Webinar: Hydrogen as a marine fuel – opportunities and challenges
Wednesday 16th August, 2023
4pm – 5:30pm AEST
In June 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) set revised targets in the 80th session of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) to decarbonize the global fleet. The new targets include a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, a 70% reduction by 2040 (compared to 2008 levels), and the ultimate goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
The implementation of alternative fuels to conventional fossil-based fuels is key to the decarbonisation of the global maritime and shipping industry. Green Hydrogen is currently one of the prime candidates among alternative shipping fuels, as it offers ship owners and operators a low-carbon and low-emission fuel option for potential use in internal combustion engines and fuel cells.
However, there are several complex challenges concerning the adoption of green hydrogen in the shipping industry. In this webinar, three speakers were invited to present on various topics related to the role of green hydrogen in decarbonising the maritime industry and shed light on the main challenges the maritime industry is currently facing.
The invited presentations and speakers are:
Presentation 1: Alternative Fuels and their Implications on Vessel Design
- Presented by: Dr. Thomas Beard (BMT)
Presentation 2: Ports’ Opportunities and Challenges in Global Hydrogen Supply Chains
- Presented by: Associate Professor Peggy Chen (AMC, UTAS)
Presentation 3: The feasibility of using hydrogen as a marine fuel in Australia
- Presented by: Dr. Hongjun Fan (AMC, UTAS)
Followed by Q&A
PRESENTERS
Name: Dr Thomas Beard
Affiliation: Senior Analysis Engineer, BMT
Dr Beard is the alternative fuels lead at BMT UK, having worked in the area for the past decade. He is the co-chair of the National Maritime Hydrogen working group in the UK. He is also a member of the Maritime UK Hydrogen working group and is on the MariNH3 research program steering group.
He is focused on the safe incorporation of alternative fuels to enable maritime decarbonisation, whilst sustaining safe environments for crew, passengers and civilians.
Name: Associate Professor Peggy Chen
Affiliation: Director, Centre for Maritime and Logistics Management, Australian Maritime College | University of Tasmania
Associate Professor Chen is the Director of the Centre for Maritime and Logistics Management at the Australian Maritime College (AMC). She joined AMC as an academic in 2004. Prior to AMC, she worked in different sectors in Taiwan, including Customs, banking, and tertiary education. She holds a PhD in Port Management and has great interest in the sustainable development of maritime sectors through research and education. Her research focus is on maritime logistics, port management, and supply chain management. She currently is working on research projects in sustainable logistics and supply chains in the blue economy and renewable energy.
Name: Dr Hongjun Fan
Affiliation: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Australian Maritime College | University of Tasmania
Dr Hongjun Fan received his PhD degree from the University of Tasmania in 2022. He has 11 years of experience working for a ship classification society (CCS) and 3 years of engineering experience in the alternative marine fuel industry. He holds professional certifications such as the Australian Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and the UK Chartered Engineer (CEng). He is currently involved in two Blue Economy CRC projects: ‘Hydrogen Powering of Vessels’ and ‘Pre-conditions for the Development of Offshore Wind Energy in Australia’.
FACILITATORS
Name: Dr Maia Schweizer – Facilitator
Affiliation: Blue Economy CRC Board Member
Dr Maia Schweizer has worked in energy and infrastructure for 15 years, moving from oil and gas to renewable electricity and green hydrogen.
After training as a geobiologist and ultimately receiving a DPhil from the University of Oxford, Maia began her career as a consultant with McKinsey and Company, serving clients across six continents. She has held executive roles in project development and operations at Origin Energy and Fortescue Future Industries and served as CEO of CleanCo Queensland, a low-emissions energy company.
Maia’s passion is tackling difficult climate change challenges while ensuring the benefits of solving them flow through to communities.
Name: Associate Professor Fatemeh Salehi – Co-Facilitator
Affiliation: Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney
Dr Fatemeh Salehi is an Associate Professor at the School of Engineering, Macquarie University. She completed her PhD in renewable energy engineering at the University of New South Wales in 2015. She is currently an executive member of the Combustion Institute (ANZ), a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Blue Economy Corporative Research Centre, and a member of Working Groups of Standards Australia for the development of hydrogen standards.
Dr Salehi’s expertise is in the development of physical models for computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations of turbulent flows to advance new energy technologies for clean fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, and biomass. Her research also involves accurate modelling of multi-phase flows (particles/sprays/aerosols) which are common in a wide range of engineering applications such as fuel injectors in internal combustion engines.
