IN DECARBONISING over the next few decades, shipping companies will need to thoroughly explore which technologies and fuels are most appropriate to suit requirements.

A popular course of action will be opting for a dual-fuel transition, where ships will be capable of running on different fuels.

Wärtsilä director of R&D and engineering Juha Kytölä said that the dual-fuel route will allow owners and operators to use certain types of fuels for certain operations and other fuels for different operations.

This comes especially handy in cases where they may prefer certain fuels that are not available in a specific region or location.

“In its essence, the dual-fuel concept includes liquid-fuel-running opportunity and gas-as-fuel-running opportunity,” he said.

Mr Kytölä also believes it will offer companies greater early opportunities to act responsibly, with the potential for biofuels or a synthetic liquid fuel. Additionally, dual-fuel ships use gas, and do not have to be fossil fuel-based, with the potential for biomethane or even synthetic gas in the long run.

The dual-fuel approach could be a key fixture in shipping’s transition over the next few years. As the production of zero-carbon and carbon-neutral fuels grows, so too will attempts by companies to incorporate them in their fleets.

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