German shipbuilding industry researching environmentally friendly technologies ahead of stricter environmental rules

In 2020, stricter environmental regulations concerning pollution from seagoing vessels will come into force, putting added pressure on the German shipbuilding industry to innovate, according to an article in tageszeitung (taz). The industry is currently researching hybrid and multi-fuel powertrains that can use a variety of fuels, as well as electrical systems, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and synthetic fuels. Technologically advanced, German shipbuilding companies and offshore suppliers are positioned to “deliver the technology” for environmentally friendly drives, said Alexander Nürnberg, chairman of the marine equipment and systems (MES) working group in the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). However, the rise of protectionism threatens to deal a serious blow to the industry just as it needs to prepare for the new rules, Nürnberg argues.

Read the article in German here.

For background, read the CLEW dossier The energy transition and Germany’s transport sector.