Sea go-slow cuts costs - Maritime Connector

Posted July 26, 2010 - Maritime Connector

The world's largest cargo ships are traveling at lower speeds today than sailing clippers such as the Cutty Sark did more than 130 years ago.
The recession and growing awareness in the industry about climate change emissions encouraged many ship owners to adopt "slow steaming" to save fuel two years ago.
This lowered speeds from the standard 25 knots to 20 knots, but many major companies have taken this further by adopting "super-slow steaming" at speeds of 12 knots.
Travel times between Australia and Europe are now comparable to those of the 19th century. American clippers reached 14-17 knots in the 1850s, with the fastest recording 22 knots or more.
Maersk, the world's largest shipping line, has adapted its diesel engines to travel at super-slow speeds which reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent. It is believed Maersk has saved more than £65 million ($138 million) since it began its go-slow.

http://www.maritime-connector.com/NewsList.aspx?lang=English

APL moves one step closer to a clean-air breakthrough - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted July 27, 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Global shipping leader APL has moved a step closer to an environmental breakthrough. The world’s fourth-largest container carrier said today it has completed the retrofit of five vessels for cold-ironing. Cold-ironing is industry jargon for turning off a ship’s diesel generators at berth and connecting instead to cleaner shore-side power.
The clean-air technique will be introduced next winter at APL’s marine terminal in Oakland, California. APL will become the first and only carrier or terminal operator at the Port of Oakland to cold-iron ships.
By shutting down shipboard generators in Oakland, APL expects to eliminate 50,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide emissions annually. Nitrogen oxide is a leading component of smog. The carrier also expects to eliminate 1,500 pounds of particulate matter emissions a year.
“We are committed to reducing the impact of global trade on the environment,” said APL Americas President Gene Seroka. “Equipping our vessels for cold-ironing is tangible evidence that we are advancing on the goal.”
APL has been equipping its C-11 class vessels with cold-ironing capabilities throughout 2010. The last of the five ships returned to service this month from the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore.
The ships are scheduled to plug in at port beginning early in 2011. That’s when APL expects to complete a construction project to electrify its Oakland vessel berths for cold-ironing.
APL has been awarded two grants, totaling $4.8 million, for the cold-ironing project. Part of that funding helped finance the month-long retrofit of each ship. Every one of the five vessels has been equipped with:
Complete story is at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=112694&Itemid=79

Cruise Industry Faces Tougher Emissions Regulations - The Maritime Executive Magazine

Posted July 22, 2010 - The Maritime Executive Magazine

Some cruise lines are reconsidering voyages to Canada as the country imposes tougher emission regulations.
As of 2012, all ships within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) of North American shores will be required to use fuel with no more than 1% sulfur content. In 2015, that maximum will fall to 0.1%.
The average sulfur content in fuel used by cruise ships is about 2.5%, with the global limit at 4.5%.
Stricter regulations already exist elsewhere. In Europe, for example, ships must use fuel with a sulfur content of 0.1% while in port.
The Cruise Lines International Association voiced its concerns to the International Maritime Organization last year after the new limits were proposed, recommending that the 0.1 per cent limit be increased to 0.5 per cent.
Earlier this month, British cruise line company Fred. Olsen said it may end service to Canada and the U.S. in 2012, citing increased fuel costs.
The company, which has a fleet of four ships and doesn't visit North America regularly, estimated its fuel expenses would increase by $16,000 a day under the new regulations.
Carnival, which operates 11 cruise lines and reported a net income of $1.7 billion, last year, reported the regulations would add about $50 million to $70 million in costs annually.
Despite the cruise industry's protests, the International Maritime Organization approved the new sulfur limits in March.
A 2007 study, published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, found that up to 60,000 deaths are caused each year by shipping emissions.
It also found that these deaths could increase by 40 per cent by 2012, due to steady growth in shipping traffic worldwide.
Story found at:
http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/cruise-industry-faces-tougher-emissions-regulations/

New emission rules up shipping costs - Carbon Positive

Posted - Monday, 19 July 2010 Carbon Positive (Telegraph, Alaska Journal 16/7/10, Dow Jones 1/7/10)


Cruise and cargo lines claim that new low-sulfur fuel standards for ships will increase their costs substantially and will have to be passed on to passengers and cargo owners.

New rules that came into force in the Baltic Sea and North Sea this month dictate that the sulfur content of ship fuel must not exceed 1 per cent. The EU has earmarked these heavily-trafficked maritime zones as Emissions Control Areas (ECAs), extending out to 200 miles from coastlines.

A similar North American ECA, along the vast coastlines of the US and Canada, will apply the same low-sulfur standard from 2012. In 2015, both the European and North American ECAs will slash the maximum sulfur level to just 0.1 per cent. The ECA rules also require reductions in emissions of nitrous oxides.

The US Environmental Protection Agency says that the reduced maritime sulfur emissions under the rules could save up to 14,000 lives a year. But low-sulfur fuel is significantly more expensive than the cheap low-quality bunker fuel predominantly used in shipping. With many cruise and cargo services plying coastal routes within these zones, shipping companies say the added cost of using the costlier fuel could amount to many thousands of dollars per day.

Complete Story at:
http://carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=2053

INFORMATION RESOURCES ON Climate Change and the Maritime Industry - Maritime Knowledge Centre

Posted July 14, 2010 - Maritime Knowledge Center

(Air Pollution from Ships, MARPOL Annex VI and other issues) (Last update: 16 July 2010)

Important notice

This information resources document is offered by the Maritime Knowledge Centre specifically to assist those who are conducting research on “Air Pollution from Ships’ Emissions and the Impact of Climate Change on Shipping”. All users of this document should be aware that the information presented in this document has been compiled from a limited variety of sources, which cannot be guaranteed to reflect the mostup-to-date examination or complete survey of the subject concerned or of the associated issues and possible points of view. You may wish to refer to the Internet major search engines for further research.

Furthermore, some of this information is subject to copyright protection and restriction as to distribution or re-circulation. Additionally,while every reasonable effort has been made to focus only on (publicly available) information which is valid and helpful, neither the IMO nor its Maritime Knowledge Centre can accept responsibility for information which is out-of-date, incomplete, biased or otherwise inaccurate, misleading or offensive; and the mention of a reference, item of information, publication, product or service in this document should not be
viewed as constituting a validation or endorsement by IMO as to its quality, content, or value.

Finally, users who have questions regarding the interpretation and/or implementation of IMO instruments should direct such questions to their National Maritime Administration.

Complete Research Document at:
http://www.imo.org/includes/blastDataOnly.asp/data_id%3D29234/Climatechangeandthemaritimeindustry%2816July2010%29.pdf

PHA, Maersk $1.5m EPA Grant for Emissions Reduction - Marinelink.com

Posted July 21, 2010 - Marinelink.com

The Port of Houston Authority and Maersk Line, which partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the first-ever low-sulfur “fuel switch” demonstration on a container ship in the Gulf of Mexico last November, have been selected to receive a nearly $1.5m grant from the National Clean Diesel Program.

Funded by the National Clean Diesel Emissions Reduction Program, the grant will pay the differential costs incurred when Maersk Line vessels switch from high-sulfur bunker fuel to lower-sulfur marine diesel while approaching Texas waters. The Maersk Line vessels call at the APM Terminal located at PHA’s Barbours Cut complex.
Complete story at:
http://www.marinelink.com/news/emissions-reduction334964.aspx

Technological Progress and Visions of Zero Emissions in Shipping - Cruise & Planners

Posted Mon, Jul 19th 2010, 11:13 - Cruise & Planners

The concerns of the shipping industry are coming more and more into harmony. Good economics and good environmental practices no longer conflict with one another – combining the two of them gives a competitive advantage. The contribution that technology can make to environmentally sustainable shipping is a major subject at the global maritime environmental congress gmec, to be held at the Congress Center Hamburg (CCH) on 7 and 8 September 2010.
Shipping is already among the most environment friendly means of transport, and shipowners, shipping companies and shipyards are working hard to achieve further improvements in technology to reduce CO2 and NOx, bilge water and noise emissions. After all, shipping still is responsible for 3% of worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases. How can technological innovations help to deal with these problems? What opportunities are there in green technologies? What ecological challenges does industry have to face? These questions will be addressed by leading industry experts in Panel 3 “Environmentally sustainable shipping – opportunities from technological innovation” at gmec 2010. They will give an overview of the various technological capabilities, from the current state of the art to visions for 2030.
“Zero pollution of the environment”
Panel 3 will be chaired by Spyros Polemis, Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). The maritime industry’s vision of “Zero pollution of the environment” is also intended as an incentive for technical innovation. Spyros Polemis sees one of the best opportunities for reduction of carbon emissions in new building of green ships. “Regarding the fact that ships have a life cycle of 25 years, we need new ideas for long-term reduction of the carbon footprint of shipping.”
Complete Story at:
http://www.fantasycruiseplanners.com/blogPosts/view/technological-progress-and-visions-of-zero-emissions-in-shipping

Obama to launch ocean initiative - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted July 20 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

President Obama on Monday is set to create a national stewardship policy for America's oceans and Great Lakes, including a type of zoning that could dramatically rebalance the way government regulates offshore drilling, fishing and other marine activities.
The policy would not create new regulations or immediately alter drilling plans or fisheries management. But White House documents and senior administration officials suggest it would strengthen conservation and ecosystem protection.
The initiative culminates more than a year of work by a federal Ocean Policy Task Force, which Obama established last year. After the task force releases its final recommendations, the president is expected to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to adopt and implement them.
Calling the BP oil spill ravaging the Gulf of Mexico a "stark reminder of how vulnerable our marine environments are," the recommendations center on creating a National Ocean Council to coordinate regulation of oceans and the Great Lakes, and on a principle of "ecosystem-based management" for marine areas.
The council would include top federal scientists and officials from a variety of agencies, including national security experts, environmental regulators and managers of ocean commerce.
The recommendations embrace a controversial practice called marine spatial planning, a zoning process of sorts that seeks to manage waters in the way some cities manage factories and strip malls. The process could result in confining activities such as drilling, shipping and conservation to areas the planners deem best-suited to each use.
Complete story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=111677&Itemid=79

Revised ISO 8217 specification means new habits for bunker suppliers and buyers alike - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted July 12 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

The recently revised ISO 8217 standard means that bunker fuels and in particular their quality, will become stricter and more environmentally friendly. Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide today publishes an exclusive interview with Mr. Bill Stamatopoulos, Regional Manager of DNVPS (DNV Petroleum Services Rotterdam), who outlined the main changes and what these mean for bunker suppliers.

Could you highlight the main changes that the new marine fuel specification brings to the market?

IMO requested ISO to revise the ISO 8217 standard focusing on improving health, safety, efficient machinery operations and environmental protection. The revised standard addresses these issues, for example, by including new parameters such as H2S, acid number, lubricity, oxidation stability and sodium. Also, the limits of some parameters have been tightened in order to improve the overall quality of fuels supplied, as for example cat fines. May I highlight DNVPS’ active lobbying to improve ISO 8217 standard especially during draft stage. As an independent foundation, DNV is committed to promoting a safe and sustainable future. Ensuring that ISO 8217 is fairly representative of fuel buyers’ interests is an important motivation. That’s why in areas where ISO 8217 needs to improve further on, e.g. H2S and ignition/combustion quality measurement, DNVPS is involved in R&D with industry players like MPA, CIMAC and even ISO to develop more reliable measurement standards and limits.
Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=110319&Itemid=93

Ireland Marine Notice - Sulphur content of marine fuels - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted July 9. 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Marpol Annex VI regulates the sulphur content of fuel oils for ships trading internationally. Within the EU, there is further legislation, Council Directive 1999/32/EC and its amending Directive 2005/33/EC Ireland’s legislation - The Sulphur Content of Heavy Fuel, Gas Oil, and Marine Fuel Regulations 2008, S.I. 119 of 2008 brings this EU legislation into Irish law and amends existing law. All those concerned with shipping and the supply of marine fuel oil should be aware of, and fully implement, the requirements of these regulations. From 1 January 2010, important changes entered into force affecting shipping at berth or at anchor in ports of the State, and bunker suppliers supplying marine fuels to ships in port or at anchor in the State.
Ships at berth or at anchor in the State shall not use fuels that exceed 0.1% sulphur by mass subject to Regulation 7 (4) and 7 (5) of the regulations.
Bunker fuel suppliers in the State are required to register with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and provide certain information annually to SEAI, Regulation 8 (3) and 8 (4). Contact details for SEAI are given at end of this notice.
Vessels entering ports in the State are required to maintain adequate records of fuel changeover operations for compliance with these regulations as a condition of port entry.
In very limited circumstances, there may be a delay in ships being able to comply fully with this legislation. This would usually be due to significant changes having to be made to the burner units of large marine boilers in order to safely burn 0.1% gas oil. If such a condition exists on a ship intending to enter an Irish port or anchorage, the Marine Survey Office (MSO) is to be notified at least 48 hours in advance and full details of the non-compliance are to be explained. Also required will be details of what measures the ship’s management has put in place to move towards full compliance. The MSO will consider each case on its individual merits but, in no case, will blanket exemptions or waivers be given from the requirements of these regulations.
Non-compliance with the requirements of S.I. 119/2008 may result in prosecution.

http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109942&Itemid=79

WRSystems to Debut EmsysTM Emissions Monitoring System at Marine Technology Exhibition in Hamburg - Maritime Executive Magazine

Posted on July 9, 2010 Maritime Executive Magazine

W R Systems, Ltd. (WRSystems) is making its debut at the forthcoming Shipbuilding, Machinery & Marine Technology International Trade Fair (SMM Exhibition) in Hamburg, Germany Sept. 7-10, 2010 to formally release its EmsysTM, 2nd Generation; laser-based marine emissions monitoring system.
EmsysTM is the world’s first QCL (Quantum Cascade Laser)-based, fully extractive, combined emissions and Particulate Matter (PM) monitoring system, designed to meet the requirements of MARPOL Annex VI, the NOx Technical Code, and additionally the requirements of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Emission Control Areas ( ECAs).
Installed within the funnel space, EmsysTM is designed and tested for continuous operation in multiple engine applications. Compact configuration greatly decreases installation time; correspondingly installation costs are significantly lower than 1st generation extractive systems.
Complete story at:

http://www.maritime-executive.com/pressrelease/wrsystems-debut-emsystm-emissions-monitoring-system-marine-technology-exhibition-hamburg/

Free Ship Emissions Assessment from STI - Cleanairat sea.com

Posted July 1 2010 - Clean Air at Sea Blog

Today, a new feature is set to debut on Clean Air at Sea. STI is offering a free ship emissions assessment for your fleet.

This report lets you know your vessel’s real emissions of SOX, NOX, and CO2, both with and without STI’s Emissions Control System, on an annual and trip-by-trip basis. It can be a valuable tool for you to use when deciding which method of emissions control is right for your operation. This calculator uses scientifically valid formulas and factors, combined with operating data that you provide to us, to give you a reliable estimate of your vessel’s net environmental impact.
Complete Story at:
http://www.cleanairatsea.com/2010/07/01/free-ship-emissions-assessment-from-sti/

Carbon clean-up: curbing carbon emissions in the maritime sector - Baird Maritime

Posted July 6 2010 - Baird Maritime

The maritime sector, a key generator of global trade and economic activities, is undergoing structural changes influenced by many trends, factors and developments. They include political, economic, social, technological, financial, environmental and legal forces that have transformed and will continue to influence the landscape of the sector in many ways.

In addition to these, concerns over carbon emissions have emerged as a key driver that is reshaping the way industry players think, plan, invest and operate. There is growing pressure for the sector to clean up its act amid growing demand for maritime-related services such as shipping, port operations, shipbuilding, ship repairing and host of other ancillary services. Players in the maritime sector simply cannot maintain the status quo and hope for the problem of global warming to go away. As demand for services in the maritime sector grow in line with growing global seaborne trade, offshore oil and gas activities and other economic activities requiring ships, ports and other maritime components, emissions from the maritime sector is expected to be on the rise.

To underscore the gravity of the question at hand for the maritime industry, take the case of merchant shipping which facilitates much of international trade volumes. Despite shipping contributing a mere 3.3 percent of the global total of carbon emissions (see diagram 1) (1), it was estimated that carbon emissions from shipping had doubled since 1990 (2). It was also projected that carbon emissions from shipping will grow by a factor of two to three by 2050 from 2007 levels should no regulatory measures are put in place to lower the emissions (3). The levels of sulfur oxide (SOx) emanated by merchant vessels which use normal high sulfur fuel are significant, and urgent actions are required to reduce them (4).
Complete Story at:
http://www.bairdmaritime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7163:carbon-clean-up-curbing-carbon-emissions-in-the-maritime-sector&catid=98:full-speed-ahead&Itemid=122

Air pollution from ships cut, with entry into force of MARPOL - Hellenic Shippong News Worldwide

Posted July 5 2010 - Hellenic Shippong News Worldwide

New and more stringent regulations to reduce harmful emissions from ships are expected to have a significant beneficial impact on the atmospheric environment and on human health, particularly that of people living in port cities and coastal communities. The revised Annex VI (Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL convention) enters into force globally on 1 July 2010, together with important reductions in sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions in specific areas. It was adopted in October 2008.
The main changes to MARPOL Annex VI will see a progressive reduction of SOx emissions from ships, with the global sulphur cap reduced initially to 3.50% (from the current 4.50%), effective from 1 January 2012; then progressively to 0.50 %, effective from 1 January 2020, subject to a feasibility review to be completed no later than 2018.
The revised Annex VI allows for Emission Control Areas (ECAs) to be designated for SOx and particulate matter, or NOx, or all three types of emissions from ships, subject to a proposal from a Party or Parties to the Annex, which would be considered for adoption by the Organization, if supported by a demonstrated need to prevent, reduce and control one or all three of those emissions from ships.
Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109191&Itemid=94

Carbon clean-up: curbing carbon emissions in the maritime sector - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted 0 July 5 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

The maritime sector, a key generator of global trade and economic activities, is undergoing structural changes influenced by many trends, factors and developments. They include political, economic, social, technological, financial, environmental and legal forces that have transformed and will continue to influence the landscape of the sector in many ways. In addition to these, concerns over carbon emissions have emerged as a key driver that is reshaping the way industry players think, plan, invest and operate. There is growing pressure for the sector to clean up its act amid growing demand for maritime-related services such as shipping, port operations, shipbuilding, ship repairing and host of other ancillary services. Players in the maritime sector simply cannot maintain the status quo and hope for the problem of global warming to go away. As demand for services in the maritime sector grow in line with growing global seaborne trade, offshore oil and gas activities and other economic activities requiring ships, ports and other maritime components, emissions from the maritime sector is expected to be on the rise.
To underscore the gravity of the question at hand for the maritime industry, take the case of merchant shipping which facilitates much of international trade volumes. Despite shipping contributing a mere 3.3 percent of the global total of carbon emissions (see diagram 1) (1), it was estimated that carbon emissions from shipping had doubled since 1990 (2). It was also projected that carbon emissions from shipping will grow by a factor of two to three by 2050 from 2007 levels should no regulatory measures are put in place to lower the emissions (3). The levels of sulfur oxide (SOx) emanated by merchant vessels which use normal high sulfur fuel are significant, and urgent actions are required to reduce them.
Complete story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109173&Itemid=79