Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets

Şeyma Özekinci; Kadir Mersin; Biray Koçak

Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets

Abstract

Although maritime transport constitutes the backbone of global trade, the conventional fossil fuels used contradict the sector's sustainability goals regarding greenhouse gas emissions. This study provides a comparison of the energy content, the specific fuel consumption (SFC) values, and the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions associated with the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) and other alternative marine fuels including liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, ammonia and hydrogen. For each alternative fuel option this study will utilize a Triple-E class ultra-large container vessel as an example ship, and it will also include results of calculations using a 24-hour operational cycle. The findings indicate that HFO produces the highest daily CO₂e emissions in current operations. Conversely, while LNG significantly reduces total emissions due to its SFC advantage, it cannot completely eliminate potential climate impacts due to methane slip (CH₄ slip). Due to methanol's lower carbon content, methanol achieves around a 50% reduction in emissions as compared to HFO. Both ammonia and hydrogen are chemically carbon-free, therefore they will have no CO2 emissions generated at the tank-to-wake stage, but a life cycle assessment based on their production processes would be needed to provide an accurate comparison. The results indicate that shifting to transition fuels such as LNG and methanol are logical for the sector for the short term, but the technological, economic, and safety aspects of carbon-free fuels (NH3 and H2) need to be rapidly developed for the medium to long term. Therefore, this study provides a numerical reference that compares the energy and emission performance of alternative fuels within a holistic framework.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Not applicable.

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval was not required for this study

Thanks

Not applicable.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Ocean Engineering

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Şeyma Özekinci
0009-0006-6189-5436
Türkiye

Kadir Mersin ^*
0000-0003-3999-6960
Türkiye

Biray Koçak
0000-0002-0297-2976
Türkiye

Publication Date

April 30, 2026

Submission Date

February 23, 2026

Acceptance Date

March 11, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 13 Number: 1

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA32FX77HF

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Özekinci, Ş., Mersin, K., & Koçak, B. (2026). Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets. International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics, 13(1), 41-49. https://izlik.org/JA32FX77HF

AMA

1.Özekinci Ş, Mersin K, Koçak B. Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets. IJEGEO. 2026;13(1):41-49. https://izlik.org/JA32FX77HF

Chicago

Özekinci, Şeyma, Kadir Mersin, and Biray Koçak. 2026. “Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets”. International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics 13 (1): 41-49. https://izlik.org/JA32FX77HF.

EndNote

Özekinci Ş, Mersin K, Koçak B (April 1, 2026) Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets. International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics 13 1 41–49.

IEEE

[1]Ş. Özekinci, K. Mersin, and B. Koçak, “Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets”, IJEGEO, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 41–49, Apr. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA32FX77HF

ISNAD

Özekinci, Şeyma - Mersin, Kadir - Koçak, Biray. “Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets”. International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics 13/1 (April 1, 2026): 41-49. https://izlik.org/JA32FX77HF.

JAMA

1.Özekinci Ş, Mersin K, Koçak B. Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets. IJEGEO. 2026;13:41–49.

MLA

Özekinci, Şeyma, et al. “Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets”. International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics, vol. 13, no. 1, Apr. 2026, pp. 41-49, https://izlik.org/JA32FX77HF.

Vancouver

1.Şeyma Özekinci, Kadir Mersin, Biray Koçak. Alternative Marine Fuels: A Comparative Analysis of Lower Heating Value, Specific Fuel Consumption, and Emission Performance in Relation to IMO 2050 Targets. IJEGEO [Internet]. 2026 Apr. 1;13(1):41-9. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA32FX77HF