Reducing emissions from shipping: Commission’s Joint Research Centre sets out some options - ScienceBlog

Posted December 20, 2010 - ScienceBlog

Maritime transport causes about 4% of global man-made CO2 emissions which makes its carbon footprint approximately as high as Germany’s. There is no regulation of international maritime transport emissions yet, but this is currently under discussion in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In respect of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, shipping is the most environmentally-friendly mode of transport. However, if no action is taken, it is estimated that emissions from ships will increase by 150-200% by 2050. At present, around 50,000 merchant ships transport 90% of global goods and make maritime transport indispensable for the world economy. A report published today by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), provides the first comprehensive overview of methodologies for estimating air emissions from shipping, describes technological solutions and analyses policy options for reducing carbon emissions and air pollution in this sector.
Research, Innovation and Science Commissioner Máire-Geoghegan-Quinn said: “This JRC report underlines why pollution from shipping, like that from many other sources, needs to be reduced both to help tackle climate change and to prevent severe damage to human health. It also discusses options for how a combination of technological innovation and market-based policies could deliver the reductions needed. This study is also a perfect example of how the scientific work done by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre can help drive political progress towards the EU’s Innovation Union and Europe 2020 goals.”

Complete story at:
http://scienceblog.com/41240/reducing-emissions-from-shipping-commissions-joint-research-centre-sets-out-some-options/

DNV Unveils New Design for VLCC Vessel - Linkedin - Maritime Group

Posted - With thanks to Captain Mike Popescu - Thailand

London: The introduction of a new crude oil tanker concept that is fueled by liquefied natural gas, has a hull shape that removes the need for ballast water and will almost eliminate local air pollution. This concept vessel also recovers hundreds of tons of cargo vapours on each voyage and represents a major step towards the new environmental era for the tanker shipping industry.
The new crude oil concept vessel, named Triality, has been developed through a DNV innovation project. As its name indicates, it fulfills three main goals: it is environmentally superior to a conventional crude oil tanker, its new solutions are feasible and based on well known technology, and it is financially attractive compared to conventional crude oil tankers operating on heavy fuel oil.
DNV CEO Henrik O. Madsen, who presented the new concept in its VLCC version in London today, says: “I am convinced that gas will become the dominant fuel for merchant ships. By 2020, the majority of owners will order ships that can operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG). As a leading class society, DNV has an important role to play in finding more environmentally friendly solutions for the shipping industry, and I’m proud of what has been achieved for the crude oil tanker segment through this innovation project that we are presenting today.”

Less harm to the environment

The Triality concept VLCC has been compared to a conventional VLCC. Both ships have the same operational range and can operate in the ordinary spot market. Compared to the traditional VLCC, the Triality VLCC will:emit 34% less CO2
eliminate entirely the need for ballast water - eliminate entirely the venting of cargo vapours (VOCs) - use 25% less energy - Less harm will also be caused to the health of people living close to busy shipping routes and ports as NOx emissions will be reduced by more than 80% while emissions of SOx and particulate matter will fall by as much as 95%.
The new concept tanker has two high pressure dual fuel slow speed main engines fueled by LNG, with marine gas oil as pilot fuel. The next phase of the Triality concept development will review the use of dual fuel medium speed engines and pure gas engines.
Two IMO type C pressure tanks capable of holding 13 500 m3 LNG - enough for 25 000 nautical miles of operation - are located on the deck in front of the superstructure. The generators are dual fuel (LNG and marine gas oil) while the auxiliary boilers producing steam for the cargo oil pumps operate on recovered cargo vapours (VOCs).

No ballast water

A traditional tanker in unloaded transit needs ballast water to obtain full propeller immersion and sufficient forward draft to avoid bottom slamming. The new V-shaped hull form and cargo tank arrangements completely eliminate the need for ballast water in the VLCC version. There will also be much less need for ballast water on other kinds of crude oil tankers, such as Suezmax, Aframax and smaller ships. The new hull shape results in a reduced wetted surface on a round trip and has a lower block coefficient and thus a more energy efficient hull.
A VLCC in unloaded transit will normally carry between 80 000 and 100 000 tons of sea water containing organisms that can cause damage when released into foreign ecosystems. In addition, a lot of fuel is needed just to transport this extra water. And finally, the initial coating and later maintenance of ballast tanks during operations are among a shipowner’s main concerns.
The Triality VLCC can collect and liquefy more than 500 tons of cargo vapors during one single round trip. These liquefied petroleum gases will then be stored in deck tanks and up to half will be used as fuel for the boilers during cargo discharge, while the rest can be returned to the cargo tanks or delivered to shore during oil cargo discharge.

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/a1f4b93d

Interestering Read: Business leading the way on air pollution in Hong Kong - CSR Asia

Posted - December 8, 2010 - by Helen Roeth hroeth@csr-asia.com CSR Asia

CSR Asia’s CSR briefing in Hong Kong this month addressed the issue of air pollution with two outstanding speakers shedding light on the challenge– the one an impassioned environmentalist and the other a business leader. While Joanne Ooi, CEO of Clean Air Network and Tim Smith, CEO of Maersk Line in North Asia, could not have been more different in terms of their professional backgrounds, they shared similar views on how to tackle the problem of air pollution – through proactive business practices and engagement with governments to set necessary regulations.
A public opinion survey released this month by policy think tank Civic Exchange paints a bleak picture of the situation. Air pollution has become a serious health crisis and one in four Hong Kong residents is considering emigrating because of this, up from one in five in 2008. This is close to 2 million people and largely includes those that are wealthier, better educated, and employed as managers or professionals.
These findings are supported by global surveys published earlier this year. In April 2010 a Gallup survey found that 70 percent of Hong Kong people – more than anywhere else on the planet – were dissatisfied with air quality.
These figures indicate that air pollution has reached a level at which it is affecting Hong Kong’s competitive position. An earlier Gallup survey of 148 jurisdictions between 2007 and 2010 on migration flows rated Hong Kong with a net loss of 12 per cent, i.e. more people seek to leave the city than want to come here. In contrast, Singapore topped the chart with 219 per cent net inflow.

Complete article at:
http://csr-asia.com/weekly_detail.php?id=12217

New Online Registry to Rate Efficiency of Worldwide Shipping Vessels - Climate.bna.com

Posted on Monday, December 06, 2010 by Eric J. Lyman.

CANCUN, Mexico--Carbon War Room, the non-profit organization co-founded by U.K. billionaire Richard Branson, Monday unveiled a new website it says will help ratchet down emissions from international maritime shipping by creating a registry where interested parties can look up the efficiency ratings of more than 60,000 commercial shipping vessels.
Organizers said they believe the ratings will be useful to ship buyers looking to acquire efficient vessels, sellers looking to retrofit their feet in order to increase its value, merchants that can state a preference for higher-rated ships, and port owners that can give preferential treatment to more highly rated vessels.
The website rates all sorts of vessels—container ships, tankers, cargo ships, cruise ships, bulk carriers, and ferries—on a scale from A to G based on a variety of factors, such as energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and the performance of other ships in the same class. Ships can move up or down the ratings depending on changes to their status, either because of retrofitting or aging.

Complete story at:
http://blogs.bna.com/climate/fulltext.aspx?id=4294969640&blogid=4294969421

Cancun - The shipping news - Financial Times - ft.com/energysource

Posted - December 6, 2010 By Fiona Harvey

The global shipping industry gives rise to more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire German economy. Yet shipping has been all but ignored in international climate change negotiations. Shipping emissions were excluded from the Kyoto protocol, and from the European Union’s emissions trading scheme.
Though the shipping industry has made some moves to monitor and reduce its emissions, these have not yet resulted in industry-wide action.
The Carbon War Room, a grouping founded by Sir Richard Branson to try to enlist businesses in the battle against climate change, is hoping to change all that.
Analysts at the CWR have taken data on the energy efficiency of most of the world’s cargo ships, amassed by the International Maritime Organization, and turned it into a form that businesses can easily understand.

Complete story at:
http://blogs.ft.com/energy-source/2010/12/06/cancun-the-shipping-news/

Shipping Faces Calls to Lower Its Carbon Footprint - The New York Times

Published: December 5, 2010 - By JAMES KANTER

BRUSSELS — In an era when industries are competing to shrink their carbon footprints, shipping has charted a slower course.
Shipping is less visible to the public compared with airlines and smokestack industries, making it less exposed to calls for regulation. Shipping also carries about 90 percent of global trade at rates of efficiency already far higher than most ground and air transport.
Yet emissions from shipping have soared in the past three decades as global trade has expanded, and that is upping the pressure on the industry to make improvements and to start compensating for its annual emissions, which the International Maritime Organization said might be as much as 1,260 million tons of carbon dioxide. That equates to 3.9 percent of the global output of carbon dioxide — or higher than the carbon footprint for aviation.
The I.M.O., which is a U.N. agency that sets rules for the maritime industry, has publicized a much lower figure of 2.7 percent. But that leaves out shipping along national coastlines and a margin of error of as much as 20 percent in its calculations.
At the start of this year, Connie Hedegaard, the E.U. commissioner for climate action, warned the 169 countries that are members of the I.M.O. that they would “have to speed up compared to what they used to do earlier on” to tackle their carbon footprint.
She pledged to impose regulations — possibly in the form of a trading system or a mandatory carbon levy — if the industry failed to come up with a plan to reduce its emissions by the end of next year.

Complete story at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/business/energy-environment/06iht-green.html?_r=1

New energy efficiency standards for shipping - The Washington Post

Posted - at 1:52 PM ET, 12/ 3/2010 - The Washington Post - By Juliet Eilperin

Major shippers will join with retailers and the Carbon War Room group on Monday to announce that they will apply a universal energy efficiency index to their fleets.
The effort could translate into serious cuts in greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping by enabling shippers to measure and compare how dirty some marine vessels are.
The Carbon War Room, a group founded by British entrepreneur Richard Branson and several other business leaders, has been working over the past couple of years to develop responses to climate change from the private sector. Branson will be hosting a "World Climate Summit" in Cancun this week, during the weekend break for negotiators at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Sir Richard Branson, CEO for Virgin Groups, gestures during a debate at the Climate Summit for Mayors at the Copenhagen City Hall on December 16, 2009.
The action will involve some of the world's biggest shipping companies, such as Maersk Line. Maersk recently announced it is now the first shipping line to receive independent verification of its CO2 emissions data, vessel by vessel. Lloyd's Register has conducted the verification, and Maersk said it will include the data as one of eight performance measures that it presents to customers -- such as Starbucks -- in a scorecard.
Jacob Sterling, Maersk's head of climate and environment, said if independent verification became an industry standard, "this will enable our customers to choose shipping lines based on their environmental performance."
The shipping industry's carbon footprint has come under scrutiny recently, in part because large ocean-going vessels use fuel that is much dirtier than the kinds used by cars and trucks. International negotiators have raised the idea of imposing a carbon tax on the international maritime industry ito help raise the billions of dollars the industrialized world has promised to give developing countries to cope with global warming.
These shipping emissions pose a significant public health risk, as well: According to a 2007 study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, exposure to shipping-related fine particle emissions accounted for 19,000 to 64,000 annual deaths stemming from heart and lung disease. That same study projected the death rate could rise 40 percent "due to trade-driven growth in shipping emissions."
"The deaths of tens of thousands of people could be avoided throughout the world each year if the shipping industry used cleaner diesel fuel, rather than the high-pollution residual or bunker fuels currently used," said S. William Becker, executive director National Association of Clean Air Agencies.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/post-carbon/2010/12/in_an_effort_that_could.html

Four LNG dual fuel engines ensure low NOX emissions (85 percent reduction) and significantly reduce CO2 emissions (25 percent reduction). - Maritime News

Posted - December 2, 2010 - Maritime News

Eidesvik doubles up on Kleven order:

Norway’s Eidesvik Offshore has exercised a NOK 440 million ($71.2 million) option to build a second LNG fueled PSV at Kleven Maritime. Scheduled for delivery from Kleven’s Ulsteinvik shipyard in 2012, the vessel will be Eidesvik’s fifth platform supply vessel powered by natural gas, confirming the company’s position as the world’s largest provider of LNG powered PSVs.
Like its sister ship, which was ordered in July, the vessel is specially equipped for operations in northern areas and is of VS 489 LNG design.
The two vessels are new generation environmentally friendly PSVs with great emphasis on fuel economy, low emissions and large capacities both below and on deck.
With a length of 90 m and beam of 21 m, they offer a deck space of more and have a deadweight of 6,500 dwt.
Built to ice class ICE C, they are equipped for oil recovery (OIL REC NOFO 2009) and a capacity for standby vessel duties further increases market value.
Four LNG dual fuel engines ensure low NOX emissions (85 percent reduction) and significantly reduce CO2 emissions (25 percent reduction). A new state of the art system for or purifying ballast water is installed.

http://bestshippingnews.com/uncategorized/eidesvik-doubled-in-order-to-kleven/

Shipping emissions: Negotiating bunker fuels in Cancun - International Center for Trade abd Sustainable Development

Posted - November 2010 - Volume 4 • Number 4

Aviation and maritime shipping are critical elements of the global economy and trade. More than 90 percent of world trade is transported by sea, while eight percent of global economic activity depends on aviation that transports 40 percent of total freight value. But despite the economic benefits provided by the sector, international transport is one of the main drivers of human-induced climate change. Maritime shipping emissions account for three percent of global anthropogenic carbon emissions while four to nine percent of the climate change impact of human activities is caused by aviation. Aviation and shipping are an important element of the climate negotiations for several reasons, and the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) in Cancun is set to bring these sectors more to the forefront.
Inclusion of international transport emissions in a global climate policy framework has proven to be difficult, primarily because the responsibility for reducing emissions does not fall directly within the jurisdiction of any single country. Due to the global nature of the industry, some experts say that sectoral approaches may be more appropriate for tackling emissions reduction in international transport.

Complete Story and data at:
http://ictsd.org/i/news/bioresreview/97108/

IMO takes action pre-COP16 - The Motorship

Posted - November 25, 2010 - The Motorship

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has circulated proposed draft regulations to make mandatory technical and operational measures - previously proposed on a voluntary basis - to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from ships on international trade.
The move follows a request by a number of States Parties to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution by Ships (MARPOL) to circulate the draft text.
The circulation of the proposed amendments to all 169 IMO Member States and three Associate Members comes as IMO prepares to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico (COP 16/CMP 6), where it will seek to ensure that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Parties continue to entrust IMO, which is the United Nations specialist agency with responsibility for safety and security at sea and protecting the environment from any negative impact that may derive from shipping, with developing and enacting global regulations to control GHG emissions from ships engaged in international trade.

Proposed MARPOL amendments

Under the terms of the amendment procedure set out in the MARPOL Convention, the proposed amendments will now be considered for adoption at the next session of the Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), which meets in July 2011.
Once adopted, the regulations would represent the first ever mandatory efficiency standard for an international transport sector, paving the way for significant reductions in emissions from shipping into the foreseeable future.
The proposed amendments to MARPOL Annex VI – Regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships, would make mandatory, for new ships, the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), both of which have been previously disseminated by IMO for voluntary use.
The EEDI is a non-prescriptive, performance-based mechanism that leaves the choice of technologies to use in a specific ship design to the industry. As long as the required energy-efficiency level is attained, ship designers and builders would be free to use the most cost-efficient solutions for the ship to comply with the regulations.
The SEEMP establishes a mechanism for a shipping company and/or a ship to improve the energy efficiency of ship operations.
The request to circulate the proposed amendments followed the last session of the MEPC in October 2010 (MEPC 61), at which the Committee made progress on all three elements of its work to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping, namely technical, operational and market-based measures, following a work plan to address GHG emissions from ships which began in 2003.
The request to circulate the proposed draft amendments with a view to their eventual adoption, was submitted by a group of States Parties to MARPOL Annex VI, which has a total of 62 Parties, representing almost 85% of world merchant shipping tonnage.

IMO at COP 16/CMP 6

IMO will provide the UNFCCC Conference with updated information on its GHG work through official submissions, outreach activities, an exhibition booth and at side events and also through the UN system activities planned throughout the 2-week event. The IMO delegation will be headed by the Secretary-General, Efthimios Mitropoulos.

IMO’s main objectives for the Conference are that:

* IMO continues to be entrusted with the development and enactment of global regulations on the control of GHG emissions from ships engaged in international trade;
* the regulations are made applicable to all ships according to the non-discriminatory principle on which the IMO regulatory framework is based; and
* the interests of developing countries are fully taken into account, through IMO’s Integrated Technical Co-operation Programme and by distribution of revenues generated by a market-based instrument for international shipping, to be developed under the auspices of IMO.

http://www.motorship.com/news101/imo-takes-action-pre-cop16

Shipping Regulator to Seek New Emissions Rules at Mexico Event - Bloomberg

Posted - Nov 25, 2010 7:26 AM ET - Bloomberg. com - By Alaric Nightingale

The International Maritime Organization, a unit of the United Nations charged with controlling ship pollution, will propose new rules that would cut emissions from vessels at a meeting in Mexico.
The IMO will outline proposals to create mandatory ship- efficiency management plans and an energy-efficiency design index for newly constructed vessels during the United Nations Climate Change conference in Cancun, Mexico, next week.
The proposals will then be considered for adoption by the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee when it meets in July next year, the IMO said by e-mail today.
Shipowners are considering alternative fuels including liquefied natural gas and nuclear power as the pressure to cut pollution from the industry intensifies. The main fuel type for merchant shipping presently is heavy fuel oil, the sludge left over once crude oil has been processed into gasoline, jet fuel, and other more valuable refined products.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-25/shipping-regulator-to-seek-new-emissions-rules-at-mexico-event.html

Shipping can insulate against GHG regulation - CarbonPositive

Posted Wednesday, 24 November 2010 - Carbon News and Info - CarbonPostive

Regulation of shipping’s greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions is inevitable - and the chances are increasing that it is likely sooner rather than later, on terms outside the control of the IMO. The ship operators best placed to meet the costs of regulation without undue impact on their operations will be those who take the available steps to prepare and insulate their businesses now. That is why Carbon Positive believes a system of early crediting to start generating real, verified emission reductions will be of significant value to the shipping sector.
While the IMO tries hard to work towards agreed solutions, the reality is that the maritime sector is caught up in a geopolitical stand-off between developed and developing countries that is preventing broad agreement. As a result, there is now a high likelihood that the European Union will act to regulate shipping-based GHG emissions in its region before the IMO can find its own path to regulation, perhaps on more favorable terms to shipping.
Based on recent comments by EU climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard, it is clear the EU is readying itself to begin moves in 2012 to regulate emissions in the sector on a regional basis. And the European Parliament’s transport committee chairman, Brian Simpson, put it very plainly that those who think the EU won’t impose emissions-trading regulation on shipping and aviation in the absence of strong action from the sectors themselves “is living in cloud-cuckoo land”.

Complete story at:
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2193

Full steam ahead for nuclear shipping - World Nuclear News - New Nuclear

Posted November 18, 2010 World Nuclear News New Nuclear

Preparations are under way for nuclear reactors to make a major comeback in commercial shipping.

Although shipping is already highly energy efficient, pressure has come on the industry to lower emissions. There is the potential for market-based measures for controlling carbon dioxide emissions, while the entry into force of strict International Maritime Organization controls in 2020 provides a firm deadline against which the industry can weigh the benefits of a range of technology enhancements and fuel options. But with no clear technological fix to lower emissions using traditional diesel or LPG fuels, nuclear energy is emerging as a practical option.
This trend has been developing quickly in recent years and the recent announcement of a major joint research project on the topic is the most significant to date.
Marine and energy consultants BMT Group and Enterprises Shipping and Trading have joined with start-up small reactor firm Hyperion and Lloyd's Register to "investigate the practical maritime applications for small modular reactors."
"We will see nuclear ships on specific trade routes sooner than many people currently anticipate," said Lloyd's Register CEO Richard Sadler. The organization has been an independent service provider to the shipping industry for 250 years.
In response to its members' interest in nuclear propulsion Lloyd's Register has recently rewritten its 'rules' for nuclear ships, which concern the integration of a reactor certified by a land-based regulator with the rest of the ship. A draft of the rules was put before Lloyd's technical committee two weeks ago and this represents a further step towards an international regulatory regime to ensure worldwide safety in a potential nuclear shipping sector.

Nuclear options

Cruise liner
A luxury liner has the power demand curve of a town, including peaks at morning and evening mealtimes. Conceivably a 100 MWe nuclear power system could take the base-load role with smaller diesels for peak load and back-up.

Bulk carrier
Transporters moving large cargoes like raw materials on point-to-point routes could run much faster with the extra power and low emissions from a nuclear reactor. A frequent service could be run by fewer vessels, mitigating the extra capital cost.

Supertug
Existing conventionally powered vessels could attach to a nuclear-powered tug for emissions-free passage across oceans.

What about the ports?

Nuclear powered vessels could be the subject of controversy and this would seem to make a nuclear cruise liner concept difficult due to passenger and port acceptance. However, a point-to-point cargo service would need only agreement from two states and the supertug could remain in international water. Another idea is to create a large nuclear vessel with a conventionally powered detachable section to take cargo to port.
Vince Jenkins of Lloyd's Register told World Nuclear News: "National maritime regulators have little nuclear capability, so land based nuclear regulators will be needed in support. Since there are no internationally traded nuclear powered merchant vessels today, our nuclear powered ship rules have suggested a framework which may allow nuclear powered shipping to operate. Within this suggested framework, we have developed the area where it is felt that a ship classification society can add value and confidence to the safety of nuclear powered vessels, the integration of the reactor plant into the ship."
The new program of joint research is meant to produce "a concept tanker ship design based on conventional and modular concepts," said Lloyd's. It noted that "Special attention will be paid to analysis of a vessel's lifecycle cost as well as to hull-form designs and structural layout, including grounding and collision protection."
Nuclear power looked set for a maritime role in the 1960s thanks to early vessels like the Savannah and Otto Hahn, although in the end the Savannah worked for only ten years and the Otto Hahn was repowered with diesel engines after nine years. The Japanese-built Mutsu operated from 1970 until 1992 but none of these ships was a commercial success.
A notable exception has been the icebreaker fleet that works Russia's trade routes in the Arctic Ocean. These vessels number only seven, but one is a cargo vessel and small reactors of the same type are currently being fitted to the Akademik Lomonosov, the world's first floating nuclear power plant, set for deployment in Russia's far east.
Nevertheless, there remain about 200 small reactors at sea in military fleets but this technology cannot easily be transferred to the civil sector due to the requirement of using low-enriched uranium (LEU). In the military sector of recognised nuclear weapons states, high-enriched uranium allows more compact reactor designs with weight and controllability benefits.
The reactor of the Hyperion system uses LEU and measures about 1.5 meters by 2.5 meters. It would produce about 70 MWt - enough for about 25 MWe for propulsion. Its 'battery' design simplifies refuelling to a swap-out operation every 8-10 years with the possibility of managed lease arrangements similar to aircraft engines.
However, incorporation of any reactor in a ship would require extensive radiation shielding, consideration of impact protection. A step change in crew training would be required and there is a strong case for crew to be supplied by reactor vendors.
Similar to nuclear power on land, the additional capital cost of nuclear compared to fossil fuels is a significant obstacle despite the fact that savings on fuel and potential emissions charges would make nuclear economic in the long run. One of the most effective ways for a diesel-powered vessel to save fuel and emissions is to travel more slowly and avoiding this practical constraint could make nuclear vessels particularly attractive for certain cargoes and routes.

LNG to Dominate Ship Fueling Within 40 Years, Det Norske Says - Bloomberg

Posted - November 19, 2100 - Bloomberg - By Alaric Nightingale

Liquefied natural gas will become the dominant fuel source for all merchant ships within 40 years as environmental pressures force owners to use cleaner burning fuel, the world’s fourth-largest vessel classifier said.
Ships must cut emissions of sulfur oxides, a pollutant said to cause acid rain, to 0.5 percent by 2020 from 4.5 percent today under rules from the International Maritime Organization. In more environmentally sensitive areas, the upper limit drops to 0.1 percent by 2015 from 1 percent today.
“Environmental requirements aren’t going to get any less strict,” Lars Petter Blikom, segment director for LNG at Det Norske Veritas, a company that verifies ships are seaworthy, said in a Nov. 16 interview in London. “That’s just going to make gas even more compelling and there’s no other realistic option.”
LNG, natural gas chilled to 1/600th of its gaseous size, costs $397.28 a metric ton, according to Spectron. Bunker fuel oil with a sulfur content of 4.5 percent and a viscosity of 380 centistokes costs $475.26 a ton, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from 25 ports. Nitrogen oxides trigger reactions that lead to the formation of ozone, a pollutant that irritates eyes and lungs.

Complete Story at:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-19/liquefied-natural-gas-to-dominate-ship-fuel-in-40-years-det-norske-says.html

link to - PAPER ON POTENTIAL REVENUES FROM INTERNATIONAL MARITIME AND AVIATION SECTOR POLICY MEASURES

Disclaimer: This paper is the result of the analysis carried out by a sub-group within the AGF. However, the paper does not purport to represent the views or the official policy of any member of the AGF.

Context and Summary

This paper is part of the AGF’s exploration of potential sources of revenue that may be used to enable and support climate change action in developing countries. Under the Copenhagen Accord Parties agreed to the goal of mobilizing up to US$100 billion by 2020, from a variety of sources.
Currently the environmental externality associated with emissions from fossil fuel use in both the international maritime and aviation sectors is under-priced at a global level. In 2007, greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping represented around 1.7% of world emissions, while aviation emissions represented around 0.8%, these shares are expected to rise in coming years. 1 Policy measures which appropriately price this externality could deliver environmental and net social benefits whilst also raising revenues which could be made available to enable and support climate change action in developing countries.
This paper canvases three possible generic policy constructs— an emissions trading scheme (ETS), a fuel levy and an aviation ticket tax — that may be used to raise revenue whilst also attempting to target the externality. The paper makes broad qualitative assessments of the policies against the AGF’s criteria, and also outlines some quantitative analysis of the policies’ revenue potential and their effect on the pattern of trade.
It is important to note that this paper does not seek to provide a comprehensive examination of all possible policy measures or related issues in this sphere. Nor should it be seen as pre-empting or superseding consideration of such measures in appropriate venues. Rather it has instead been framed to facilitate a broad internal discussion of the major issues related to this topic within the advisory group.
This paper acknowledges the significant and ongoing efforts of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in working to build an international consensus on addressing their respective sector’s CO2 and other emissions. While an agreement on adoption of comprehensive control measures has yet to be reached, this paper builds on information publicly available through both organizations, including their invaluable internal discussions on similar policy measures. Both organizations will be informed of the AGF process and progress will be communicated to them.


1) This is a conservative estimate, with some estimates suggesting combined emissions could represent up to 7% of the total global CO2 emissions. The figures are based on an IMO estimate for international maritime emissions of 870Mt (2009 IMO GHG Study), an IEA estimate of emissions from international aviation of 391Mt (IEA CO 2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion, 2009 edition) and assumes global anthropogenic emissions of 50 Gt in 2007, a figure which is consistent with the IPCC 4th Assessment Report.

Complete Report at:
http://www.un.org/wcm/webdav/site/climatechange/shared/Documents/AGF_reports/Work_Stream_2_International_Transport.pdf

New Mitsui bulker design cuts CO2 emissions - Maritime News

Posted - November 7, 2010 - Maritime News

Japan’s Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. has unveiled a next-generation 66,000 dwt bulk carrier design developed to reduce CO2 emission by 30 percent. of next generation.
Named the zzzneo Supramax 66BC,zzz the new ship is an enlarged version of Mitsui’s best selling 56,000 dwt type handymax bulker, for which it has received over 150 orders
Development of the neo Supramax 66BC design involved extensive consultations with shipowners and operators and investigations of more than 600 ports all over the world. The result is a ship designed to have wide beam (36 m) and shallow draft, taking into account current 56BC trading patters and the expansion of Panama Canal, expected in 2014.
The ship is a general use bulk carrier equipped with deck cranes and suited for the carriage of bulk cargoes including coal, iron ore, wheat, barley, soya beans, etc. It can also carry lengthy/heavy cargoes such as steel pipe and hot coil. Hatch openings are optimized for the existing cargo handling equipment at various ports.
Although the neo Supramax 66BC is larger than the 56BC, its fuel consumption less as a result of adopting Mitsui’s newly developed energy-saving hull form.
The shipbuilder is offering two specifications for the ship – Premium and Standard. The Premium model will achieves a reduction of CO2 emission by about 21 percent on a ton-mile basis with a further reduction of up to about 30 percent with the application of optional software and hardware.
Mitsui is also developing measures to meet future SOx and NOx emission controls and requirements for ballast water treatment system is adopted, which is a hot current topic among maritime industries.

Principal Particulars of the Ship
Length overall 200 m
Breadth 36 m
Depth 18.45 m
Full-load draft 12.9 m
Deadweight 66,000 metric tons
Service speed 14.5 knots

Story at:
http://bestshippingnews.com/marine-news-stories/new-mitsui-bulker-design-co2-emissions/

Unresolved CO2 challenge: Hellas Committee of Germanischer Lloyd Meets in Athens - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Posted Monday, 08 November 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE - Source: Germanischer Lloyd

The 2010 Hellas Committee of Germanischer Lloyd (GL) under the Chairmanship of Capt. Vassilis C. Constantakopoulos focussed among many other topics on energy efficiency. Member of the Executive Board of Germanischer Lloyd, Dr Hermann J. Klein briefed the Hellas Committee members on current and future developments in more environmentally friendly and efficient shipping. The recent focus has been on the EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index), which is conceived as a future mandatory new building standard. At the last MEPC 61 meeting, several MARPOL Annex VI signatory states requested a circulation of the EEDI regulatory text. This may prompt a voting at the next MEPC meeting, which, if passed, would put the EEDI into force on 1 January 2013.
Dr Klein presented the current market situation and GL’s growth strategy. In late summer, GL has reached the mark of 7,000 vessels with 90 million gross tonnage which are currently under the regular technical supervision of GL. “This is a milestone in the history of GL,” said Dr Hermann J. Klein, at the Committee. “In only three years GL’s fleet has grown by 20 million GT.”
Torsten Schramm, COO and Executive Vice President of GL presented the benefits of using gas as ship fuel. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a ship fuel may be the solution the shipping industry has been looking for to cope with the emissions challenges of our time. Gas will play a substantial part in the coming decades in enabling substantial near-term carbon emission reductions. Natural gas is widely regarded as a bridge to a low-carbon future. For the maritime industry, gas could be a viable alternative to heavy fuel oil which will be phased out according to IMO within the next ten years. Gas has the potential to reduce dependence on other fossil fuels with heavier carbon impact.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129186&Itemid=95

LCQ12: Emission control requirements for ocean-going vessels - 7th space.com

Posted November 2, 2010 - 7th space,com - Source: HKSAR Government

Hong Kong (HKSAR) - Following is a question by the Hon Paul Tse Wai-chun and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, at the Legislative Council meeting today (November 3): Question: It has been reported that Hong Kong's legislation on controlling the use of "heavy oil" is too lax and vessels berthing at or passing through the port of Hong Kong are allowed to use "heavy oil" with sulfur content ranges as high as between 3.5% to 4%, which is of the poorest quality and most air-polluting (as against the sulphur content of only 0.001% for auto-fuel).In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (a)given that it has been reported that at present Hong Kong is still using the legislation enacted 30 years ago which regulates dark smoke emission by vessels but not the sulphur content of vessel fuels, of the reasons why the Government has all along not amended the legislation to enhance control of the sulphur content of vessel fuels;(b)of the policies proposed and the measures implemented by the Government in the past five years on controlling the problem of air pollution caused by vessels; and whether the Government had assessed in each of the past five years the impact of the pollution caused by vessels on local air quality; if it had, of the assessment results; if not, whether it will make the assessment as soon as possible; and (c) given that it has been reported that at present, vessels entering waters such as the North Sea and the Baltic Sea must use fuel oil with sulphur content below 1.5%, whether the Government had, in the past five years, compared Hong Kong's legislation on controlling the use of vessel fuels with that in other economically developed countries, and whether it had reviewed such legislation and tightened the control of vessel fuels; if it had, of the progress of the review; if not, whether it will conduct the review immediately? Reply: President, (a)The emission control requirements for ocean-going vessels are governed by international conventions under the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Complete story at:
http://7thspace.com/headlines/362341/lcq12_emission_control_requirements_for_ocean_going_vessels.html

Time for voluntary GHG action to be rewarded - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted November 3, 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Leading maritime greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions consultancy Carbon Positive says the slow pace of GHG regulation in shipping opens up a great opportunity for forward-thinking, innovative members of the shipping community to develop pioneering market-based initiatives; programs that will help the sector prepare for any future compliance obligations, reward early actors for their contribution, and demonstrate decisive action to those outside the sector. A WHITE PAPER issued today by Carbon Positive outlines how voluntary, market-based action can help prepare industries for compliance-based schemes, stimulate technological advance, and inform the development of good regulation along the way. Continuing this theme, Carbon Positive will be initiating a CONSULTATION PROCESS to develop an action programme for trading experiments in 2011.
Carbon Positive CEO Helena Athoussaki said: “Given the understandable difficulties IMO has in developing GHG regulation,......

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=128658&Itemid=95

Maersk Line's CO2 data verified - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide - Online

Posted November 3, 2010 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide - Online

Maersk Line is the first shipping line to receive independent verification of its CO2 emissions data, vessel by vessel. For customers like Starbucks Coffee Company, this means more transparency. "Being a good environmental steward is important to Starbucks Coffee Company. Our global logistics providers can aid us in lowering the carbon footprint of our supply chain by improving their CO2 emission data. Quantified measurement and verification is a step in the right direction. Together, we continue to strive to better the world in which we do business," says John Bauer, director of global transportation, Starbucks Coffee Company. Maersk Line will now add the CO2 data - verified by Lloyd’s Register - as one of eight performance measures in score cards that are presented to customers. Lloyd’s Register also lauds the added transparency. “Maersk Line is to be congratulated for taking the lead in promoting transparency and credibility with regard to carbon emissions,” says Madlen King, head of climate change and sustainability at Lloyd’s Register.
The next challenge is to get other shipping lines to participate and thereby make independent verification an industry standard, according to Jacob Sterling, head of climate and environment in Maersk Line. “This will enable our customers to choose shipping lines based on their environmental performance,” Sterling says, adding: “It used to be that ‘you cannot manage what you cannot measure’. That’s not the case any more. We will work to develop a global industry standard for verification of shipping’s CO2 emissions.”

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=128454&Itemid=79

European ports to reward ships cutting emissions - Hellenic Shipping Worldwide - Online

Posted November 3 2010 - Hellenic Shipping Worldwide

Six European ports on Tuesday launched an initiative aimed at cutting emissions from ships with some terminals offering discounts on port dues to cleaner vessels from January next year, officials involved said. A progressive global cut in nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter entered into force in July this year, although reductions will be staggered until 2020.
The emissions standards were adopted by United Nations' shipping agency the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2008.
The European ports of Le Havre, Bremen, Hamburg, Antwerp, Amsterdam and Rotterdam have developed an environmental ship index (ESI) which calculates a vessel's green performance and aims to encourage owners to speed up emissions cuts on a voluntary basis, port officials said.
"We look at the requirements of the IMO and that is our starting point," said Fer van der Laar, European managing director of the International Association of Ports and Harbors.
"Anything above that we will reward," he told a news conference at the launch of the initiative in London.
A ship's efficiency performance will be measured according to a baseline and then awarded points from zero to 100 according to how much more efficient the ship is compared with the IMO emission standards.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=128459&Itemid=79

Jamaica hosts workshop on regional MARPOL compliance - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted - Monday, 01 November 2010 HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Legislation which could lead to the prohibition of waste dumping in the Caribbean Sea was the focus of a workshop hosted this week by the Maritime Authority of Jamaica. Maritime personnel from across the wider Caribbean region attended the workshop, held on October 27th and 28th in Kingston, which considered the ratification, implementation and enforcement of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex I (oil) and Annex (V) garbage.
The workshop came on the heels of a resolution at the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 60th Session held March 22 and 26 this year in London, prohibiting the discharge from ships of all garbage generated onboard in the Wider Caribbean Region as of May 1, 2011.
Mr. Bertrand Smith, Director of Legal Affairs at the MAJ said: “Since 1991 the IMO had designated the Caribbean region as a “Special Area” for ship‐generated garbage after assessing variables such as shipping traffic, interconnectedness of ecosystems and other vulnerabilities. Due to a lack of adequate waste reception facilities for ship‐generated wastes, the status could not be brought into effect. However, at the MEPC this year several Caribbean states that are party to the MARPOL Convention 73/78 indicated that sufficient waste reception facilities were available at their ports. Therefore countries in the region are encouraged to notify the IMO of the availability of the facilities by populating the IMO’s
Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) database.”

Complete story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=128175&Itemid=79

Greenhouse Gas Emissions - International Maritime Organization (IMO)

Posted October 26, 2010 - IMO

Although international shipping is the most energy efficient mode of mass transport and only a modest contributor to overall carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a global approach to further improve its energy efficiency and effective emission control is needed as sea transport will continue growing apace with world trade. IMO has developed specific technical and operational efficiency measures and a work plan for market-based mechanisms is culminating in 2011.
As already acknowledged by the Kyoto Protocol, CO2 emissions from international shipping cannot be attributed to any particular national economy due to its global activities and complex operation. Therefore, IMO has been energetically pursuing the limitation and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping, in recognition of the magnitude of the climate change challenge and the intense focus on this topic.
According to the Second IMO GHG Study 2009, (http://www5.imo.org/SharePoint/mainframe.asp?topic_id=1823),which is the most comprehensive and authoritative assessment of the level of GHG emitted by ships, international shipping was estimated to have emitted 870 million tonnes, or about 2.7% of the global man-made emissions of CO2 in 2007. Exhaust gases are the primary source of GHG emissions from ships and carbon dioxide is the most important GHG, both in terms of quantity and of global warming potential.
Complete Text at:
http://www.imo.org/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/AirPollution/Pages/GHG-Emissions.aspx

MHI makes moves to meet NOx emission regulations - Baird Maritime

Posted - October 21, 2010 - Baird Maritime

Japan: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) will install testing equipment for two-stroke, low-speed marine diesel engines at the company's Kobe Shipyard and Machinery Works in Hyogo, Japan.
Installation is slated for completion in the spring of 2012. The testing system will be used for verification of various elemental technologies to satisfy the Tier III nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Those standards require operators of marine diesel engines installed on ships constructed on or after January 1, 2016 and operating in emissions-controlled areas to reduce NOx emissions by about 80 percent from the current Tier I regulated level.
The 4UE-X3 testing system will be manufactured based on MHI's Mitsubishi-UE Diesel Engine UEC60LSE-Eco model, an electronically controlled 600 millimeter cylinder-bore four-cylinder engine.

Complete Story at:
http://www.bairdmaritime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8275:mhi-makes-moves-to-meet-nox-emission-regulations&catid=76:marine-environment&Itemid=212

Shipping lines to voluntarily cut emissions in Hong Kong - Maritime Connector

Posted - October 19, 2010 - Maritime Connector

A dozen of the world's largest container shipping lines have agreed to switch voluntarily to low sulfur fuel while at port in Hong Kong, a media report said Saturday.
The fuel is more expensive, but emits less sulfur oxide gases, which cause acid rain and contribute to particulate pollution.
The firms have also urged the Hong Kong government to make the less-polluting fuel compulsory, the South China Morning Post reported.
Currently, the maximum sulfur level worldwide in marine diesel is set at 4.5 per cent by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and set to drop to 0.5 per cent by 2020.
But 13 member firms of the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association have agreed to switch to fuel with levels of only 0.5 to 1 per cent sulfur while their ships are berthed at Kwai Chung port, starting January 1.
Complete Story at:
http://www.maritime-connector.com/NewsDetails/10157/lang/English/Shipping-lines-to-voluntarily-cut-emissions-in-Hong-Kong.wshtml

MHI Desings Environmentally Friendly Container Vessel to Reduce CO2 Emissions by 35% - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Posted October 15, 2010 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has completed the conceptual design of the "MALS-14000CS," container vessel that will contribute to the prevention of global warming. The MALS-14000CS adopts the company's proprietary Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS), which reduces frictional resistance between the vessel hull and seawater using air bubbles at the vessel bottom produced by air. Incorporating the MALS, along with today's most advanced high-efficiency ship hull design and propulsion system, the vessel will be capable of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas (GHG), by 35% compared with container carriers of conventional design.
MHI has already installed the MALS on the "YAMATAI," a module carrier operated by NYK-Hinode Line, Ltd., a subsidiary of Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line), and is verifying its CO2 reduction efficiency, expecting approximately 10% cut. This marked the world's first application of an air-blow type ALS system on an ocean-going vessel for permanent use; the MALS-14000CS signifies the second application of MALS technology.
The MALS-14000CS is designed to realize a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions through the MALS. The ship design, featuring a new high-performance hull form, places the bridge relatively forward, exhaust funnels at the stern, and additional container space under the accommodation quarter. The new ship design, providing increased container carrying capacity, coupled with a two-engine, two-shaft propulsion system, enables a reduction in CO2 emissions by 24%. Combined with another 5% reduction enabled by the electronically controlled diesel engine and waste heat recovery system, the MALS-14000CS achieves an overall 35% cut in CO2 emissions*4. The MALS-14000CS is designed to be further environmentally friendly through installation of a SOx scrubber to remove sulfur oxide (SOx) from flue gas and a ballast water treatment system.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=125565&Itemid=79

Carriers rise to the emissions challenge in HK - Maritime Professional

Posted October 14, 2010 - Maritime Professional

Container lines’ penchant for acting collectively could be used as a force for good when it comes to curbing ship emissions in Asia.
Twenty of the major carriers calling at Hong Kong are apparently going to follow Maersk and APL's lead and change to cleaner fuel while in port, according to reports.
This will certainly be good news for the people living in the heavily populated areas crammed up against the port and along the channel.
Maersk made its low sulfur decision following consultations with Hong Kong’s Civic Exchange, a group promoting cleaner air (among other issues). APL soon jumped on the green wagon and it now seems the rest of the lines will soon also be on board.
But this has miffed Hong Kong-based OOCL, according to the South China Morning Post. There was apparently a “gentleman’s agreement” that the switch to cleaner low sulfur fuel would be made collectively on January 1, but Maersk and APL jumped the gun.
Whether that was the case or not, it is a welcome move by the shipping industry, even if some feelings were hurt. When it comes to clean air, the sooner the better.
A third of the emissions measured in the Kwai Chung port area by the city’s Environmental Protection Department are from ocean vessels and switching from the heavily polluting diesel bunker fuel to a cleaner version will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the area.
It may also spur other ports across Asia to encourage lines to adopt the same practice. When Maersk made the announcement that it was switching to clean fuel in Hong Kong the carrier said the move would cost it US$1 million a year. Asked whether the line would use low sulfur fuel in all Asian ports, the Danish giant said it would be at a competitive disadvantage unless all the lines followed suit.
So there is the challenge for the carriers. Prove that your drive to cut down on harmful emissions is more than just pretty words on a corporate social responsibility brochure and extend the low sulfur fuel switch to all Asian ports.
And please don’t slap on a “Clean Bunker Fuel Adjustment Surcharge”. That would just be too much.

Story found at:
http://maritimeprofessional.net/Blogs/Far-East-Maritime/October-2010/Carriers-rise-to-the-emissions-challenge-in-HK.aspx
http://maritimeprofessional.net/Blogs/Far-East-Maritime/October-2010/Carriers-rise-to-the-emissions-challenge-in-HK.aspx

Regulations on Shipping Emissions Face Setback at London Meeting - * ICTSD

Posted - October 11, 2010 - ICTSD - Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 10 • Number 18

Negotiations to establish energy efficiency requirements to help slash carbon emissions from shipping at the 61st meeting of the International Marine Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (IMO MEPC) ended in failure last week with parties unable to reach consensus.
The purpose of the 27 September-1 October meeting in London, England was to continue with progress made at its last meeting in March 2010, where countries had endorsed a package of efficiency standards on the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Ships Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP). But the week-long meeting encountered stumbling blocks primarily over the issue of fair treatment for shipping countries in the developing world.
Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the shipping and aviation sectors have been charged with establishing their own emissions-cutting mechanisms. However, the industries have thus-far been unable to agree upon an appropriate forum or set of rules. The UN-linked IMO has emerged as the front-runner for establishing and enforcing carbon reduction rules, but consensus on what these rules are or how they will be enforced remains elusive.

Complete Copyrighted story at:
http://ictsd.org/i/news/biores/86349/

Analysis: Market measures a long haul for shipping - Carbonpositive

Posted - October 7, 2010 - Carbonpositive

The time frame for any market-based system to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in shipping appears to have stretched following the IMO’s marine environment protection committee (MEPC) meeting in London last week. A combination of system design challenges, distrust of market-based measures and a wider political dispute over the equity of international climate change action puts significant obstacles in the way of implementation.
If the debate last week on energy efficiency design measures is anything to go by, it does not augur well for the next stage of GHG measures, market-based measures (MBMs) in the form of emissions trading or bunker levy programmers. An expert group presented an exhaustive 300-page report to MEPC comparing and analyzing a range of MBM proposals for emissions trading and bunker levies. It concluded however that more information is needed on their workings before final recommendations can be reached.
MEPC did resolve that an inter-sessional working group will now be convened to take over the reins from the expert group and will meet next March before reporting to MEPC 62 in July. This is a concrete step forward and more progress than many expected on MBMs, said Dr Anne Marie Warris, environmental advisor at Lloyds Register and who also served in the expert group.

Complete story at:
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2134

IMO environment meeting discusses GHG measures for new ships - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Posted - Wednesday, 06 October 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), meeting for its 61st session in London, made further progress in developing measures to improve the energy efficiency of ships, in order to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. Technical and operational measures Having considered means by which technical and operational measures could be introduced in the Organization’s regulatory regime, the Committee noted the desire of some States party to MARPOL Annex VI – Regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships to request the Secretary-General to circulate proposed amendments to that Annex, to make mandatory, for new ships, the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP)), both of which have been previously disseminated for voluntary use. The circulated draft amendments would then be considered by the Committee’s next session with a view to adoption under MARPOL Annex VI. The Committee also noted, however, that some other States did not support the circulation of such amendments.
Although decisions as to how to proceed with the next step of IMO’s climate change strategy were not reached by consensus, nevertheless the Committee made progress on all three elements of its work, namely technical, operational and market-based measures, and it is expected that further substantial progress will continue to be made at its next meeting in July next year.
The EEDI is a non-prescriptive, performance-based mechanism that leaves the choice of technologies to use in a specific ship design to the industry. As long as the required energy-efficiency level is attained, ship designers and builders would be free to use the most cost-efficient solutions for the ship to comply with the regulations.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124107&Itemid=94

IMO Criticised By Environmentalists For Lack Of Action On Shipping Pollution - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Tuesday, 05 October 2010 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

The not for profit, environmental law firm Earthjustice has called on the American government to unilaterally strengthen regulations governing climate change pollution from ships. After attending the recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting to discuss the situation the organization is convinced the IMO is failing to make significant progress in its attempts to agree upon climate protection measures.
As a branch of the UN, IMO decisions are generally made by consensus, and the numerous proposals for reducing global warming pollution from ships which were presented at the meeting, all met with objections from developing countries including China, India, Saudi Arabia and South Africa preventing agreements being accepted.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123884&Itemid=79

Choppy waters ahead for global shipping emissions deal - Marine-news.net

Posted - October 05, 2010 - Marine-news.net

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting concluded in London late last week without reaching a deal on a mechanism for cut the shipping industry's greenhouse gas emissions Further talks will be held in March, but it seems that officials have missed their last chance to reach a consensus before the start of the UN's Cancun Climate Change Summit next month.
Shipping is thought to account for around three per cent of the world's carbon emissions, but because it is not covered by the Kyoto Protocol the sector currently has no mandatory targets for cutting emissions. Last week's IMO meeting was scheduled to discuss possible technical and operational measures to reduce shipping's emissions impact, but it concluded without a deal after members failed to reach agreement on a number of controversial proposals, such as a mooted plans for a sector-wide carbon levy or emissions cap-and-trade scheme.

Complete Story at:
http://www.marine-news.net/Choppy_waters_ahead_for_global_shipping_emissions_deal-i19888.html

Shipping nations risk losing control over greenhouse gas emissions - YubaNet.com

Posted October 2, 2010 - YubaNet.com

Shipping nations are risking losing their control over maritime greenhouse gas reduction standards, global environment organization WWF warned today in the wake of another failure to reach specific agreement on curbing maritime carbon emissions.
The key environmental sub-group of the UN-linked International Maritime Organization (IMO) has just concluded a week long meeting possibly further away than ever from agreement on implementing efficiency and technology initiatives and coming up with market-based mechanisms to cut shipping emissions.
Under existing UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreements, the shipping and aviation sectors have been charged with coming up with mechanisms to cut emissions.
At its last meeting in March, the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (IMO MEPC) had endorsed a package of efficiency measures, specifically mandatory Energy Efficiency Design Indexes (EEDIs) and Ships Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP). But the week-long meeting just concluded has failed to reach any consensus on implementing these measures.
“Like the aviation industry, the world’s maritime nations either need to find an emissions reductions solution within the IMO framework or face the possibility of less sympathetic regulation from elsewhere,” said Dr Simon Walmsley, WWF’s observer to the IMO talks.
“The worst outcome for a global industry like shipping would be to have differing emissions reductions schemes being imposed in different places – but that is the future shipping nations are courting by failing to reach agreement in their own forum.”
The world’s shipping industry accounts for over 2.7 % of total carbon emissions, and plays an important role in the global economy, transporting over 90% of global trade.
The meeting exposed further rifts between developed and developing maritime nations and was marked by a blunt refusal by some nations to acknowledge that shipping needs to contribute substantially to the global emissions reductions needed to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Complete Story at:
http://yubanet.com/world/WWF-Shipping-nations-risk-losing-control-over-greenhouse-gas-emissions.php

Shipowner Elisabeth Grieg tells WISTA that industry needs clear regulation - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Posted - October 2, 2010 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

To pave the way to sustainable future. A leading shipowner has called on the maritime industry to accept the need for tough regulations to achieve sustainability, in sharp contrast to critics who warn that such moves could hamper international trade. Mrs Elisabeth Grieg, chief executive of Grieg International and chairman of the Grieg Shipping Group, declared: "We still have a long way to go before our industry actually does its relative part in creating a sustainable future - both environmentally and socially. Therefore, while some [people] focus on the burdens of rules and regulations, my message is that we cannot do without rules and regulations.
"In fact, our industry should encourage rules and regulations to force all players to adhere to some basic standards and to punish those that do not."
She was speaking during a debate at the WISTA 2010 Conference in Athens on the relevance of regulation to sustainability. Mrs Grieg said: "I sincerely believe that the shipping industry is one of the cornerstones in the infrastructure of the global community. We carry 90% of the global transportation of goods. Through exploration, production and transportation our business is essential in providing energy to a growing world market.
"We must recognize that national, regional and global regulations are justified by the absence of desired performance across the industry. There might of course from time to time be more opportunistic reasons for political interference, but there are numerous examples of areas in grave need of regulations and rules. It is - at best - a paradox that so many companies in an industry with the long-term perspectives of international shipping are making so many business decisions based on short-term considerations."

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123585&Itemid=95