The Decarbonization jamboree

  For a lot of old sea dogs, the word “decarbonization” can only be related to the good old “Decarb”, a term which universally referred to major overhauls of the Aux engines and Main engines on our ship of old. Now all of a sudden Decarbonization has taken on a new meaning especially with respect to shipping. For the ships it now means to turn green by moving away from fossil fuels and into the world of alternative fuels. Unfortunately, the future is still very fuzzy, and this article is only an attempt to articulate the doubts that one has on the road ahead. To understand where we want to go, it may be useful to look at the rear-view mirror and see where we have come from - The starting point for this transition can be considered to be the Kyoto Protocol of December 1997. This protocol effectively operationalized the commitment of industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. Under the   1997 Kyoto Protocol , the...