IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i19p8484-d1488809.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Alternative Fuels in Sustainable Logistics—Applications, Challenges, and Solutions

Author

Listed:
  • Abdulla Ahmed Al-Mohannadi

    (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar)

  • Kadir Ertogral

    (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar)

  • Murat Erkoc

    (Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Miami, 1251 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA)

Abstract

Logistics is becoming more cost competitive while customers and regulatory bodies pressure businesses to disclose their carbon footprints, creating interest in alternative fuels as a decarbonization strategy. This paper provides a thematic review of the role of alternative fuels in sustainable air, land, and sea logistics, their challenges, and potential mitigations. Through an extensive literature survey, we determined that biofuels, synthetic kerosene, natural gas, ammonia, alcohols, hydrogen, and electricity are the primary alternative fuels of interest in terms of environmental sustainability and techno-economic feasibility. In air logistics, synthetic kerosene from hydrogenated esters and fatty acids is the most promising route due to its high technical maturity, although it is limited by biomass sourcing. Electrical vehicles are favorable in road logistics due to cheaper green power and efficient vehicle designs, although they are constrained by recharging infrastructure deployment. In sea logistics, liquified natural gas is advantageous owing to its supply chain maturity, but it is limited by methane slip control and storage requirements. Overall, our examination indicates that alternative fuels will play a pivotal role in the logistics networks of the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdulla Ahmed Al-Mohannadi & Kadir Ertogral & Murat Erkoc, 2024. "Alternative Fuels in Sustainable Logistics—Applications, Challenges, and Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-44, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:19:p:8484-:d:1488809
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/19/8484/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/19/8484/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chipo Shonhiwa & Yolanda Mapantsela & Golden Makaka & Patrick Mukumba & Ngwarai Shambira, 2023. "Biogas Valorisation to Biomethane for Commercialisation in South Africa: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-20, July.
    2. Ruamsook, Kusumal & Thomchick, Evelyn A., 2012. "Sustainable freight transportation: a review of strategies," 53rd Annual Transportation Research Forum, Tampa, Florida, March 15-17, 2012 207083, Transportation Research Forum.
    3. Yifan Wang & Laurence A. Wright, 2021. "A Comparative Review of Alternative Fuels for the Maritime Sector: Economic, Technology, and Policy Challenges for Clean Energy Implementation," World, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-26, October.
    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. Fredrik von Malmborg, 2024. "Tapping the Conversation on the Meaning of Decarbonization: Discourses and Discursive Agency in EU Politics on Low-Carbon Fuels for Maritime Shipping," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-36, June.
    2. Ewelina Orysiak & Hubert Zielski & Mateusz Gawle, 2024. "LNG Logistics Model to Meet Demand for Bunker Fuel," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-22, April.
    3. Magdalena Klopott & Marzenna Popek & Ilona Urbanyi-Popiołek, 2023. "Seaports’ Role in Ensuring the Availability of Alternative Marine Fuels—A Multi-Faceted Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-30, March.
    4. Qichen Wang & Zhengmeng Hou & Yilin Guo & Liangchao Huang & Yanli Fang & Wei Sun & Yuhan Ge, 2023. "Enhancing Energy Transition through Sector Coupling: A Review of Technologies and Models," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-31, July.
    5. Jesper Zwaginga & Benjamin Lagemann & Stein Ove Erikstad & Jeroen Pruyn, 2024. "Optimal Ship Fuel Selection under Life Cycle Uncertainty," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-18, February.
    6. Chiara Dall’Armi & Davide Pivetta & Rodolfo Taccani, 2023. "Hybrid PEM Fuel Cell Power Plants Fuelled by Hydrogen for Improving Sustainability in Shipping: State of the Art and Review on Active Projects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-34, February.
    7. Hamid Reza Soltani Motlagh & Seyed Behbood Issa Zadeh & Claudia Lizette Garay-Rondero, 2023. "Towards International Maritime Organization Carbon Targets: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analysis for Sustainable Container Shipping," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-22, December.
    8. Andres Laasma & Riina Otsason & Ulla Tapaninen & Olli-Pekka Hilmola, 2022. "Evaluation of Alternative Fuels for Coastal Ferries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-13, December.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:19:p:8484-:d:1488809. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.