The EU: maritime safety and pollution control - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Posted -  Tuesday, 14 August 2012 | 16:45 0 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

If the foundation for EU maritime policy is undoubtedly the regulatory framework for the market in maritime transport services, it has rapidly been followed by the adoption of a highly developed regime designed to ensure the safety of maritime operations, not least to reduce and manage pollution of the sea and the environment in general. This third article in a series on EU maritime law and policy summarises the development of this regime which continues to develop to this day and is likely to continue into the future.
Among the reasons behind this development is the fact that, even before the liberalisation process was under way, and as we have already seen in the first article of this series, by reason of its geography and need to import large quantities of oil, Europe was and remains exposed, especially in its Atlantic approaches, to a high risk of catastrophic environmental damage. Unfortunately, on several occasions, starting with the grounding of the Amoco Cadiz in 1978, this risk has turned into a disastrous reality for the EU with important impacts in both the natural and political worlds. It first led to the Council rapidly adopting an action programme on the control and reduction of oil pollution at sea as part of the EU’s then relatively new environmental policy.
The most important concrete result of this programme was the establishment of an EU information system on hydrocarbons discharged at sea permitting, among other things, a co-ordinated response to major incidents. This system has been developed over the years and continues to function in an effective manner1. Also the members states, individually and collectively in the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and also through the Paris Memorandum on port State control, agreed in 1982, sought to respond to the challenge. But the sequence of major accidents continued, and once the EU became responsible for the legal regime guaranteeing access for all EU ship operators to trades in all European waters, inevitably the EU itself had to assume its share of responsibility for ensuring maritime safety in those same waters.
First major step
The first major step was taken in 1993 with the adoption by the Commission of a first programme of action to improve maritime safety in its communication on a common policy on safe seas2. The programme was rapidly approved in principle by the Council and the European Parliament and included legislation reflecting international standards on a broad range of subjects including dangerous or polluting goods bound for or leaving Community ports; common rules and standards on classification societies; safety management of roll-on/roll-off passenger ships; safety standards for all passenger ships3; enforcement of seafarers’ working hours; and marine equipment.
But while this programme was still under way, further major accidents involving the Erika in 2000 and the Prestige in 2002 led to the programme’s acceleration, strengthening and amplification. Measures have included reinforcement of rules on port state control and classification societies; accelerated phasing out of single hull tankers; improvements in traffic monitoring; the creation of a European Maritime Safety Agency and stricter rules on compensation and liability, including criminal responsibility. In May 2004, the Commission launched a broad consultation on the need to adopt a new package of legislative measures, which it proposed in November 2005, to complete for the time being the maritime safety framework, including most significantly the responsibilities of flag states. These were adopted, though subject to numerous amendments, in 2009.
Of these measures, all of which are considered in greater detail on the website, two merit particular comment here.
The creation of EMSA
Perhaps the most important innovation resulting from the two oil tanker sinkings was the accelerated creation and functioning of the European Maritime Safety Agency. The arrival on the European scene of such an organisation would add a new dimension to EU maritime activities by giving it the specialized administrative and technical capacity to become involved in the application and further development of its maritime safety regime which the Commission would have almost certainly found impossible to provide on its own.

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Incentive program sought to protect whales and cut pollution - vcstar.com

Posted - August 10, 2012 - Venture County Star - By Cheri Carlson - vcstar.com

Asking yielded little cooperation.

Four years ago, federal officials set up a voluntary program, asking ships to slow down in the Santa Barbara Channel to prevent deadly collisions with whales. The measures took effect for a few months each year, when whales are drawn to the area by heaping supplies of krill.
But fewer than 1 percent of ships have cooperated, said Sean Hastings, resource protection coordinator with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
Officials now are looking at offering the shipping industry an incentive to slow down — a proposal also endorsed by those responsible for cutting air pollution.
"It's a complex problem. ... We're looking at it in a lot of ways," said Eric Kett, chairman of the Sanctuary Advisory Council and a longtime dive boat captain.
Officials say slowing down might help ships avoid whales or vice versa, and also reduces the likelihood that a whale involved in a collision will be killed.
While the voluntary measures haven't garnered much compliance, an incentive program could help by compensating ships for the lost time.
Meanwhile, the slower speeds also could cut the amount of greenhouse emissions by as much as 50 percent, according to the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.
"Speed reduction is a tool in the toolbox that is under serious consideration for the whales and very serious consideration for air quality," said Brian Shafritz, a division manager for the agency.
To get funding, officials have proposed the idea to the California Air Resources Board, which recently reached out to the public on how it should use proceeds from greenhouse gas cap-and-trade auctions.
The cap-and-trade program was a key component of California's landmark legislation that sought to roll back greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Along with setting a cap on greenhouse emissions, the plan called for letting businesses exceed that cap by buying credits to do so.
Auctions are scheduled to start later this year, and officials have received a range of requests on how the money should be used. Any use must reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In its letter to the board, Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District notes that a successful incentive program already exists in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The program, which rewards shipping operators for voluntarily reducing speeds when approaching the ports, cuts pollution and has high rates of compliance.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is in its fifth year of voluntary measures on ship speeds for large vessels traveling among Sandy Point, Santa Rosa Island and Point Hueneme.
It's hard to say whether the increased awareness may have had an impact. Each year, officials find three to five whales that have been struck by ships along the California coast, but authorities think the real number could be 10 times greater, Hastings said. Once hit, whales sink or drift away, leaving many collisions undetected.
Instead of mandatory speed reductions, officials decided to work with the shipping industry, try the voluntary recommendations and work on moving shipping lanes away from whales. Recently, an international group that governs shipping worldwide agreed to move the lanes about a mile away, which will be a big step forward, Hastings said.
Shipping industry officials, which also support moving the lanes, have tried to be proactive on the issue, said T.L. Garrett, vice president of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association.
"Our goal is to limit or minimize the negative interactions between whales and ships," he said.
But they want a plan based on good science and want to see definitive research on the effectiveness of slowing down, Garrett said. The scope of the area involved also can be an issue for shipping operators expected to deliver cargo on a set schedule, he said.
In effort to boost cooperation this year, federal officials set a new slow speed zone, reducing it from about 100 to 65 miles that have the highest concentrations of whales, Hastings said.
His agency also is optimistic with plans for an incentive-based program, which would compensate the ships for their lost time and has garnered a broad base of support, he said.
Research into the whales' behavior is ongoing, but studies show that whales are more likely to survive a collision with a slow-moving ship, he said. "Slower ships are safer ships for whales."

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Coalition for Responsible Transportation Honors TOTE - MarineLink.com

Posted - August 10, 2012 -  MarineLink.com

The Coalition for Responsible Transportation (CRT) today commended one of its members, Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE), for becoming the first container shipping line to announce that it is converting its ORCA class vessels to use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as their primary fuel source.

The conversion will advance the use of alternative fuels technology in container shipping and accelerate the use of natural gas as a cleaner domestic energy source. “TOTE’s deployment of LNG ocean vessels is a truly extraordinary accomplishment.  CRT’s members have been at the forefront of emission reduction efforts in the supply chain, and have been pioneers in advancing the use of LNG technology in port trucks,” said CRT Chairman Rick Gabrielson, who is Target’s Director of International Transportation. “The expansion of LNG technology to ocean vessels is truly a game-changer from an emission reduction perspective,” he continued.

To TOTE’s knowledge, this will be the first conversion in the world of vessels of this type. In addition to exceeding the sulfur reduction goals of ECA by 95 percent, when the TOTE ships are converted, they will achieve significant emissions reductions in all other categories of emissions: particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxide (NOX) and carbon dioxide (CO2); making these ships among the cleanest in the world.
“This project is consistent with TOTE’s core philosophies that reflect a deep commitment to the environment and to the communities it serves,” said CRT Board Member Anthony Chiarello, who is CEO and President of Totem Ocean Trailer Express’ parent company, TOTE, Inc. “TOTE is proud to once again be seen as a leader in the U.S. maritime industry.”
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Ugland newbuild PSV to have innovative propulsion system - MarineLog

Posted - August 1, 2012 - MarineLog

AUGUST 1, 2012 — A SALT 100 design PSV building at the Kleven Verft shipyard in Ulsteinvik, Norway, is to have a breakthrough propulsion system by Scana Industrier subsidiary Scana Propulsion. As we reported earlier, the 88.9 m x 20 m vessel has been ordered by Ugland Offshore and incorporates a number of new features.
Scana Propulsion has signed a contract with Kleven Maritime to supply aa counter-rotating propeller system (CRP) with two propellers driven by permanent-magnet motors that rotate independently of each other in the same shaft line. Reliability and fuel efficiency has been the philosophy of the concept, which has been developed in partnership with Salt Ship Design
"Scana sees the order as strategically very important," says Scana Propulsion Group director, Kristian Saetre. "Until now we have our strength in the market for anchor handling vessels. This new concept gives us an exciting foothold in the PSV market, and provides a significant increase in Scana's market potential for propulsion systems for the offshore market."
Scana says that direct-driven counter-rotating propellers with constant protection against external damage makes the system more efficient and reliable compared to a conventional system. The compact propulsion system enables a more efficient shape of the stern, and in total it gives significantly improved efficiency with lower consumption and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases.
The delivery from Scana consists of propellers and engines and provides a total power of 4,000 kW. The contract includes an option to supply a system for a second system.
The order is one of a clutch of recent orders for Scana Propulsion worth a total NOK 40 million. They include a contract with Havyard Global Solutions for the supply of gear and propeller system with remote control for two standby vessels (Field Support Vessels) for Atlantic Offshore. The ships will be built at Zamakona Shipyards in Spain. (See earlier story).
The Scana equipment will be delivered in the second and third quarters of next year. The propulsion systems are diesel-mechanical and consists of two gear and propeller systems of the type ACG 62/680 two-speed gear. The contract with Havyard Global Solutions includes an option for system deliveries to two more vessels.
"This is an ideal propulsion solution for this vessel segment that has an operational profile with a large variation in which the operating time is divided between standby mode and full operation mode with very different needs for power," says Mr. Saetre. "The two-speed gear system enables optimum driving in both positions, which gives a very environmentally friendly and fuel-saving operation, says Kristian Saetre. Scana Propulsion signs additional contracts:
Scana Propulsion has also entered into agreements with Larsnes Mekaniske Verksted for the supply of gear and propeller system with remote control for a fishing vessel to the shipowner Straumberg. The equipment will be delivered in January 2013 and is a diesel-mechanical system, type ACG68/680.
Another recent Scana Propulsion contract from Danish shipyard Vestværft covers the supply ofa gear and propeller system with remote control for a fishing boat for the shipowner Einar Erlend. The equipment, a type ACG 62/450 diesel mechanical system, will be delivered in February 2013.

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Emerging economies square up to EU on ships' carbon emissions rules - ICIS Heren

Posted - July 24, 2012 - ICIS Heren

A rift has emerged between the EU and key emerging economies over how ships' carbon emissions should be tackled at this year's UN climate summit, documents show.
Position papers submitted to the UN also show that no agreement is in sight in relation to airlines' involvement in the EU emissions trading system.
The EU wants to use this year's climate summit in Doha, Qatar, to tell the UN's shipping and aviation bodies - the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) - that they must develop and agree global deals on cutting their industries' emissions.
The EU believes such a move is crucial if greenhouse-gas emissions are to be reduced in the years leading up to the implementation of a new global climate deal in 2020.
But 18 developing countries including emerging economic powerhouses Brazil, China, India and South Africa want the parties to the UN talks to agree that only developed countries must take steps to cut emissions from shipping and civil aviation.
The developing countries want any industry-sector approach to tackling emissions to be made in line with the guiding principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" - the rule under the Kyoto Protocol whereby the developed world, known as Annex I, has to take the lead in cutting emissions (see EDCM 17 July 2012).
Any moves to cut emissions by shipping and aviation should also be consistent with historical responsibility for climate change - which lies more or less exclusively with the developed world, the coalition of developing countries said.
They want the parties to the forthcoming UN climate summit to agree that "all parties included in Annex I shall pursue limitation or reduction of emissions from civil aviation and maritime bunker fuels, working exclusively through" ICAO and IMO.
But the EU has already sidestepped the ICAO by implementing unilateral measures tackling airlines' emissions and it could do the same for shipping.
In its submission to the UN, the EU said it wants ICAO and IMO to agree that their industries "will be regulated on an equal, non-discriminatory basis, irrespective of their country of registration".
On behalf of the bloc, EU presidency-holder Cyprus said: "Applying measures to ships and aircraft registered in developed countries only would effectively mean that only a small share of emissions from these sectors would be addressed, given that more than 70% of ships and a number of key fast-growing international airlines, including Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Korean Air and South African Airlines, are registered in developing countries.
"It would also mean that aircraft operators and ships registered in developed countries, operating on the same routes as developing country operators, would be at a competitive disadvantage. Furthermore, such an approach would probably lead to carbon leakage, with commercial entities potentially shifting their operations or re-flagging in order to evade reduction regulation."
The EU held a consultation process earlier this year on including shipping in its emissions trading system but has not yet published the results
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AWT Readies Captains with ECA Zone Calculator - Sacramento Bee / PR Newswire

Posted - August 1, 2012 - By Applied Weather Technology, Inc. -  Sacramento Bee / PR Newswire

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 1, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Weather Technology, Inc. (AWT), today announced its BVS onboard software provides Emission Control Areas (ECAs) and calculation tools to evaluate the most cost effective voyage track.
Using the latest version of BVS, captains manage their voyage track by displaying ECA zones and making them "no-go" areas. By doing this, they can see their voyage track outside and inside the ECA zones. Simply moving waypoints in BVS allows captains to visualize the impact of time in the ECA zone and compare it to the overall effect of time en route. The result is that the captain has the information to sail the optimal route.
"With BVS's ECA zone calculation tools, captains can make informed decisions about how much time to sail inside or outside these zones," said Rich Brown, vice president of product management, AWT. "Our goal is to give captains and ship operators the data they need to manage voyage costs while complying with IMO regulations."
On August 1, 2012, North America Emissions Control Area (ECA) zones become enforceable. The regulation is part of Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention titled "Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships".  The regulation dictates that the ECA Zones extend up to 200 nautical miles (NM) from coasts of the United States and Canada, including a portion of the Hawaiian Islands. In the ECA Zones, ships are required to burn fuel with sulfur content not exceeding 1.00%.  Notable exceptions to this area are the Aleutian Islands and Arctic waters of North America.

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