Ship propulsion, as well as ship operation, management and crewing, is expected to experience considerable changes over the remainder of this decade and on into the next two, as additional environmental mandates are instituted and new technologies introduced to lower vessel emissions, improve safety of operation and reduce overall operating costs.
This has already seen several alternative fuels, such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen, enter the market to challenge traditional petroleum-based fuels, and even liquid natural gas (LNG), while battery technology has improved to the extent that it is expected to become the leading energy source for tug and ferry operations, where rapid charging can take place.
Carbon capture is also becoming important and even nuclear power is once again being examined, with China recently unveiling a design for a 24,000TEU container ship that would be powered by a molten-salt nuclear reactor. The configuration of ships is also evolving and the superstructure and navigation bridges of several ship types is now being moved completely forward to allow for
