CRUISE LINE ONSHORE POWER ANALYSIS

Abstract

Emissions from energy, vehicles, and agriculture often get the most attention, but there is another significant source of emissions that affects daily life in various ways, such as energy prices, the cost of goods, and even the food in grocery stores, however, this sector often goes unnoticed. Greenhouse gases, the carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) that emit from burning fossil fuels, has risen 9.6% in the shipping industry, which includes international, domestic, and fishing, from 2012 to 2018, now accounting for anthropogenic emissions of nearly 3% worldwide (IMOa, 2021). This research study aims to analyze and address potential avenues for immediate emission reduction behaviors in the shipping industry to curb the ever-growing rate the industry emits. Ships typically have predictable itineraries, consistent routes, and regular idle time at ports. While at port, while the ship is not moving, it must continue to power the necessary equipment and facilities onboard, meaning it will either continue to run one of the engines or plug in to the onshore power grid to provide the necessary power to the network. This study researched and compared two scenarios: business-as-usual, running engines while at port, or building out solar and battery energy storage systems, allowing the engines to turn off and plug into renewably sourced energy. Many variables contribute to both scenarios, resulting in various worst-case and best-case outcomes. Applying the variables across their lowest, middle, and highest impacts allowed for a comparison of the two scenarios across nine potential outcomes. Across a 30-year horizon, 7 of the 9 outcomes favored renewable onshore power (savings ranging from 10% to 238%), however, when considering a 10-year horizon, only 3 of the outcomes favored renewable onshore power (savings ranging from 1% to 27%). While renewable onshore power was found to be cheaper in the long run across most scenarios, should innovation in the shipping sector occur sooner than expected, it may make the costly investment less attractive.