2022 has been characterised by major geopolitical
disruption that has had an immediate effect on energy supply chains. In response to the events in
Ukraine, the EU issued REPowerEU, which aims to remove reliance on Russian fossil fuels by 2030, rapidly
advance the green transition, and has resulted in increased investment in gas. Ultimately, we need to
create the condition where industry can operate today and invest for
tomorrow to protect our environment. This requires parallel approaches in areas such as energy
efficiency, renewable resources, alternative fuels, carbon capture, and the new generation of Small
Modular Reactors (SMR).
In the future, there will be synthetic fuels, hydrogen, and possibly nuclear fusion in the energy
mix, but these are longer-term solutions. Whereas resources such as solar and wind produce electricity
that can directly use existing power grids, alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, require new
infrastructure and methods of transport for international trade.
This means that not all technology and solutions
are at the same level. The framework for decarbonisation is complex in terms of timing, but RINA is well placed to advise our clients on what to do today, tomorrow, and
the day after to create a roadmap for decarbonisation that meets their application needs.
For energy-intensive industries, the transition requires changing the mix of energy resources to
lower or zero carbon emissions. RINA is working closely with clients to ‘join the dots’ and match the
solutions available with their demands. While much technology is available today, for example,
electrolysers, we must also support development to achieve better performance not only in terms of
efficiency but also maintainability, CAPEX, and OPEX to stimulate these new economies.
As we move away from the traditional oil & gas economy to
renewable resources, new countries will become energy producers. For example, Chile is a
country without a traditional oil & gas economy but has
high intensity of wind and sun, along with the space to put solar plants in place.
The amount of renewable energy it can produce is greater than its domestic needs, meaning it
can become an energy exporter by using renewable resources to produce hydrogen and its
derivatives, such as methanol and ammonia.
Investment in decarbonisation is higher in Western countries, but some areas in SE Asia
are also starting to move. RINA is determined in taking advantage of global opportunities: to
do so, training sessions have been delivered to colleagues of all business units to drive RINA
business with new competencies and higher awareness acquired in terms of decarbonisation. Once
trained, these colleagues can train others in-country, creating a multiplication factor of
competencies required for decarbonisation.
The Decarbonisation function works with the other business units to create and support the creation of new services. New technology needs qualification, approval in principle, and certification, and RINA is well-placed to support this with its certification expertise. One example of this work is the recent guidelines issued by RINA for nuclear modules to be installed on board ships. The work started in 2022, with guidelines issued in Feb 2023. Another example is readying the supply chain for pipes and valves to accommodate alternative fuels, such as hydrogen. Once again, RINA is well placed to put the component parts of the jigsaw in place for the energy transition.
2022 presented a lot of interesting projects. These included providing PMC services for the second project in Europe for trains to be powered by hydrogen. We also received the green light from Europe to develop a small plant to prove the use of hydrogen in the steel industry, fine-tune the process and confirm product quality output.
RINA is investing a lot to boost activity in nuclear. We see this as one of the pivotal methods to ensure energy security. Whereas wind and solar are intermittent, nuclear provides the supporting baseload to ensure the grid is stable and energy is continually supplied. The nuclear SMR is very different to traditional, large nuclear plants, with factory-made modules that are smaller and built to higher safety criteria. These are a good option, especially for hard-to-abate industries and where the same fuel vector is needed in multiple locations, for example, in shipping. Feedstock lasts for many years, making nuclear less impacted by any geopolitical changes. This may be 8-10 years away, but we need to understand and assess these solutions now if this is going to become a reality.
The first RINA class ship to be propelled by
hydrogen
ZEUS (Zero Emission Ultimate Ship), constructed by Fincantieri, is the first RINA Classed
Ship capable of being propelled by hydrogen. It is a prototype laboratory ship built to
validate the use of sustainable and low environmental impact solutions across the shipping
sector by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and
particulate matter.
Prominent Greek shipowner Maran to meet IMO 2050 with new
bulk carrier design
Maran Dry Management Inc. has signed a Joint Development Project (JDP) agreement with RINA
and Chinese designer SDARI for the design of a new LNG & hydrogen powered 210,000DWT bulk
carrier. The ship will meet IMO 2050 using an innovative propulsion arrangement based on
combining the ship’s fuel (LNG) with steam to produce hydrogen. With hydrogen produced
onboard, the ship does not rely on any onshore infrastructure or bunkering development to meet
its fuelling needs.
Preparing the way for hydrogen infrastructure
RINA is developing the technical and economic pre-feasibility study for hydrogen
production and distribution sites in port environments. These projects, included within the
Green Ports platform and financed by PNRR, will be the starting point for the decarbonisation
of inland logistics.
New onshore power supply
solutions for cruise/passenger vessels
In 2022, RINA was awarded the Preliminary design contract for Onshore Power Supply
solutions at cruise/passenger berths in the Port of Civitavecchia, Italy. Activities will be
related to OPS connections at both cruise and passenger berths in the port, including the
connection to the national grid and the enhancement and optimisation of the port distribution
grid.
Hydrogen mobility
The H2 Valcamonica project aims to create the first regionally integrated supply chain to
produce, store, distribute, and commercialise green hydrogen for the transport, mobility and
logistic sectors and Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs). It will include three different
hydrogen production, storage and distribution sites, providing hydrogen to 14 trains and a
fleet of 40 public buses. It is the first step in structuring a zero-emission mobility system
and creating a mobility hydrogen economy.
RINA provided project management services for the entire Valcamonicaproject, including
the hydrogen refuelling station. It also supported operators with preliminary design
activities and in applying for funds to convert existing diesel-propelled trains to hydrogen.
The project is part of the ‘Experimentation of hydrogen for rail transport’ initiative
addressed in the PNRR. It aims to achieve "hydrogenation" and decarbonisation of the
Brescia-Iseo-Edolo railway line.
Ensuring new technology is
safe
Hydrogen-powered trains are relatively new, and safety and technology are still being
evaluated. For a leading train manufacturer, RINA provided an Independent Safety Assessment of
a Compressed Hydrogen Storage System and other onboard equipment, released the PED
certification for the Power Traction Unit, and provided a dedicated hydrogen technical
training course to support decarbonisation efforts.
Evaluating new
solutions
The food industry is particularly sensitive to sustainability and is often exposed to
fluctuating energy costs. RINA assisted two prestigious international food companies find
suitable solutions to decarbonise their processes. In the first case, RINA scouted Carbon
Capture technologies that have been developed and, in the second one, provided a study to
verify the compatibility of existing ovens to a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen.
Working to decarbonise steel production
In 2022, RINA commenced working to provide industry-wide solutions to decarbonise the
steel sector by looking at processes, evaluating the compatibility of existing burners with
NGH2 mixtures, optimising high-temperature processes, and evaluating the overall GHG emission
to offset. Gas part of this work, Green Steel certification was awarded to the major Italian
steelmaker, Arvedi.
The first study of a new hydrogen pipeline in
India
India’s leading natural gas Company, which owns and operates an almost 15,000 km
transmission network, assigned RINA to provide a techno-commercial study for the project
implementation of laying a new dedicated 12 km hydrogen onshore pipeline connecting Dolvi to
Salav. Activities were carried out in the first quarter of 2022, providing the first-ever
study of a new hydrogen pipeline in India.
300 km TRANSGAZ hydrogen pipeline
In a project financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
International financial institution, RINA conducted a hydrogen readiness assessment for a new
300 km pipeline and compression station connecting Tuzla with Podisor, owned and operated by
TRANSGAZ.
Carbon dioxide
storage
For the Liverpool Bay project, RINA supported studies related to repurposing an existing
hydrocarbon pipeline for CO2, enabling the depleted well in Liverpool Bay to be used for
carbon dioxide storage.
Helping make hydrogen a viable fuel for the
future
The AMBH2ER project aims to provide a quantum leap in the development of hydrogen storage
technologies. Its main activities are around ammonia synthesis for long-term storage and novel
nanoporous Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) for short-time storage. RINA is supporting this
research project with services to assess the results from an economic and environmental
perspective, according to the LCA and LCC methodologies and standards, and a comprehensive
analysis of the Health and Safety aspects related to the developed products and processes. In
parallel, RINA will support the management of results, working mainly on a strategy for IP
security, market analysis, and the development of a business model. Finally, it will pull
information together from the project to produce a draft exploitation strategy for key
exploitable results (KERs).
Developing feasible
ammonia storage for maritime vessels
Maritime transport is a substantial CO2 emitter, representing 3 to 4% of the EU’s total
CO2 emissions. The pathway to reducing these emissions is expected to be achieved by combining
three key measures: alternative zero-carbon/renewable fuels, energy efficiency, and systemic
change in global trade dynamics. The NH3CRAFT project is looking at developing a new design
methodology for the feasible storage of around 1,000 m3 of ammonia in liquid form at a
pressure of approximately 10 bar and to demonstrate this on a 31,000-deadweight ton
multi-purpose vessel. RINA will be deeply involved in specifying the demonstrator’s ammonia
containment system and leading its concept design.
Working towards a fast, safe and efficient transition to
green ports
The SEANERGY project is committed to making ports clean energy hubs, using integrated
electricity systems, hydrogen, and other low-carbon fuels and waste reuse to create a circular
economy. The SEANERGY Master Plan will be an aggregator of information and guidelines that
will allow all the port industry’s stakeholders, regardless of their geographical context, to
assess, plan and execute the necessary activities towards transforming ports into clean energy
hubs.
Within the SEANERGY project, RINA is responsible for reporting recommendations on social,
financial, and technological barriers and will develop the Handbook that communicates the
Master Plan’s information and contents.
