Scientists Focus on Marine Biofuels Research as Environmental Concerns Rise

Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and other Department of Energy laboratories are looking at the use of marine biofuels as part of a global initiative to minimize sulfur and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution from ships.

When the researchers looked at various types of fuels for their potential to mitigate greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions, they discovered that biofuels made solely from biomass had much lower life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, ranging from 67 percent to 93 percent less than HFO. Biomass-derived oils are also largely sulfur-free and have lower criteria for air pollutant emissions, including particulate matter.

According to Tan's report, the United States has a vast supply of bio-feedstocks for processing vast quantities of marine biofuels to replace fossil fuels if shipping has little competition. For ships consuming 400 million metric tons of fuel per year, a biofuel mix of 5% equals around 5 billion gallons.

The study was financed by the Bioenergy Technologies Office of the US Department of Energy and the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation.

Designated Sectors

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the official national laboratory for renewable energy and energy conservation research and development for the US Department of Energy. The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC manages NREL on behalf of the Energy Department.

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