Session
TU.3.C || Operationalising Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment
Authors
Gomez Trillos, Juan Camilo; Brand, Urte; Vogt, Thomas
Abstract
The Fourth IMO Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Study 2020 showed that the total emissions from shipping (international, domestic and fishing) accounted to 1,076 million tonnes CO2eq in 2018 with a share of 2.89% of the global anthropogenic GHG emissions. With the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 72nd session, the IMO adopted an initial strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships fixing a level of ambition of reducing GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008. A long-term measure to achieve this ambition is the provision of zero-carbon or non-fossil fuels. The European project of HySeas III targets the creation of new on-board energy and power supply solutions for the shipping industry by testing and developing an alternative on-board energy supply system using fuel cells, batteries and hydrogen for a RoPax ferry. Nevertheless, innovative propulsion systems as well as decarbonisation or non-fossil fuels are not intrinsically sustainable. Only a life cycle sustainability assessment provides a more complete picture of the environmental, economic and social impacts of the new alternative. Thus, to give an overview of the sustainability of the new alternative, this contribution will: 1. show the methodology developed for the operationalisation of life cycle sustainability assessment in the specific case of the HySeas III 2. depict how primary and secondary data was employed in this case 3. give an overview of the results of the methodology starting in the specific hydrogen supply chain and moving towards the propulsion system 4. contrast the results of the alternative developed under HySeas III against established technologies such as diesel engines and fossil fuels from the environmental, economic and social perspective