety.