Environmental risk and compliance for nature gas ship design and operation within inland waterways

Abstract

The quests for an efficient fuel friendly to the environment have been recognized in maritime industry for a long time through improvements of gasoline and diesel by chemical reformulation. Inconvenience posed by these reformulation chemicals is performance problems; cold-start ability, smooth operation and avoidance of vapor lock. Climate change problem has further aggravated need to use fuel that could contribute to decrease in green house gases and ozone-forming pollutants. Alternative fuels to petroleum have been identified to include, compressed natural gas (CNG); liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); methanol from natural gas LNG. Selection of this towards centralized reduction of Green House Gases (GHGs) will depend on ease of use, performance and cost. LNG cargo is conditioned for long distance transfer while CNG and LPG cargo are conditioned for end user consumption and short distance transfer. It is therefore, clear that promoting the use of CNG will catalyze boosting of economy of coastal ship building and transportation, including environmental friendly utility fuel, and new generation of intermodal transportation and supply chain. Since the danger behind use of this gas could not be either underestimated by virtue regarding coastal operation proximity and consequence. The paper will discuss risk and potential regulation that will formulate beyond compliance, decision towards use of top - down risk based design and operations that will reinforce new integrative, efficient, environmental friendly, reliable multimodal and intermodal links advanced concepts for LPG ship operating in coastal and restricted waters.