Heriot-Watt University research team gathers info on Arctic shipping challenges
DecarbonizationAlready described by some as “overwhelming,” the shipping industry’s myriad of challenges in moving towards net zero carbon emissions becomes more complex when dealing with the harsh climate and remote distances of Arctic routes.
The findings stem from the Navigating the Future Project undertaken over three months at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland in partnership with Green Marine.
“I’d been wanting for some time to find a way to support more sustainable shipping in the Arctic, and this project seemed like a fantastic opportunity,” says David Bolduc, Green Marine’s president.
So we arranged to contact key organizations within our network of more than 500 members and some of our participants agreed to be interviewed and subsequently provided additional feedback, adds Bolduc.
The Government of Scotland supplied the funding. Craig Smith, the government’s senior policy advisor on the Arctic, notes that Scotland is the most northerly of non-Arctic nations and can serve as a key hub, especially as Arctic shipping increases.
“We also share many of the same rural issues, such as local access to health care, connectivity, and renewable energy,” Smith adds.
“So we’re looking at what’s being done well in Scotland that can be scaled up in the Arctic or done well in the Arctic and scaled down within Scotland.”
The Navigating the Future Project is focusing on how shipping can be achieved in more sustainable and just ways, especially in the Arctic, through a collaboration with communities and the efforts of maritime enterprises.
A total of 14 ports, terminals and shipyards, and eight ship owners/operators were interviewed from eight countries (Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Norway, the Faroe Islands, the United Kingdom and the United States).
“The questions were all along the same lines of asking where each organization was in terms of moving towards green energy, in terms of working with their communities, as well as the kinds of challenges they’re facing and types of support they could use,” explains researcher Emily Hague.
Anticipated higher costs of future fuels emerged as a major challenge in a competitive realm where maritime enterprises fear losing business if they increase their rates. Concerns were also expressed about significantly investing in a fuel touted as the ideal solution but potentially later falling short of its promise.
“We also found ship owners/operators seeking to plug into shore power, but ports unable to afford the necessary infrastructure,” Hague says. “The lack of standardization was raised by ports, with most large ships having different requirements to plug into shore power.”
As for new fuels, there’s concern there won’t be a sufficient supply at certain ports when required, and whether these new fuels will be as reliable as fossil fuels in Arctic conditions over long remote distances. Liquid natural gas has worked well and been adopted by some vessels but requires more onboard storage which reduces cargo space.
New ships are being designed for shore power or as hybrid vessels by ship owners who remain uncertain as to what the future fuels are most likely to be and want to retain the capability of using current drop-in fuels.
Safety was raised as another concern in terms of handling new fuels. New or additional training would be necessary at a time when crews are stretched already because of a broader labour shortage, with availability is even less in sparsely populated regions.
Hague additionally cited a lack of data in terms of areas for safe navigation as well as areas of importance to local communities in terms of their livelihood, culture and/or heritage.
All of this seems overwhelming to some, Hague shares.
“There was a feeling from quite a few organizations, especially those that may be further behind in this greening journey, about a lack of prioritization within their organizations and/or by governments that provide their funding.”
Greening maritime transportation within Arctic regions is further complicated by the remoteness that causes everything to be more expensive and makes the cost of living already extremely high. “The smaller Arctic market during a briefer shipping window also leads to a smaller budget for greening these shipping operations,” Hague says. “And there’s a small market for Arctic-tested equipment, which increases costs.”
Shipping companies have adopted best practices to reduce their environmental impact. These includes optimal routing and ship speeds to arrive in port exactly when a berth is scheduled for their arrival.
“And companies are on top of hull and propeller maintenance to avoid ship drag,” Hague adds. “One company has put underwater drones on every vessel to check for marine fouling.”
Ports have also increased their sustainability efforts. One port has managed to achieve nearly 90% compliance in having vessels slow down as they approach the harbour area to reduce emissions and improve the local community’s air quality.
“Some ports have set up their own wind turbine or solar panels to supply their offices with green energy,” Hague adds. “Others have quiet zones and quiet times when certain things aren’t permitted to operate.”
The electrification of port vehicles has also reduced emissions and noise.
Another cool example of this kind of effort is a cruise ship that organizes walking tours rather than having visitors board buses
Efforts to improve vessels include designs that will accommodate cleaner energy sources, reduce vibrational underwater noise, and have self-reliant wastewater, ballast water, and waste management systems. “Some operators also work with local Arctic communities to provide training in oil spill preparedness, safety, and in some cases provide employment opportunities as well.
However, better relationship building is essential with many communities to overcome historic distrust. Visits for tourism and other reasons have not always been respectful of wildlife, natural habitat, local customs, or heritage sites. Some profitable companies have neglected to make their activities economically advantageous to local communities.
“A real thing that came through in the interviews is the amount of time and money required to build rapport with communities,” Hague adds.
Effective engagement is really challenging… getting the message right and out to everybody, not just those directly engaged – and even doing so in the relevant language – are all major issues.
Some companies are making the effort. To ensure tourism benefitted a regularly visited community, a cruise line asked the residents to relate their wishes for these visits, and the principles they considered necessary to uphold by not only visitors, but also operators and potential developers.
In the Faroe Islands, one port offered the free help of its skilled tradespeople, such as electricians and plumbers, to charitable organizations when the port didn’t have full days of work scheduled for them.
The research team will share more of its findings, as well as the additional information obtained from its knowledge sharing, at the GreenTech 2024 conference this June 5th to 7th in Halifax.