Comment: Ships’ crews hold keys to decarbonisation

The shipping industry is responsible for a significant proportion of all global emissions caused by human activity - in 2018 this stood at around 3% with CO2 emissions projected to at least double by 2050 without industry-wide decarbonisation initiatives.

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A number of initiatives are already underway, including the International Maritime Organisation’s GHG emissions reduction strategy, regulations like the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme and individual shipping companies investing in decarbonisation solutions.

Alternatives to fossil fuels are a key part of emissions reduction plans, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that the timeline for widespread adoption and appropriate supply of alternative fuels is out of sync with ambitious short-term and medium-term targets required for shipping to meet its net zero commitments.

In fact, according to a recent Wärtsilä analysis, it will take at least another decade before shipping companies are financially incentivised to choose sustainable fuel over fossil fuel, with cost parity predicted for 2035 at the earliest.

While there are shipping companies that prioritise decarbonisation even while doing so incurs a financial premium, we know many shipping companies—quite reasonably—will see financial considerations as a barrier to adopting alternative fuels.

But we also can’t afford to spend another 10 years incurring the rising costs—financial and environmental—of using fossil fuels. The Wärtsilä report also showed that the impact of regulations like EU ETS and FuelEU is set to double the cost of using fossil fuel by 2030, at which time sustainable fuel is predicted to be significantly more expensive—likely still twice the cost of fossil fuel.

We can’t expect shipping companies to decide in 2030 to spend double as much on sustainable fuel as they would on fossil fuel, so it’s crucial that we encourage other actions to reduce emissions—in line with the IMO’s 30% reduction ambition for 2030—while the push factor for switching to sustainable fuel is not there yet.

It’s clear that shipping companies need to carefully manage and reduce fuel consumption generally—whether they rely on fossil fuels or a combination of fossil fuels and alternative fuels. With the cost of both rising quickly due to regulatory ‘taxes’ on fossil fuels or increased demand for alternative fuels before there’s enough supply, the only viable solution that can be implemented immediately is to improve fuel efficiency.

If we understand the impact of human behaviour (e.g. ships’ crews) on fuel consumption, it also becomes clear that there are plenty of untapped opportunities to reduce ships’ fuel consumption within months while encouraging long-term fuel-efficient practices, whichever fuel is used.

Pioneering companies like Stolt Tankers, Christiania Shipping and BSM are among the first to realise fuel savings of up to 5 - 12% by addressing crews’ decision-making onboard. They’ve achieved this with Signol’s behaviour change service, which makes the most of existing tools and data already used by seafarers onboard. The solution analyses fuel-related data and deploys behaviour change techniques such as personalised communications and feedback to captains and chief engineers making  it easier for crew members to take fuel-saving action more often and slash their operational carbon emissions.

Since this approach focuses on positively engaging ships’ crews to promote more sustainable decision-making, it not only reduces emissions and costs while fossil fuel is still prevalent, but also lays the foundation for efficient and cost-effective fuel practices over the transition to sustainable fuel. Human behaviour and decision-making will always have a significant impact on ships’ sustainability, even as more use cases emerge for automation and AI. As long as ships have crews onboard, creating a culture of positive reinforcement and attitudes around efficient fuel consumption will be integral to decarbonisation plans.

One thing is certain: by 2035, shipping companies will face much higher fuel costs than they do today, whether they choose sustainable fuel or not. Just as crew behaviour currently impacts fossil fuel consumption, it will be just as central for fuel efficiency in the future when a 5% saving represents a much higher financial value.

Forward-thinking shipping companies must take a multipronged approach to decarbonisation. Solutions like carbon capture and wind propulsion are important, but they require significant investment and structural implementation on ships and are designed to mitigate the effects of fossil fuel or replace it entirely. Unlike these innovations, enabling a fuel-efficient crew will support the transition to sustainable fuel and help bridge the cost gap in the meantime.

Harriet Hunnisett-Johnson is the Head of Maritime at Signol, responsible for the implementation of Signol’s behaviour-focused fuel efficiency software in the shipping industry.