Fossil-free shipping by 2035

What if there are no fossil fuels available for shipping by 2035? How could shipping then remain successful?

This 1-year pre-study is funded by Lighthouse in Sweden, managed by IVL, and conducted together with partners at University of Gothenburg and Wallenius/Soya group. It aims to analyze how maritime transport can transition to fossil-free and sustainable operations when (hypothetically) access to fossil fuels is cut off in the year 2035. The starting point for the project is the belief that humans are capable and quick to adapt when they truly want or need to.

WP1. The Situation in 2035. The situation in 2035 will be analyzed in two cases: global shipping and shipping to and from Sweden. Different scenarios will be discussed, including what kind of shipping remains, how much fuel is required, what energy efficiency improvements have been achieved, and so on.

WP2 (lead by Sven Borén). Backcasting. A backcasting exercise will be conducted to analyze what actions are needed from now until 2035 in order to reach a situation where maritime transport can operate without fossil fuels, as described in the various scenarios in WP1.

WP3. Formulation of Main Study. This preliminary study will present initial results and define the scope and structure of the main study.