Technical-economic and environmental assessment of marine biofuels produced in Brazil

This study compared the technical-economic and life cycle environmental (LCA) performance of a bulk carrier, powered by different biofuels that could potentially be produced in Brazil, with a ship powered by low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO). Six biofuel pathways and two power systems (two-stroke diesel engine and solid oxide fuel cell) were evaluated. The technical-economic assessment estimated the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP), and the impacts on the levelized cost of shipping (LCOS). All biofuels showed reductions ranging from 63.12% to 89.98% in GHG emissions per t.km compared to LSFO. Biofuels also performed better in terms of fine particulate matter formation and fossil resource scarcity, while results for the other environmental categories varied according to the production pathway. From an economic perspective, all biofuels showed higher MFSP (2.46–3.75 times) and LCOS (1.58–3.08 times) compared to LSFO. The results showed the potential of biofuels to reduce the carbon footprint and the economic challenges to overcome. In this sense, governmental programs and incentives can allow marine biofuels bridge the competitivity gap with fossil fuels. In the short-term, the adoption of different strategies, such as offsetting schemes, may be necessary for the international shipping decarbonization.