Emerging LNG-fueled ships in the Chinese shipping industry: a hybrid analysis on its prospects

Abstract

Abstract With the prosperity of global shipping industry, a variety of shipping-induced environmental problems and increasingly rigid emission restrictions have drawn more attention to an emerging marine fuel—liquefied natural gas (LNG), a clean and efficient energy that conforms to the essence of green shipping. Although with superiority using onboard, there are only fewer than 40 fully LNG-fueled ships in service worldwide by June 2013, and the quantity of LNG-fueled ships in operation is even much lower in China. Moreover, the majority of those in China are inland ships, which mainly navigate along the Yangtze River and canals. By using the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis in combination with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), this paper analyzes the development prospect of LNG-fueled ships in inland waterway transportation in China, aiming to fill the gaps of inadequate understanding of the new marine energy. This paper offers some insight on the prospects of the application of LNG in the Chinese shipping industry and simultaneously provides useful information to stakeholders and policy makers for decision-making on the development of LNG-fueled ships.