Sylvie Willis
Oil tankers and cargo ships are some of the world's biggest transport polluters. The world's 90,000 cargo ships burn approximately 370 million tons of fuel per year, emitting 20 million tons of sulphur oxide. In comparison, the world's 760 million cars emit approximately 78,599 tons of sulphur oxide annually. Research by the Guardian has shown that a single large container ship can emit pollutants equivalent to 50 million cars in a year. Oil tankers can carry up to 550,000 DWT and would burn 58,757.5 pounds of CO2 in an hour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of cargo ships in the world | 90,000 |
| Amount of fuel burned by cargo ships daily | 7.29 million barrels |
| Percentage of exported oil production from Saudi Arabia | >84% |
| Amount of fuel burned by cargo ships yearly | 370 million tons |
| Amount of Sulphur Oxides emitted by cargo ships yearly | 20 million tons |
| Amount of Sulphur Oxides emitted by cars yearly | 78,599 tons |
| Number of cars in the world | 760 million |
| Number of large ships that emit as much SOx as the world's cars | 15 |
| Time taken for a Russian oil tanker to reach U.S. ports | 21-35 days |
| Time taken for a tanker from the Middle East to reach U.S. ports | 35-60 days |
| Time taken to load an oil tanker | 120 hours |
| Amount of CO2 emitted by a tanker ship in an hour | 58,757.5 pounds |
| Amount of CO2 emitted by a family car in a year | 6-9 tons |
| Amount of CO2 emitted by a tanker ship per trip | 27 million tons |
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What You'll Learn
Oil tanker emissions: 58,757.5 lbs of CO2 per hour
Oil tanker emissions are a significant contributor to air pollution and climate change. According to a letter published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, a tanker ship hauling oil to a refinery in the US emits 58,757.5 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere in just one hour. This staggering amount of emissions is primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, specifically diesel fuel, used to power these massive vessels.
To put this into perspective, the average family car burns between six and nine tons of CO2 per year. In comparison, a single oil tanker can emit the same amount of CO2 in a much shorter period. When considering the average travel time of tankers, which can take 21 to 35 days for a Russian tanker and 35 to 60 days for a tanker from the Middle East to reach US ports, the environmental impact becomes even more concerning.
The high emissions from oil tankers are largely due to the type of fuel they burn. Bunker fuel, also known as low-grade fuel oil, is a cheap and highly polluting type of fuel that contains up to 2,000 times more sulfur than the diesel fuel used in automobiles. The sulfur content in bunker fuel leads to the emission of sulfur oxides (SOx), which have been linked to respiratory issues such as asthma. It is estimated that a single large ship can generate approximately 5,200 tonnes of SOx pollution in a year.
While there have been efforts to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in the shipping industry, such as the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) report in 2007 suggesting a 10% reduction in fuel burning for existing ships and a 30-40% reduction for new ships, the implementation of these recommendations has been voluntary, and alternative power sources are rarely discussed. As a result, the shipping industry continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels, contributing significantly to global pollution and climate change.
The environmental impact of oil tanker emissions is not limited to CO2 and SOx emissions. The burning of fossil fuels also releases other harmful pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds, which have been linked to a range of health issues, from respiratory problems to cardiovascular disease. Additionally, oil spills and leaks during transportation can have devastating consequences for marine ecosystems and wildlife, further exacerbating the environmental toll of oil tanker operations.
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Bunker fuel: 2000x more sulphur than car diesel
Bunker fuel, also known as bunker C fuel oil, is a colloquial term for the fuel oil used by marine vessels. It is a heavy, unrefined fuel with a high energy density, making it ideal for long voyages. However, it is also highly polluting, containing up to 2,000 times more sulphur than the diesel fuel used in automobiles.
The world's 90,000 cargo ships burn approximately 370 million tons of fuel per year, emitting 20 million tons of sulphur oxides. This means that shipping emits 260 times more sulphur oxides than the world's entire car fleet.
Bunker fuel is a major contributor to shipping's status as the biggest transport polluter in the world. The recent boom in global trade has led to the emergence of supersized container ships that consume fuel by the ton per hour.
In contrast to bunker fuel, diesel fuel is a lighter, refined fuel used for smaller engines and vehicles. Diesel fuel is known for its efficiency in power and torque, making it ideal for heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks and buses. It is also used in smaller boats, yachts, and fishing vessels due to its lack of need for heating and filtration systems.
While bunker fuel has a higher energy density, its high level of refinement makes it more costly and less efficient than diesel fuel. Additionally, the adoption of alternative power sources, such as nuclear power and LNG, could significantly reduce fuel burning and pollution in the shipping industry.
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Oil tanker travel range: 320,000 nautical miles
Oil tankers can carry up to 550,000 DWT and some fuel for their engines. The range of an oil tanker with a capacity of 208,000 tons of oil (approximately 70 million gallons) is 320,000 nautical miles. The travelling efficiency of this theoretical vessel is estimated to be 28 feet/gallon, allowing it to travel 184,800,000 feet or 35,000 miles.
The fuel economy of oil tankers improves as fuel is consumed and the ship becomes lighter. However, to maintain stability, the empty space in the tanks must be filled with seawater, which reduces the potential fuel efficiency gains.
Fuel consumption in containerships is influenced by ship size and cruising speed. For example, a containership with 8,000 TEU capacity consumes about 225 tons of bunker fuel per day at 24 knots. By reducing the speed to 21 knots, fuel consumption decreases to 150 tons per day, a significant 33% decline. Shipping lines aim for lower speeds to minimise fuel usage, but this requires more ships and longer shipping times to maintain schedules.
The world's cargo ships, approximately 90,000 in number, burn around 370 million tons of fuel annually, emitting 20 million tons of Sulphur Oxides. This equates to 260 times more Sulphur Oxides emitted compared to the global car fleet.
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Nuclear propulsion: 20 years without refuelling
Nuclear propulsion has been used in naval applications for over 50 years, with the first use of this technology dating back to 1955. There are currently 150 ships in operation that use nuclear propulsion, most of which are submarines, but this technology is also used in icebreakers and aircraft carriers. Nuclear propulsion offers a significant advantage over oil- or coal-fuelled ships due to its very long intervals of operation before refuelling. This is made possible by containing all the fuel within the nuclear reactor, eliminating the need for dedicated fuel storage and exhaust systems, and thereby freeing up valuable space on board.
The Nimitz-class supercarrier, for example, has more than twice the power output of the largest container ship diesel engines and can operate continuously for 20 years without refuelling. Some French Rubis-class submarines can go even longer, with up to 30 years between refuelling. This exceptional endurance is particularly advantageous for submarines, as remaining submerged for extended periods without the need for refuelling enhances their stealth and operational capabilities.
The feasibility of nuclear propulsion for commercial shipping has also been explored, with Lloyd's Register publishing two papers on this topic in 2014. These papers presented a preliminary design for a 155,000 DWT Suezmax tanker utilising a 70 MWt nuclear propulsion plant, delivering up to 23.5 MW of shaft power. The proposed design incorporates a Gen4Energy power module, a small fast-neutron reactor that can operate for ten full-power years before refuelling and has an expected 25-year operational life.
While nuclear propulsion offers the benefit of extended operational endurance, it also presents challenges. The high operating costs and infrastructure investment associated with nuclear technology have limited its adoption primarily to military vessels. Additionally, the insurance of nuclear vessels differs significantly from conventional ships due to the potential for accidents to have transnational consequences. As a result, the development of nuclear-powered commercial vessels has been slow, with Russia's Sevmorput being the only nuclear-powered freighter in service as of 2017.
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LNG carriers: using cargo boil-off as fuel
LNG carriers are ships that use their cargo as fuel. Some of the LNG inevitably boils off during the voyage, and the ship is designed so that the quantity that boils off is about the same as the quantity required by the engine. This is known as boil-off gas (BOG) and it is used as a fuel for LNG carriers. The use of BOG is expected to increase due to higher produced volumes and more cross-basin LNG trade flows. After the application of MARPOL in 2020, which bans the use of bunker fuel with a sulphur content exceeding 0.5 percent, up to 90 percent of the LNG carrier fleet is expected to substitute its current HSFO use with forced BOG. This could increase LNG demand by nine million tons per annum (mtpa) and represent an additional demand of two 4.5-mtpa LNG liquefaction trains.
The use of BOG as fuel has several benefits. Firstly, it reduces fuel costs as LNG is generally priced at a discount to crude oil. Secondly, it helps to comply with emissions regulations as LNG has a lower sulphur content than bunker fuel. The engines of some LNG carriers have been retrofitted with M-Type, Electronically Controlled – Gas Injection systems to use BOG as fuel and comply with NOx Tier III emission limits.
The daily boil-off rate for LNG carriers is typically between 0.035% and 0.085%. The boil-off gas generated by the evaporation of the LNG needs to be removed from the cargo tanks to maintain constant pressure and temperature. Depending on the type of vessel propulsion system, BOG can be used as fuel or re-liquefied and returned to the cargo tanks. Most LNG carriers can operate with both BOG and fuel oil, except for the Q-Max and Q-Flex LNG carriers which use heavy fuel oil.
In a laden voyage, the choice of fuel depends on the prices of LNG and fuel oil/marine diesel oil, as well as the time available to reach the receiving terminal. In LNG time charter parties, the charterers decide the type and quantity of fuel to be used, and they provide and pay for both the LNG and fuel oil. The fuel consumption calculation considers the fuel oil, marine diesel oil, and LNG cargo loss through boil-off. ShellLNGTime 1 provides that shipowners can use BOG as propulsive fuel free of charge, subject to compliance with maximum limits stipulated in the charter party.
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Frequently asked questions
Oil tankers burn a lot of fuel. The world's 90,000 cargo ships burn approximately 370 million tons of fuel per year, emitting 20 million tons of Sulphur Oxides.
One large ship can generate approximately 5,200 tonnes of sulphur oxide pollution in a year, meaning that 15 of the largest ships emit as much SOx as the world's 760 million cars.
If an oil tanker's cargo tanks were filled entirely with its own fuel, it could travel approximately 35,000 miles or 56,000 kilometres. This is based on an estimated travelling efficiency of 28 feet/gallon and would be the equivalent of circling the Earth 1.4 times.
