{"675078":{"#nid":"675078","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Help Maritime Industry Navigate Toward Sustainability","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen people think of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, what often comes to mind are airplanes and land vehicles like cars or trucks. But as efforts to slow climate change are ramping up, the spotlight is on another form of transport: ships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe U.N.\u2019s International Maritime Organization (IMO) has \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/OurWork\/Environment\/Pages\/2023-IMO-Strategy-on-Reduction-of-GHG-Emissions-from-Ships.aspx\u0022\u003Eset targets to reduce shipping greenhouse gas emissions\u003C\/a\u003E by at least 40% by 2030 and 70% by 2040, aiming for net-zero by 2050. Shipping currently accounts for \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/ocean\/topics\/ocean-shipping\/\u0022\u003Eabout 3% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions\u003C\/a\u003E, and the pressure is on shipping companies to meet these ambitious goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcross Georgia Tech, researchers are working toward a sustainable future for ocean shipping. This includes \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/valerie-thomas\u0022\u003EValerie Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E, the Anderson-Interface Chair of Natural Systems Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Public Policy\u003C\/a\u003E. She is scholar of energy systems, sustainability, assessment, and low-carbon transportation fuels, and her work touches many aspects of the maritime industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinding Sustainable Solutions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cToday, we ship a lot of goods by ocean freight, and there is certainly an environmental impact with shipping,\u201d Thomas said.\u0026nbsp; \u201cBut the emissions from shipping a product from East Asia to the U.S. on a bulk carrier vessel are significantly lower than trucking a product across the U.S. When ships are filled to the brim with cargo and are moving slowly across oceans, this is energy efficient, fuel efficient, and even cost efficient per ton of \u2018stuff\u2019 transported.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile ocean shipping is \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ics-shipping.org\/shipping-fact\/environmental-performance-environmental-performance\/\u0022\u003Esignificantly more energy efficient\u003C\/a\u003E than air or land transport and contributes far fewer emissions, Thomas says cutting down on ocean freight emissions will require a great deal more effort. One way is to find more eco-friendly fuels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI look at big systems, and one of those areas is investigating alternative fuels,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cI\u2019m often trying to figure out how much greenhouse gas various fuels emit, what other types of emissions or matter are coming out, and how to compare different fuel options.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThomas is a leading expert in life-cycle assessment. It is a method used to evaluate a fuel or technology\u0027s environmental impact throughout its entire cycle \u2014\u0026nbsp;from raw materials extraction, processing, manufacturing, distribution, and ultimately, use. Right now, basically all ships use petroleum fuels, which emit carbon dioxide and particulate matter into the air.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinding fuel alternatives is not a simple task: Just because a fuel might initially seem like a promising low-carbon option, that is not always the case in the end. Thomas\u2019s expertise in life-cycle assessments helps her figure out whether these possible fuels are truly environmentally friendly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne such example is hydrogen: It doesn\u2019t emit carbon dioxide when burned,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cBut the manufacturing of hydrogen can emit carbon dioxide, and therefore, hydrogen is not always a low-carbon fuel on a lifecycle basis.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHelping the Shipping Industry Cut Carbon\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/patritsia-stathatou\u0022\u003EPatricia Stathatou\u003C\/a\u003E, a researcher at Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/rbi\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, specializes in sustainability assessment of chemical engineering processes and products, which includes lifecycle assessments and techno-economic assessments, evaluating both the environmental impacts and the economic viability of products and processes. Stathatou, who will join the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E as an assistant professor in January 2025, also conducts experiments to support these assessments and guide the development of new technologies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy contribution to the lifecycle assessment field is that I support assessments with in-field emission monitoring, taking samples, and performing chemical analyses,\u201d Stathatou said.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThis helps identify specific pollutants that might be emitted into the air or be present in water, wastewater, or solid waste streams.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut as maritime shipping companies rise to the challenge of cutting emissions, they often do not know where to start. This is where Stathatou\u2019s experience comes in.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring her postdoctoral research at MIT, a major shipping company reached out to Stathatou and her colleagues asking for help in cutting emissions. They wanted to increase the energy efficiency of their fleet and investigate different strategies and technologies to eventually reach the IMO\u2019s emissions goals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause of Stathatou\u2019s expertise in alternative fuels, biofuels, and sustainable energy sources, she investigated potential solutions for the company, which included a six-day research trip monitoring emissions aboard one of the company\u2019s bulk carrier vessels in East Asia. Her work involves designing experiments, measuring emissions, and evaluating the environmental impact of different fuels onboard bulk carrier vessels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTen years ago, there weren\u0027t rigorous goals or guidelines for reducing emissions in the shipping industry \u2014 and not much scientific collaboration in the process,\u201d Stathatou said. \u201cIf we are to make a difference in the industry in regard to climate, we need partnerships with shipping companies to help guide their efforts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStathatou plans to continue her collaborations with shipping companies and expects to carry out more on-ship evaluations soon.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Big Picture\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Thomas, a holistic approach is needed to make shipping more sustainable. \u0022It\u0027s not just about the fuels we use; it\u0027s about optimizing supply chains, reducing empty freight, and leveraging multimodal transportation options,\u0022 Thomas said. \u0022By embracing net-zero freight initiatives and maximizing efficiency in logistics, we can achieve meaningful reductions in emissions while meeting the demands of global trade.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEncouraging shifts to ocean freight is another means of reducing emissions. For example, if a company wants to transport goods from Miami to Baltimore, they don\u2019t need to go by road or rail. \u201cYou can ship your freight on the ocean along the coast, and that could be more environmentally efficient,\u201d Thomas said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work Thomas and Stathatou do is part of a broad portfolio of shipping sustainability research at Georgia Tech, which also includes the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scl.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.pa\/?lang=en\u0022\u003EPanama Logistics and Innovation Research Center\u003C\/a\u003E, and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/netzero.scl.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ENet Zero Freight Systems Program\u003C\/a\u003E, which Thomas co-leads. These partnerships aim to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of global supply chains, leveraging innovative research and practical applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe work of evaluating different fuels, technologies, and strategies is not trivial, and figuring out these new methods does not happen quickly,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cThese are difficult technologies, and it takes a long time to put them in place. That is why we need to do this work now.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStathatou envisions that, with more shipping companies now looking to curb their emissions, there will be significant adoption of new fuels and technologies within the next decade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOcean shipping is a transportation sector that we cannot go without, and so decarbonizing it is very important,\u201d Stathatou said. \u201cI believe the ability to perform these assessments and guide the development of future solutions will have a tremendous impact on humanity.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers are developing sustainable ocean shipping solutions to meet global emissions targets through eco-friendly fuels, optimized supply chains, and life-cycle assessments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are developing sustainable ocean shipping solutions to meet global emissions targets through eco-friendly fuels, optimized supply chains, and life-cycle assessments."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2024-06-11 14:20:05","changed_gmt":"2024-06-14 16:28:58","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-06-11T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674168":{"id":"674168","type":"image","title":"Cargo ship.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EOcean shipping, the backbone of international trade, is significantly more energy efficient than air or land transport. However, cutting down on ocean freight carbon emissions will require a great deal of collaboration and effort.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1718123020","gmt_created":"2024-06-11 16:23:40","changed":"1718123020","gmt_changed":"2024-06-11 16:23:40","alt":"A cargo ship filled to the brim with colorful containers sails across a blue ocean","file":{"fid":"257647","name":"Cargo ship.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/11\/Cargo%20ship.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/11\/Cargo%20ship.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4196271,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/11\/Cargo%20ship.png?itok=FnWmJDJD"}},"674186":{"id":"674186","type":"image","title":"valerie thomas headshot.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EValerie Thomas, the Anderson-Interface Chair of Natural Systems Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and in the School of Public Policy. (Credit: Camille C. Henriquez)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1718382497","gmt_created":"2024-06-14 16:28:17","changed":"1718382497","gmt_changed":"2024-06-14 16:28:17","alt":"A headshot of a woman with cropped gray hair and glasses who is smiling at the camera","file":{"fid":"257667","name":"valerie thomas headshot.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/14\/valerie%20thomas%20headshot.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/14\/valerie%20thomas%20headshot.png","mime":"image\/png","size":604202,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/14\/valerie%20thomas%20headshot.png?itok=QonxuE14"}},"674166":{"id":"674166","type":"image","title":"Patricia with the crew_0 (1).jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPatricia Stathatou (third from right), a researcher at the Renewable Bioproducts Institute, with the carrier vessel\u0027s crew members. (Credit: Patricia Stathatou)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1718121986","gmt_created":"2024-06-11 16:06:26","changed":"1718123827","gmt_changed":"2024-06-11 16:37:07","alt":"Six people in dark blue boiler suits standing in the control room of a ship","file":{"fid":"257645","name":"Patrisia with the crew_0 (1).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/11\/Patrisia%20with%20the%20crew_0%20%281%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/11\/Patrisia%20with%20the%20crew_0%20%281%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":322838,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/11\/Patrisia%20with%20the%20crew_0%20%281%29.jpg?itok=1z-aihyS"}},"674165":{"id":"674165","type":"image","title":"pat water samples.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStathatou preserving water and washwater samples from the vessel\u0027s scrubber so they can be stored and analyzed later in the lab. (Credit: Patricia Stathatou)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1718121801","gmt_created":"2024-06-11 16:03:21","changed":"1718123459","gmt_changed":"2024-06-11 16:30:59","alt":"A woman in a lab coat sits at a desk in a ship cabin. She is surrounded by bottles and scientific measurema","file":{"fid":"257644","name":"pat water samples.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/11\/pat%20water%20samples.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/11\/pat%20water%20samples.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4706364,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/11\/pat%20water%20samples.png?itok=2L5I2gK5"}},"674164":{"id":"674164","type":"image","title":"Pat funnel.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EStathatou prepares to measure particulate matter emissions in the vessel\u0027s funnel \u2014 a very windy area of the ship. (Credit: Patricia Stathatou)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1718121374","gmt_created":"2024-06-11 15:56:14","changed":"1718123479","gmt_changed":"2024-06-11 16:31:19","alt":"A woman sits in the funnel of a ship, taking particulate measurements. ","file":{"fid":"257643","name":"Pat funnel.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/11\/Pat%20funnel.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/11\/Pat%20funnel.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":293818,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/11\/Pat%20funnel.jpg?itok=0vVeagRi"}}},"media_ids":["674168","674186","674166","674165","674164"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}