Biofuels and Electrofuels as Alternative Green Fuels for Marine Applications: A Review

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has imposed strict regulations to limit marine emissions because the maritime sector is expanding around the world, producing large amounts of emissions that are harmful to the atmosphere. Green alternative fuels, such as biofuels derived from biomass and electrofuels derived from syngas sources, play critical roles in meeting IMO requirements for clean energy with zero emissions. This study presents a brief review of two types of green fuels: 1) the production of biofuels from biomass sources by using various methods, such as the gasification process and the pyrolysis process, as well as the effectiveness of adding a variety of catalysts, and 2) electrofuels as a new method to oppose global warming by employing various carbon capture strategies and renewable hydrogen production based on water electrolysis. Following that, the significant effect of using these green fuels in marine applications is discussed. Overall, the primary goal of this article is to provide data for researchers and industrialists interested in biofuels and electrofuels as promising alternatives to fossil fuels. A large portion of the existing literature published in highly regarded journals, including the most recently published reports, is analyzed.