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While shipowners are discussing sustainable fuel options, Such players need to be big but do not have to rule the so far, I have not noticed any such discussions by the ports. world. It would appear to me if, say, New York and Rot-

Interestingly ports may be able to break the chicken and egg terdam agree on the optimal fuel, and then make a commit- conundrum. Sustainable fuels are not just ship concerns, ment to only support that fuel, that the adoption of that fuel they are also very much shore-based concerns where the fuel would spread. If LA/Long Beach, Singapore and Shanghai need to be manufactured, stored and distributed and not just support the same fuel it will almost certainly lock in on a for ships. Ideally such fuels should also support shore based worldwide basis.

stored fuel needs. This may not be easy, but let me paint the alternative. Ship-

This may suggest that a major port may be the chicken and owners are running helter skelter between different fuels, and egg breaker by simply stating: “We have looked at all the as- every port makes a minor investment in all of those fuels and pects of sustainable fuel and we think it should be Fuel X and sure enough we will have the same fuel mess we have lived will only support that fuel.” with in the last 50 years and which has only gotten worse with

Interestingly there is a relatively recent and very power- IMO directives (Low sulfur, biodiesel, LNG). ful example where one player made a statement like this, We can do better, if we agree on one sustainable fuel and and changed the world very much for the better. It occurred go from there, we can gain great ef? ciencies and save untold in the US OPA90 decision to only allow double hull tankers billions. Undoubtedly the pinheads (engineers like me) will into its ports. The USCG let the market argue for a little, sug- argue one fuel is theoretically more ef? cient than another in gested that they would only allow double hulls and even told certain circumstances. However, speci? c ef? ciency is not the the market that they would accept solutions that were superior same as full system ef? ciency. Even if one fuel is somewhat to double hulls. When no one came up with a better solution less ef? cient or somewhat more expensive, once considered the USCG simply told ship owners operating in US ports that on an overall system level it almost undoubtedly will be more double hulls would be required. ef? cient if it is the single sustainable fuel.

Nobody knows if double hulls actually were the best so- Interestingly, Ports are the multiplayer interactive location lution (actually, ironically, the best solution is getting rid of that can best identify the best overall ef? ciency solution. Let’s fossil fuels), but this one powerful player quickly made the deconfuse the ship owners, and let the Ports provide a clear rest of the world follow suit. And the world became a much course on sustainable fuels. At the very least, let’s hear from better place. the Ports what would make them happy. Happy ports; Happy

In this case one power player is not enough, that would ships; Happy public.

be like somebody inventing email but not having anybody to email with. Email worked because a small group of smart people started to use it and then set the example for the rest

For each column I write, MREN has agreed to make a small donation to an organization of my choice. For this column of the world.

I choose the Maritime Association of the Port of New York

As such, from a game theory point of view we should ? nd and New Jersey, https://www.nymaritime.org/ Their alternative fuels panel is making a ? rst pass at this issue.

a small group of in? uential players who get together, do the hard work, and come up with an approach that serves all best.

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