Challenge

Newfoundland and Labrador’s marine sector faces increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining safe, reliable, and cost-effective operations. The sector is highly diverse, making it difficult to identify a single decarbonization pathway. Additionally, infrastructure limitations, evolving regulations, and uncertainty around future fuel options create challenges for stakeholders seeking to transition to lower-emission operations.

Strategy

Angler’s approach combined international research, policy and emissions analysis, and stakeholder engagement to identify practical pathways for marine decarbonization. This included assessing a range of technologies – such as efficiency improvements, hybrid systems, alternative fuels, and carbon capture – while evaluating their feasibility across vessel types and operating conditions. To capture global inputs, workshops were hosted in the UK, Latvia, and Canada.

Action

Angler and partners completed the project by:

• Conducting a comprehensive review of global and Canadian frameworks and emerging technologies
• Completing a provincial emissions analysis using vessel activity data to identify emissions trends
• Evaluating energy diversification options, including hydrogen, ammonia, battery-electric, and hybrid propulsion
• Facilitating international workshops to gather insights, validate findings, and identify barriers and opportunities

Outcome

Angler and partners delivered a detailed final report providing recommendations to support marine decarbonization in NL. Key findings highlighted the need for a multi-pathway approach, combining near-term efficiency gains with longer-term fuel and technology transitions. The project identified areas for pilot and demonstration projects, to better position the Province to participate in the global shift.