Page 15: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2022)

The Path Ahead But rule makers and rule breakers are not the primary focus of

As a member-supported research consortium, the Center Field and his team at the Future Energy Systems Center today. collaborates with industrial experts and leaders for insights “We have quite a few projects underway as I mentioned, more to help researchers anticipate challenges and opportunities of than 20, and all of the low carbon fuel pathways for shipping deploying technology at the scale needed to achieve decar- involve hydrogen at some stage in their production,” said Field. bonization. And while technology is an obvious focus, Field “Even if you’re not going to put hydrogen on ships, hydrogen sees a bigger challenge ahead. may be involved in producing that synthetic fuel. We have a “The technical issues, the cost issues, those are manageable number of projects underway that are tackling the question of issues. The biggest challenge that I see here is the geopolitics hydrogen, including a project we’re starting now looking at path- and the policy uncertainty,” said Field. “If the world could ways towards gigaton scale, low carbon hydrogen production. implement policies that are frm, that are long-term and elimi- Another project starting in February will look at large scale nate leakage, then the shipping industry and the ship builders use of ammonia as a fuel for maritime shipping.” and the fuel providers would then have a clear and compel- ling price signal on what they need to do. The innovators and investors would be able to contribute to bringing down the costs. Sadly, we are very far from having such policies.” The Future Energy Systems Center members to date in-

By “leakage” Field means that some shipping companies clude: AECI, Analog Devices, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Co- abide by IMO rules, others do not. Those that chose to skirt pec, Dominion, Duke Energy, Enerjisa, Eneva, Eni, Equinor, the rules will produce the CO2 emissions that could effec- Eversource, Exelon, ExxonMobil, Ferrovial, Iberdrola, IHI, tively undo all of the good that’s being done by the shipping National Grid, Raizen, Repsol, Rio Tinto, Shell, Tata Power, companies that follow the rules. Toyota Research Institute, and Washington Gas.

Marine Repair and Vessel Conversions 5 Dry Docks 4 Fabrication facilities 2 machine shops

Of shore rope access inspectors

Welders, Fitters and Riding Gangs

Over 70 years of service to the Marine Industry

Galveston – Port Arthur – Corpus Christi - Norfolk (VA) - México (CdC) (281) 752-4835 www.gulfcopper.com | [email protected]

Gulf Copper_MRFeb2022.indd 1 1/21/2022 10:25:30 AM www.marinelink.com 15