While hydrogen can be used only onboard very low powered / short-ranged vessels due to storage and handling issues, ammonia and methanol derived from hydrogen could see widespread use. Both fuels require a lot of tank space, but when obtained from green hydrogen produced by cheap solar photovoltaic (PV) or wind they would be either carbon free (ammonia) or carbon neutral (methanol).

Green electrofuels such as hydrogen, ammonia and methanol, as opposed to fossil fuels, are energy carriers - their production is very energy intensive.

• Cheap energy surplus will no longer be a surplus, and it will no longer be cheap as soon as there will be a need for it.
• The total system levelised cost of energy (LCOE) of offshore wind, the most vouched for VRE, is not cheap at all.
• VRE, by definition, are characterised by low capacity factors and they are not dispatchable (meaning they do not supply energy on demand, but only when they can). As a consequence of the low capacity factor VRE need to be massively over deployed in order to provide the necessary amount of energy, and that would still not be sufficient, as being non dispatchable, a massive energy storage infrastructure is also needed to ensure a steady and secure power supply. And this energy storage, whether that is batteries, thermal or pumped hydro, has consequential severe repercussions on LCOE, use of resources, emissions and other external factors.

In order to understand the implications of the above it should be recalled that:

• About 10 MWh are required to produce one ton of green ammonia.
• IMO GHG Study 2020 estimates for 2018 a total HFO equivalent consumption by global shipping and fishing fleets of about 339m tons. Considering fleet growth and increase in propulsion efficiency it can be estimated that by 2040 more than 425m tons of HFO equivalent will be needed, equating to about 1bn tons of green ammonia equivalent.

For additional details, please visit the link below:

https://splash247.com/producing-electrofuels-needs-a-reliable-cost-effective-energy-source/