친환경 선박연료 기술 개발 동향 및 글로벌 시장 주도권 확보를 위한 대응 전략 제언

Abstract

As environmental regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) tighten, the shipping industry faces pressure for a paradigm shift. Beyond fuel costs, which constitute the largest expense in vessel operations, penalties for carbon emissions are emerging as a core factor in operational costs. Consequently, strategic technology and fuel choices for global shipping companies, along with technological and infrastructure investments by shipbuilders and governments, have become essential tasks. This study meticulously analyzes the current state of eco-friendly ship fuel technology development-including methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen-to help Korea maintain its shipbuilding and shipping competitiveness and secure leadership in the future eco-friendly ship market amid intensifying environmental regulations. It proposes a phased and systematic response strategy to address the evolving regulatory landscape. In the short term, the focus is on proactively securing the eco-friendly ship market by utilizing methanol as the core transition fuel. In the medium term, the goal is to overcome the technical limitations of ammonia and introduce it as a major zero-carbon fuel. In the long term, hydrogen is proposed to be established as the ultimate carbon-free fuel to achieve marine carbon neutrality. Finally, technologies being researched by the Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) to realize carbon neutrality in the shipping sector are introduced.