Environmental Technology in Marine Engine Power Systems - A techno-economic assessment

The economics of marine engine power systems involve numerous and inter-related aspects which constitute the framework of system selection. Apart from the continuous effort of various engine manufacturers to improve the efficiency of their products, the emerging need for the protection of the marine environment is introducing the issue of sociability as a new design criterion for marine engine power systems. The economic impact of these technogical changes affects the shipowner?s decision-making in the selection of the appropriate engine power system for his ship. In this presentation, the quantification of the economic impact of the new energy supply technologies in shipping is performed through the qualitative review of the main selection criteria for marine engine power systems and of the state of the art in terms of the advantages and disadvantages of the most probable candidates. The application of a comparitive economic analysis for engine power system selection is performed with reference to the case study of a container ship. It is, finally, revealed that the impact of new technologies in marine engine power systems is not only disturbing the picture of long established choices over these systems but it has also the potential of introducing significant changes in this area.