ABSTRACT
International Maritime Organization (IMO) has initialized a new strategy on greenhouse gas (GHG) to reduce 50% of GHG from international shipping by 2050 comparing to 2008. Recently, solutions, like fuel cell and renewable energy, have been proposed by technology providers and ship designers. Battery-powered ship is a solution that can lead to a considerable reduction or even elimination of gaseous emissions, thus limiting fossil fuels consumptions. This paper aims to determine the benefits and drawbacks of marine battery propulsion system by conducting a comparative study using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). It holistically evaluates the performances of the proposed system and the respective conventional one, applied on a 33-meter-long short-route ferry operating on the Thames. The results indicate the battery-powered system instead of marine engines can reduce the environmental impacts and GHG from ships, which fulfils the IMO requirements and proves the emission control potential of battery-powered systems.
