Page 48: of Marine News Magazine (March 2019)

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HYBRID PROPULSION

Marine Hybrid quietly arrives … Marine Hybrid quietly arrives … positioned to explodepositioned to explode

All Images: courtesy Robert Kunkel

Hybrid is not only here, it is growing, and with that growth it will soon reach far beyond coastal applications.

By Robert Kunkel or those who were around for the arrival of Y2K, you ulatory pressure to step away from our dependence on fossil will remember the anticipation, preparation and per- fuels. IMO GHG is now on its third major study and reports

F F spiration as the maritime world waited for the failure that the maritime industry emits nearly one billion tons of of communications, navigation, security and machinery CO2 on an annual basis and contributes to 2.8% of the associated with the digital change of the clock. The fore- world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The regulations and the casts, now historical urban legend, left the world without debates are not going to end in 2020. Changes are coming.

a digital catastrophe. Business looks to engineers and technology to solve in-

We wait now for 2020 and the advent of the IMO mari- dustry problems. The environment that business will oper- time emissions regulations. The industry standing by with ate within dictates how that technology develops. Forgive bated breath to determine which propulsion system or fuel us for a moment to stray away from a technical Hybrid “alternative” will rise to the top of the debate and solve discussion, as we offer as to why Hybrid and EV will soon the SOx and NOx issues. Will it be ultra low sulfur fu- dominate transportation both ashore and at sea.

els, exhaust gas recirculation, scrubbers, LNG, SCR, LPG or methanol? Take your pick if you plan on partnering up Hybrid & EV with your internal combustion engine. Understand that the The electric alternative looks to solve many of the emis- plethora of choices leads to the fact that not one is the Holy sion problems and if the automotive industry is an indication

Grail. We have a diffcult decision ahead of us as the major- how technology is seductively satisfying the social demand, ity of alternatives have underlying costs and none at this then marine EV and Hybrid have growth potential. That point look to solve all of the future emissions requirements. growth not only satisfes regulations but also the environ-

We as an industry are under increasing environmental reg- mentalists and true believers of climate change debating the

March 2019 48 MN