IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v87y2015icp153-167.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Natural gas as a marine fuel

Author

Listed:
  • Thomson, Heather
  • Corbett, James J.
  • Winebrake, James J.

Abstract

This paper provides new knowledge about the life-cycle emissions of natural gas compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels in the marine sector. While natural gas will reduce local air pollutants, such as sulfur oxides and particulate matter, the implications for greenhouse gases depend on how the natural gas is extracted, processed, distributed, and used. Applying a “technology warming potential” (TWP) approach, natural gas as a marine fuel achieves climate parity within 30 years for diesel ignited engines, though could take up to 190 years to reach climate parity with conventional fuels in a spark ignited engine. Movement towards natural gas as a marine fuel continues to progress, and conditions exist in some regions to make a near-term transition to natural gas feasible. Liquefied natural gas in marine transportation is likely to be incentivized where economics favoring natural gas is coupled with air emissions public policy targets. To ensure that climate neutral conversion is achieved with the least delay, TWP results highlight the important role of energy policy for infrastructure development of upstream pathways and onboard ship systems technology innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomson, Heather & Corbett, James J. & Winebrake, James J., 2015. "Natural gas as a marine fuel," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 153-167.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:87:y:2015:i:c:p:153-167
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.08.027
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421515300665
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2015.08.027?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Farrell, Alexander E. & Keith, David W. & Corbett, James J., 2003. "A strategy for introducing hydrogen into transportation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(13), pages 1357-1367, October.
    2. Moura, Maria Cecilia P. & Branco, David A. Castelo & Peters, Glen P. & Szklo, Alexandre Salem & Schaeffer, Roberto, 2013. "How the choice of multi-gas equivalency metrics affects mitigation options: The case of CO2 capture in a Brazilian coal-fired power plant," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 1357-1366.
    3. Shen, Wei & Han, Weijian & Chock, David & Chai, Qinhu & Zhang, Aling, 2012. "Well-to-wheels life-cycle analysis of alternative fuels and vehicle technologies in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 296-307.
    4. Mark G. Lawrence & Paul J. Crutzen, 1999. "Influence of NOx emissions from ships on tropospheric photochemistry and climate," Nature, Nature, vol. 402(6758), pages 167-170, November.
    5. Farrell, Alexander E. & Sperling, Dan, 2007. "A Low-Carbon Fuel Standard for California, Part 2: Policy Analysis," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt8ng2h3x7, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    6. Farrell, Alexander & Sperling, Daniel, 2007. "A Low-Carbon Fuel Standard for California, Part 1: Technical Analysis," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt5245b5kx, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    7. Boucher, O. & Reddy, M.S., 2008. "Climate trade-off between black carbon and carbon dioxide emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 193-200, January.
    8. Farrell, Alexander E. & Sperling, Dan, 2007. "A Low-Carbon Fuel Standard for California, Part 1: Technical Analysis," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt6j67z9w6, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    9. Arteconi, A. & Brandoni, C. & Evangelista, D. & Polonara, F., 2010. "Life-cycle greenhouse gas analysis of LNG as a heavy vehicle fuel in Europe," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(6), pages 2005-2013, June.
    10. Kevin Capaldo & James J. Corbett & Prasad Kasibhatla & Paul Fischbeck & Spyros N. Pandis, 1999. "Effects of ship emissions on sulphur cycling and radiative climate forcing over the ocean," Nature, Nature, vol. 400(6746), pages 743-746, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tittmann, P.W. & Parker, N.C. & Hart, Q.J. & Jenkins, B.M., 2010. "A spatially explicit techno-economic model of bioenergy and biofuels production in California," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 715-728.
    2. Yongxi (Eric) Huang & Yueyue Fan & Chien-Wei Chen, 2014. "An Integrated Biofuel Supply Chain to Cope with Feedstock Seasonality and Uncertainty," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(4), pages 540-554, November.
    3. Hankey, Steve & Marshall, Julian D., 2010. "Impacts of urban form on future US passenger-vehicle greenhouse gas emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(9), pages 4880-4887, September.
    4. Lade, Gabriel E. & Lin Lawell, C.-Y. Cynthia, 2015. "The design and economics of low carbon fuel standards," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 91-99.
    5. Axsen, Jonn & Wolinetz, Michael, 2023. "What does a low-carbon fuel standard contribute to a policy mix? An interdisciplinary review of evidence and research gaps," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 54-63.
    6. Creutzig, Felix & McGlynn, Emily & Minx, Jan & Edenhofer, Ottmar, 2011. "Climate policies for road transport revisited (I): Evaluation of the current framework," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 2396-2406, May.
    7. Fan, Yueyue & Huang, Yongxi & Chen, Chien-Wei, 2012. "Multistage Infrastructure System Design: An Integrated Biofuel Supply Chain against Feedstock Seasonality and Uncertainty," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt9g8413m5, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    8. Rubin, Jonathan & Leiby, Paul N., 2013. "Tradable credits system design and cost savings for a national low carbon fuel standard for road transport," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 16-28.
    9. Gang Tian & Jian Shi & Licheng Sun & Xingle Long & Benhai Guo, 2017. "Dynamic changes in the energy–carbon performance of Chinese transportation sector: a meta-frontier non-radial directional distance function approach," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 89(2), pages 585-607, November.
    10. Milazzo, M.F. & Spina, F. & Cavallaro, S. & Bart, J.C.J., 2013. "Sustainable soy biodiesel," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 806-852.
    11. Wang, Guihua, 2008. "Lifecycle Analysis of Air Quality Impacts of Hydrogen and Gasoline Transportation Fuel Pathways," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt41x6t130, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    12. Yang, Christopher, 2013. "Fuel electricity and plug-in electric vehicles in a low carbon fuel standard," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 51-62.
    13. Kammen, Daniel M & Farrell, Alexander E & Plevin, Richard J & Jones, Andrew D & Nemet, Gregory F & Delucchi, Mark A, 2008. "Energy and Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Biofuels: A Framework for Analysis," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt3fs897q3, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    14. Dallas Burtraw, 2008. "Regulating CO 2 in electricity markets: sources or consumers?," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(6), pages 588-606, November.
    15. Holland, Stephen P., 2012. "Emissions taxes versus intensity standards: Second-best environmental policies with incomplete regulation," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(3), pages 375-387.
    16. Yeh, Sonia & Lutsey, Nicholas P. & Parker, Nathan C., 2009. "Assessment of Technologies for Compliance with the Low Carbon Fuel Standard," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt5bg831jc, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    17. Hoffman, Steven M. & High-Pippert, Angela, 2010. "From private lives to collective action: Recruitment and participation incentives for a community energy program," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7567-7574, December.
    18. Parker, Nathan C. & Ogden, Joan M. & Fan, Yueyue, 2008. "The role of biomass in California's hydrogen economy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(10), pages 3925-3939, October.
    19. Rocio A., Diaz-Chavez, 2011. "Assessing biofuels: Aiming for sustainable development or complying with the market?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 5763-5769, October.
    20. Kammen, Daniel M. & Farrell, Alexander E & Plevin, Richard J & Jones, Andrew & Nemet, Gregory F & Delucchi, Mark, 2008. "Energy and Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Biofuels: A Framework for Analysis," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt5qw5g6q2, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:87:y:2015:i:c:p:153-167. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.