Alternative and Sustainable Marine Fuels for Air and Water Pollution Prevention and Mitigation

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled "Alternative and Sustainable Marine Fuels for Air and Water Pollution Prevention and Mitigation.", will present the results of completed and conducted research works, both in technical, social and economic terms, based on the future directions for the development of alternative and sustainable marine fuels.

Energy is sustainable if it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Definitions of sustainable energy consider environmental aspects such as greenhouse gas emissions and social and economic aspects such as energy poverty. Fuel sources such as batteries, Hydrogen, Ammonia, fuel cells and cleaner burning hydrocarbons (LNG, Methanol) are generally far more sustainable than fossil fuel sources. Yet there are additional factors to consider such as lithium-ion battery runaway fires and toxicity from Ammonia, which pose additional challenges for safe operation and regulatory compliance of these fuels.

Switching from heavy fuel oils and diesels to Methanol or LNG does carry some environmental benefits, such as reduced sulphur and nitrogen oxides, as well as volatile organic compounds, but they also produce CO2 when burnt. Furthermore, carbon capture and storage can be built into power plants to remove their CO₂ emissions, but it is highly expensive.

The goal of this Special Issue is to showcase multi- and cross-disciplinary studies that address the systemic and strategic implementation and application of alternative and sustainable fuels for energy generation. To achieve long-term goals for a sustainable future and carbon neutrality, core systems and technologies will change rapidly and dramatically. Energy sustainability has many dimensions, including both production and utilisation as well as the way in which they can be connected to sustainable development. The concept of sustainability also consists of three distinct aspects of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Powering large engineering systems through alternative fuels for mitigating negative environmental impacts while maintaining performance are highly researched and debated topics. Therefore, targets of both reducing GHG emissions, and other harmful pollutants and fostering more sustainability through alternative fuels would be both an industrial and academic opportunity and a societal priority.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:    

Alternative and sustainable marine fuels (life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, fuel blending strategies, supply chain and logistics, application on marine vessels, offshore platforms, and port facilities).

Pollution prevention and mitigation technologies (methods for reducing greenhouse gases, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds through alternative fuels).

Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) in marine applications (integration with onboard systems, cost analysis, and environmental performance).

Energy efficiency and optimisation strategies (hull, propeller, and weather optimisations; energy-saving devices; hybrid propulsion; shaft generators; diesel-electric and fuel-cell integration).

Safety, risk management, and regulatory frameworks (safe handling of alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, LNG, and methanol; risk assessment; infrastructure requirements; standards and compliance).

Cross-disciplinary approaches to marine sustainability (socio-economic impacts, policy and governance, green shipping corridors, renewable energy integration at ports). We look forward to receiving your contributions.  

Dr. Sean Loughney
Dr. Eduardo Blanco-Davis
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• alternative fuels
• hydrogen
• ammonia
• carbon capture
• emission reduction
• sustainable energy systems
• cross-disciplinary sustainability/applications
• pollution mitigation/prevention