Maersk Line fuel switch in Singapore contributes towards zero SOx goal - Hellenic Shipping News

Posted September 27, 2011 - Hellenic Shipping News

Maersk Line’s voluntary switch to low-sulphur fuel in Port of Singapore reduces sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter generated by its vessels by at least 65%.
Maersk Line makes around 500 port calls in Singapore every year. It has started switching to low-sulphur fuel since July 2011, and to date, about 80% of its vessels calling Singapore have switched from Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) to low sulphur fuel (maximum 1.0% sulphur), when they are within port limits.
“Our implementation of fuel switches is in line with our commitment to reduce the impact of shipping on both the environment and the communities we operate in. They build towards our ultimate goal of driving our own operations as well as the shipping industry as whole towards zero SOx emissions. With this fuel switch, we are well on our way to achieve our target of implementing at least ten fuel switch programmes by 2015,” said Thomas Riber Knudsen, Chief Executive Officer for Maersk Line Asia Pacific region.
“We have proceeded with our fuel switch plans despite the significant cost increase, especially with the rise in bunker prices. There is a need for the industry to focus more on improving its environmental performance, including cutting SOx emissions, and we want to set a positive example through our voluntary fuel switches,” added Knudsen.
“We are heartened by and greatly welcome Maersk Line’s decision to have its vessels switch to low-sulphur fuel while within Singapore’s port limits. We hope that more shipping companies will follow Maersk’s lead in adopting environmentally-friendly shipping practices to protect the marine environment and manage the environmental
impact of shipping,” said Mr Lam Yi Young, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

Complete Story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49029:maersk-line-fuel-switch-in-singapore-contributes-towards-zero-sox-goal-&catid=44:latest-news&Itemid=64

Canada. Emissions control, ship efficiency top agenda at GL North American Committee Meeting - BYM Marine & Maritime News

Posted - Friday, 23 September 2011 - BYM Marine & Maritime News

The introduction of new emissions control areas (ECA) off the coastal waters of the US and Canada promise great changes for shipping in the region. These regulations coloured many of the topics discussed at the North American Committee of Germanischer Lloyd (GL), which met at the Hotel Delta in Quebec City this week. The Committee examined such topics as GL's activities, both globally and in the Americas, ship efficiency, the rising importance of natural gas for the maritime industry, the technical challenges facing shipping in reducing emissions and upcoming regulations.
The Committee, which only celebrated its inauguration in 2010, is made up of representatives from Canadian and American ship owners and operators, ship yards, maritime consultants, and other industry stakeholders, alongside delegates from GL. Torsten Schramm, GL's Chief Operating Officer, gave the attendees an overview of the new GL Group structure, highlighting the three business segments: Maritime, Renewables and Oil and Gas. He looked at the trends for the coming years in shipping and celebrated GL's fleet in service topping the 100 million GT mark.
Germanischer Lloyd's new Executive Vice President for the Americas, Uwe Bullwinkel, looked at the development of GL in the region. Mr Bullwinkel was most recently GL's Area Manager for Germany and is in charge of the Areas North/Central and South America. Mr Bullwinkel also looked at the coming introduction of the ECAs in the Americas. Adopted by the IMO at the 62nd MEPC, these areas will strictly limit the sulphur content of vessels operating in coastal waters. To solve the problems of having to switch to low sulphur content fuel when entering such areas, Mr Bullwinkel presented GL's new fuel change-over manual. This manual will help a ship's crew to plan and perform fuel change-over and minimise the lead time when making a fuel switch, resulting in significant fuel savings.

Complete Post at:
http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=92343

Maersk Line Tests New Exhaust Gas Cleaning System - Logisticsweek.com

Posted - September 22, 2011 Logisticsweek.com

“Sulphur is a major problem for our industry. We are concerned with the impact on public health, in particular for people living close to busy ports,” says Jacob Sterling, Head of Climate and Environment, Maersk Line.
Maersk Line will test an advanced scrubbing system developed by BELCO® and designed for installation at Maersk Line and Maersk Tankers vessels. The high efficiency technology can cut SOx emissions by more than 97%.
“We have been investigating SOx scrubber technologies for several years to find appropriate technology for installation on our ships. We are pleased with our partnership with BELCO® and trust it will bring us one step further in understanding our possibilities to improve environmental performance in a cost effective manner,” says Bo Cerup-Simonsen, Head of Maersk Maritime Technology.
Maersk is investing $600,000 USD in the installation and operation of the scrubber. The system will be operational on container ship Maersk Taurus in 2012 and can be in use throughout the voyage if conditions are appropriate.
“Global sulphur legislation will kick in over the next few years so the more understanding we have on these systems, the better we are prepared to make smarter investment decisions sooner, when weighing our options against low sulphur fuels,” says Maurice Meehan, Maersk Tankers’ Sustainability Manager.
The scrubber will cut SOx emissions significantly but the application also consumes energy.
“A system of this magnitude consumes energy and therefore increases CO2. We need to find the right balance between SOx cuts, CO2 increases and cost,” says Bo Cerup-Simonsen.
Maersk Line expects the new technology to complement the company’s operational measures, such as fuel switch implementations.

Story at:
http://logisticsweek.com/news/2011/09/maersk-line-tests-new-exhaust-gas-cleaning-system/

ICS: Urging Shipowners to get EEDI - MarineLink.com

Posted September 20, 2011 - MarineLink.com

The Board of Directors of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), whose member national shipowners’ associations represent all sectors and trades and over 80% of the world merchant fleet, met in London on 13 September.

CO2 Regulation
ICS members expressed great satisfaction with the adoption in June, by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), of a package of technical regulations to help the shipping industry further reduce its CO2 emissions on a global basis. ICS members stressed that this demonstrated that IMO was eminently capable of regulating shipping’s CO2 emissions, and that with the full support of the industry IMO was ahead of the curve and well placed to supplement this with the development of Market Based Measures for shipping. The ICS Board reiterated the preference of the majority of the industry for an environmental compensation fund, to which any contributions by ships would be primarily linked to fuel consumption, rather than an emissions trading scheme.
Now that IMO has adopted binding regulations, that will enter into force in 2013, ICS hopes this will be sufficient to dissuade governments from pursuing detailed CO2 rules for shipping at the UNFCCC or through regional requirements, for example by the EU. Such alternative measures would only be likely to apply to a proportion of the world fleet and would therefore deliver far smaller total emission reductions than global measures agreed through IMO. Such alternative measures would also fundamentally upset the global level playing field that the shipping industry needs to carry world trade efficiently.
“ICS national associations will be lobbying their governments hard on these points, and in support of IMO, in advance of the next United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Durban in December.” said ICS Chairman, Mr Spyros M Polemis.

Complete Post at:
http://www.marinelink.com/news/shipowners-urging-eedi340502.aspx

Historic canal reborn as low-carbon cargo route - CNN International Edition

Posted September 17, 2011 - CNN International Edition

Liverpool, England (CNN) -- Britain's canal systems were once viewed as a throwback to a bygone age of freight transport, sidelined or abandoned in favor of faster road and rail links.
But as one major waterway undergoes a renaissance, shipping huge quantities of wine and other goods through two of the country's major trading hubs, the network could be poised to reclaim its original role and at the same time help cut pollution levels.
The Manchester Ship Canal, which opened to great fanfare in 1894, was originally built as a way for the inland northern city of Manchester to strike back against its commercial rival Liverpool, advantageously located on the coast, 35 miles to the west.
At the time it was an engineering triumph, capable of conveying the world's largest ships -- and their valuable cargo -- right into the heart of landlocked Manchester.
Following the advent of container ships the canal fell into decline as its shallow waters were unable to accommodate the leviathans of modern maritime commerce. Containers were instead diverted to other ports and dispatched across the country on trains and trucks.
"When the ship canal was built it could take the largest ships in the world," said Alan Feast, the deputy manager of Mersey Ports, part of the company that now runs both the docks in Liverpool and the Manchester canal. "Times moved on, ships got bigger, but infrastructure on the canal hasn't."

Complete Post at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/08/17/canals.carbon.transport/?hpt=ieu_mid

Committee Approves Slate of Transportation & Infrastructure Measures - The Maritime Executive

Posted September 12, 2011 - The Maritime Executive

Washington, DC – The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved several legislative measures at a Committee markup today, including bills to reauthorize the United States Coast Guard, prohibit the United States from participating in a European Union emissions trading scheme that unfairly taxes U.S. airlines, and reauthorize pipeline safety programs in a manner that enhances safety efforts while providing the regulatory certainty that will encourage job creation.

The Committee approved the following measures:
• H.R. 2845, the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011
• H.R. 2594, the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011
• H.R. 2838, the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2011
• H.R. 2839, the Piracy Suppression Act of 2011
• H.R. 2844, the National Women’s History Museum and Federal Facilities Consolidation and Efficiency Act of 2011
• General Services Administration Capital Investment and Leasing Program Resolutions
H.R. 2845, the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011, reauthorizes and strengthens pipeline safety programs and ensures the regulatory certainty in pipeline transportation necessary to allow businesses to create jobs. The bill was introduced by Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and co-sponsored by Chairman Mica.

The bill, as well as a manager’s amendment offered by Chairman Shuster, passed unanimously today. The approved amendment represents an agreement on the Pipeline Safety bill between Committee Republicans and Democrats.
The bill authorizes federal pipeline safety programs through fiscal year 2015. It renews the federal commitment to improving safety while ensuring a reasonable regulatory process that does not ignore the need for regulatory certainty to provide job growth. Without such regulatory certainty, American businesses cannot create jobs.

Complete Post at:
http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/committee-approves-slate-of-transportation-infrastructure-measures

NOAA-led study: Air pollution caused by ships plummets when vessels shift to cleaner, low-sulfur fuels - Hellenic Shipping News

Posted - September 14, 2011

New clean fuel regulations in California and voluntary slowdowns by shipping companies substantially reduce air pollution caused by near-shore ships, according to a new NOAA-led study published online today in Environmental Science & Technology.

The study examined a container ship operating under a 2009 California regulation requiring that ships switch to low-sulfur fuels as they approach the California coast, and also adhering to a voluntary state slowdown policy, intended to reduce pollution. The research team found that emissions of several health-damaging pollutants, including sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, dropped by as much as 90 percent.
Findings of this study could have national and global significance, as new international regulations by the International Maritime Organization require vessels to switch to lower-sulfur fuel near U.S. and international coasts beginning in 2012. The research team found reductions in emissions even where none were expected, meaning even greater reductions in air pollution, and associated respiratory health effects in humans, than regulators originally estimated.
“This study gives us a sense of what to expect in the future, for the people of California, the nation, and even the globe,” said Daniel Lack, chemist with NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. “This really is where science gets fun – a study with first-rate institutions, equipment and people, probing the effects of policy. It’s important to know that the imposed regulations have the expected impacts. The regulators want to know, the shipping companies want to know, and so do the people.”
In May 2010, a NOAA research aircraft flew over a commercial container ship, Maersk Line’s Margrethe Maersk, about 40 miles off the coast of California. Researchers on the aircraft used sophisticated custom instruments to ‘sniff’ the ship’s emissions before the ship switched to lower-sulfur fuels (by law, within 24 miles of the California coast) and slowed down voluntarily.

Complete Post at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46753:noaa-led-study-air-pollution-caused-by-ships-plummets-when-vessels-shift-to-cleaner-low-sulfur-fuels-&catid=46:top-story-b&Itemid=151

GL Exchange Forum - Report on MEPC's 62nd session - Hellenic Shipping News

Posted - September 1, 2011 - Hellenic Shipping News

The subject of Carbon Dioxide dominates the future of many industries today. Whether it be the Shipping, Automotive, Aviation, or Power Generation industries the questions of how to account for, reduce, produce, capture and minimize the impact of
Carbon Dioxide generated by that industry is seldom left out of the discussion. So it was Germanischer Lloyd’s traditional recap of the latest session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of International Maritime Organization (IMO), focused on the groundbreaking developments at the 62nd session.
The 62nd Session was notable for several reasons, the use of a vote to approve the measures rather than by consensus and the establishment of a North American emissions control area for example. However it was the adoption of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) that marked the Session as being of historical significance. Adopted as amendments to Annex VI of the MARPOL Regulations these measures, when they enter into effect, will represent the first global mandatory carbon dioxide reductions implemented by any industry.
The forum was held on 25 August at GL’s Head Office in Hamburg. More than 100 representatives from the maritime industry, shipping companies, ship management agencies, shipyards, maritime journalists and stakeholders meeting to consider the new measures, hear presentations from GL and industry experts, and discuss the likely impact of this sea change for the industry.
Although the adoption of the measures and the manner in which it took place was a surprise, it was also not entirely unexpected. GL has been preparing clients for the introduction of both the EEDI and the SEEMP for several years. Torsten Mundt, GL’s Head of Group Environmental Services, Strategic Research and Development looked at the adoption of the EEDI, giving the forum attendees some background on the formula and the way in which it will be implemented over time. New vessels of several types will be required to meet a reference line for energy efficiency he showed, with step wise reductions in the reference line to be reviewed and implemented in the future. Mr. Mundt also looked at the market based measure (MBM) for reducing emissions from the Bahamanian Flag State, which the MEPC invited the Authority to further develop.

Complete Post at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44432:gl-exchange-forum-report-on-mepcs-62nd-session-&catid=46:top-story-b&Itemid=151