This report on Removing Barriers to the Use of Natural Gas as Maritime Transportation Fuel is another step in our exploration of the catalytic role of natural gas in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular Goal 7 - to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. The report demonstrates the business case for using LNG as a fuel in maritime transport, for both LNG tankers and - increasingly since 2000 - other ships. Currently, there are over 300 ships powered by LNG. This is a positive development in view of the significant environmental benefits of LNG compared to heavy fuel oil and diesel both of which dominate today's market for international shipping bunkers.

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Business economics - Trade and Distribution, grade: 1,0, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, language: English, abstract: The International Maritime Organization confirmed in 2016 the introduction of a global sulphur cap in 2020, establishing a 0.5% sulphur content limit in fuels. All shipping companies operating in international waters will be affected by this emission regulation. LNG as a maritime fuel is widely thematised in current discussions regarding alternatives to achieve compliance, as it brings in the most significant environmental benefits. However, the current LNG-use is scarce, as vessels operating with LNG accounts for ca. 0.1% of the global fleet, and are mainly located in the Baltic region. To gain significance as a marine fuel, LNG has several challenges to overcome. LNGs main hurdle is the lack of bunkering infrastructure, which discourage its adoption by shipping companies, generating the so-called chicken-and-egg problem. Although small-scale bunkering facilities are already available, mostly in Northern Europe, the required infrastructure for large vessels is not provided. This study looks at the relevance of LNG as a maritime fuel with the focus on the forthcoming global sulphur cap, from the perspective of a small and a large shipping company, in their decision-making to achieve compliance. Thereby, major drivers and impediments considered by both shipping companies for its adoption as well as their forecast regarding the future of LNG in the shipping industry are discussed.

An overarching conclusion of Nordic Marina’s work in the past three years reveals that the global, and indeed the Nordic shipping and maritime industries, are already boldly moving ahead with regard to emissions reduction, boasting numerous innovative and successful projects contributing toward this goal. In order to take major steps forward, involvement from the government side is needed and currently lacking. There are barriers that industry and government must work on collectively, potentially via joint public-private partnerships. Commitment for the long term is essential, in addition to the demand for strengthening infrastructure and a reliable supply chain to support new fuels. Furthermore, the socio-economic benefits of emissions reduction and the applications of alternative fuels appear to be obscure. The bottom line is this: the time for action is now, for all of us.

Over the past few decades, there has been a growing concern about the social and environmental risks which have come along with the progress achieved through a variety of mutually intertwined modernization processes. In recent years these concerns are transformed into a widely-shared sense of urgency, partly due to events such as the various pandemics threatening livestock, and increasing awareness of the risks and realities of climate change, and the energy and food crises. This sense of urgency includes an awareness that our entire social system is in need of fundamental transformation. But like the earlier transition between the 1750's and 1890's from a pre-modern to a modern industrial society, this second transition is also a contested one. Sustainable development is only one of many options. This book addresses the issue on how to understand the dynamics and governance of the second transition dynamics in order to ensure sustainable development. It will be necessary reading for students and scholars with an interest in sustainable development and long-term transformative change.