References & Citations
Economics > General Economics
Title: Global Shipyard Capacities Limiting the Ramp-Up of Global Hydrogen Transport
(Submitted on 14 Mar 2024 (v1), last revised 30 Apr 2024 (this version, v4))
Abstract: Decarbonizing the global energy system requires significant expansions of renewable energy technologies. Given that cost-effective renewable sources are not necessarily situated in proximity to the largest energy demand centers globally, the maritime transportation of low-carbon energy carriers, such as renewable-based hydrogen or ammonia, will be needed. However, whether existent shipyards possess the required capacity to provide the necessary global fleet has not yet been answered. Therefore, this study estimates global tanker demand based on projections for global hydrogen demand, while comparing these projections with historic shipyard production. Our findings reveal a potential bottleneck until 2033-2039 if relying on liquefied hydrogen exclusively. This bottleneck could be circumvented by increasing local hydrogen production, utilizing pipelines, or liquefied ammonia as an energy carrier for hydrogen. Furthermore, the regional concentration of shipyard locations raises concerns about diversification. Increasing demand for container vessels could substantially hinder the scale-up of maritime hydrogen transport.
Submission history
From: Maximilian Stargardt [view email][v1] Thu, 14 Mar 2024 10:49:16 GMT (1857kb)
[v2] Fri, 15 Mar 2024 09:44:41 GMT (1074kb)
[v3] Mon, 29 Apr 2024 16:25:23 GMT (1356kb)
[v4] Tue, 30 Apr 2024 15:48:33 GMT (1354kb)
Link back to: arXiv, form interface, contact.