GMO SHIPMAR 2021, İstanbul, Türkiye, 16 Eylül 2021
Today,
ships are still the major actor of global trade as they carry about 90% of
world trade. Heavy fuel oils, which emit greenhouse gases (GHG) and account for
approximately 77% of all fuel, are currently used on ships. Global targets
set by international actors, especially IMO, regarding the reduction of
emissions from ships, constitute an opportunity for alternative fuels. Ammonia,
among green fuels, has become the focus of increasing interest from ship
operators in recent years. In light of these developments, the purpose of this
study is to evaluate ammonia’s competitive position in the marine fuel market.
To do this, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis
was performed for assessing the performance, competition, risk, and potential
of the proposed fuel. Expert opinions and literature reviews were used to
define the parameters considered. As a result, it was found that Ammonia has a
great potential for future shipping as it is a carbon-free and energy-efficient
fuel. However, the costs for the transformation required for new infrastructure
were found to be the most important limitation. For, future studies it is
recommended to perform other decision-making techniques to evaluate strategic
planning criteria.