In December, the Department of Energy released an action plan for “Maritime Energy and Emissions Innovation” that calls for inland waterways vessels to transition completely from fossil fuels to clean energy by 2050.
Under the plan’s timeline for what it calls “harbor craft,” 10% of coastal and inland vessels would use sustainable maritime fuels by 2030, 70% by 2040, and 100% by 2050.
Decarbonization of the maritime industry is a complex task, involving more than vessel engine fuels. It also requires heavy investments in port infrastructure to accommodate new fuels and the vessels that use them, research into new energy technologies, training workers to operate and handle vessels that use non-fossil fuels, and ramping up shipyards to construct low-emission vessels, the report said.
As part of what DOE calls a “Sustainable Maritime Fuel Challenge,” the 148-page plan also sets targets for when newbuild vessels will be powered by clean energies and when ports will be equipped to handle new fuel technologies.
It acknowledges that the maritime industry is highly diverse in the kinds of vessels and services they provide — from oceangoing ships to ferries and towboats — and that a national strategy must reflect the differing needs of these fleets as they move away from fossil fuels.
For example, the plan notes that towing vessels would likely use alternative liquid fuels such as renewable diesel, methanol, or ammonia over electrification because they travel longer distances and have less access to charging or refueling stations. “Requiring more frequent charging and refueling to support electrification and hydrogen could significantly disrupt freight movement,” the report said.
The American Waterways Operators provided input during the plan’s development and “successfully advocated for DOE to focus on methods of support and collaboration instead of prescriptive technological or emission requirements.”
It’s not yet clear whether the Trump administration will support these decarbonization goals, which were developed by the Biden administration. The new president has strongly voiced his preference for fossil fuels and has said he will dismantle many of Biden’s climate change policies.
