Over the past few years the shipping industry has been overawed with new technologies that claim to help reduce emissions and fuel consumption.

In September leading shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) said that existing technology could cut shipping emissions by 50%.

Among the many technologies, the four that have featured quite prominently during 2009 have been clean fuels, scrubbing technology, engine modifications and fuels cells.

The subject of whether scrubbers is a viable alternative to low sulphur bunker fuel has faced a lot of debate (link).

Scrubbing technology, which is said to remove SOx and PM, came to the fore after it received endorsement by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as an alternative to using low sulphur fuel to meet regulatory limits.

Fuel cell technology on the other hand is still in its infancy. A fuel cell is a power source that chemically combines natural gases such as hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity.

It is said to significantly reduce CO2 emissions, improve energy efficiency and produce zero emissions of harmful substances, when compared to conventional engine technology, according to Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

Engine modifications have also featured prominently with many engines already meeting the 2011 NOx emissions standards.

Wärtsilä is among those companies that have said they can deliver an entire propulsion control system, which Wärtsilä claims can contribute to considerable savings in fuel consumption, in turn reducing emissions.

So-called clean fuels are also being proposed to help reduce ship emissions. Liquid natural gas (LNG) contains no sulphur and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and CO2 are also reduced. A number of companies are proposing greater use of LNG.

Biofuels are another potential clean fuel, although there is much variability depending on the feedstock that is used for the fuel. Tests are already underway with several different types and blends.