SERF’s UP: Could More Expensive Sustainable Fuels = a Cheaper, Faster Transition?

SNAME’s M-50 Sustainable Fuels Technology and Research panel has given itself the task to try to figure out if there actually is a preferred sustainable fuel out there.

This is a massive rabbit hole effort that does not fixate on the state of the art, but instead is making an attempt to engage all engineering tools, experience, and insight to predict the optimal future.

SNAME’s assumption focuses on identifying the optimal fuel that will be universally (or at least near universally) used when direct electric (a connection to the electric distribution net or batteries) cannot work. For the purpose of the M-50 panel effort, this fuel that can make most of the world the happiest is called SERF, Sustainable Energy Remainder Fuel.

In particular this would be fuel for large ships and we all know the various fuel candidates. However, building infrastructure and technology for all candidates would be dumb if some are just much less attractive in a worldwide application and the panel is attempting to identify technological white whales to avoid those costs.

Predicting the future is an uncertain task, but by engaging with every possible variable, the dive into the rabbit hole uncovers various truths that