Lubricating Bubbles May Help Branson War on Shipping Pollution - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted Thursday, 29 April 2010 HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Looming United Nations measures to halve carbon emissions from commercial ships have Nippon Yusen K.K., owner of the world’s second-largest fleet, designing a vessel that is propelled by sails and glides on lubricating bubbles. Other shipping lines are also aiming to cut greenhouse gases. China Cosco Holdings Co., the nation’s largest container- ship operator, may reintroduce nuclear power for moving cargo. A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, the biggest container-shipping company, already cut sailing speeds by half.
The shipping industry, the sixth-largest source of warming gases, also is the first target of billionaire Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room. Commercial vessels emitted 3 percent of the world’s carbon in 2007, and that may increase to 18 percent by 2050 as global trade increases and fleets expand, said the UN’s International Maritime Organization.
“The marine industry is gearing up for the biggest revolution since World War II,” said Lee Sokje, an analyst at Mirae Asset Securities Co. in Seoul. “You’re either ahead of the game or you’re out.”
Emissions targets being negotiated by the IMO and industry may be adopted in 2012 with fines for violators, prompting shipping companies to research renewable-energy technologies while also slowing vessels.
Possible Penalties
Penalties could reach $75 per ton of carbon emissions above a still-undetermined level, according to Det Norske Veritas, a Hovik, Norway-based ship assessor. The money would fund research and development of cleaner technologies.
“We’re hoping that a target will be set for the airline industry, a target will be set for the shipping industry and, if the industries don’t meet those targets, it will cost them money,” Branson said April 21. “Hopefully, that money will then go to the rain forest and will be invested in technological innovations.”...
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98617&Itemid=79

First ever GHG shipping emissions report released - Maritime Journal.com

Posted April 27. 2010 - Maritime Journal

Scandinavian shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) has released the industry’s first ever certified GHG emissions inventory report, showing that it managed to cut its green house gas emissions by 32% last year.

The company also cut its sulfur dioxide emissions (SO2) emissions by 135,000 tons in a nine year period from 2000 to 2009, an amount nearly equal to all the SO2 emissions from road vehicles in the United States for an entire year.

‘Even in times of global economic crisis, we must continue to build value for our customers, said Arild B. Iversen, CEO of WWL. ‘An efficient supply chain, with reduced environmental risks in every possible step, is one of the surest ways to cut costs while benefiting the environment.’

The figures cited above are contained in the company's 2009 Environmental and Social Responsibility Report (www.2wglobal.com/esr), the shipping industry’s first emissions inventory report to receive third party verification that it conforms to the accounting requirements of ISO 14064-1 and The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol).

Melanie Moore, global head of environment and quality at WWL added, ‘We are working hard to minimize our environmental footprint by working closely with our customers to reduce their carbon risk in the supply chain while creating real economic and brand value.

‘There are many environmental challenges that we need to confront, but we will continue to be bold enough to address them by ensuring we remain an environmental forerunner.’

The online report contains WWL’s environmental performance metrics and information on the company’s other environmental initiatives from 2009, which include a Supply Chain Optimization study with Indian automaker Tata Group and energy consulting group Xyntéo to identify opportunities to reduce both carbon emissions and costs from the Indian automaker’s outbound supply chain.

There was also a collaborative project run with Wallenius Water with the 2008/09 Volvo Ocean Race to advance scientific knowledge of invasive species and the impact of international shipping on the oceans. A nine month water sampling project run with the crews of the round the world yacht race generated valuable data which is currently being analysis about invasive species, which the WWF has named as one of the four major threats to the world’s oceans.

WWL maintains a continued close partnership with WWF, the global conservation organization. The company’s sole sponsorship of the WWF High Seas Conservation Program strives to improve high seas conservation and governance through sustainable shipping practices.

http://www.maritimejournal.com/features/tugs,-towing,-pollution-and-salvage/pollution-and-environmental/first-ever-ghg-shipping-emissions-report-released

Greek shipping: Calculating emissions damage - Baird Maritime

Posted April 26, 2010 - Baird Maritime

Greece has the tenth longest coastline in the world; and little – if any – of the country is free from the effects of shipping’s sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions.

The effects on human health, acidification of buildings, eutrophication of waterways and damage to farmland were estimated to be worth US$8 billion in 2008; a figure that, if paid for, would increase the average passenger ship fare by US$17.40. The freight rate of cargo per tonne would also need to increase by US$3.60.

Almost half of Greece’s population lives within 30km of the Port of Piraeus which records about 25,000 calls from ships a year, a quarter of which are Ro-Pax vessels.

Professor Ernestos Tzannatos of the University of Piraeus studied 25 years of fuel sales and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data for 2008 to estimate emissions from local and international traffic passing through Greek waters. A European Commission protocol was used to estimate the costs to society of the pollution that resulted.....
http://www.bairdmaritime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6426:-greek-shipping-calculating-emissions-damage-&catid=76:marine-environment&Itemid=212

Low Carbon Shipping - Next Generation Energy Systems - Globe - Net

Posted April 25, 2010 - Globe-Net

With the increasingly strict requirements of maritime emissions regulations in numerous international jurisdictions, and the recent sharp global increase in energy costs, ship energy management and efficiency has never before carried such economic significance for marine equipment suppliers and shipbuilders, as well as vessel owners and fleet operators.

Ricardo has been actively involved in development of the very latest in engine, hybrid propulsion systems, mechanical and electrical energy storage, and fuel cell systems including fuel liquid fuel reformers, for a wide range of international clients as well as through the company's technology research programme.

The results of this work - enabled by Ricardo's state-of-the-art simulation technology - indicates that advanced propulsion systems based on the careful selection of well proven propulsion, energy storage, after-treatment and waste heat recovery solutions, have the potential to bring significant fuel consumption savings while also meeting the requirements of existing and planned international emissions regulations....

http://www.globe-net.com/articles/2010/april/25/low-carbon-shipping---next-generation-energy-systems.aspx?sub=15

Recent US developments in vessel air emissions - ShippingPodcasts.com

Posted 0 April 22, 2010 ShippingPodcasts.com

By james tweed • Apr 22nd, 2010 • Category: General, Shipping Law

Shipping Law podcast from Coracle Online in association with Reed Smith

This podcast looks at recent US developments in vessel air emissions, in particular focusing on initiatives to limit CO2 emissions in the shipping industry.

Recent US developments in vessel air emissions [7:25m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

http://commoditypodcasts.com/blog/2010/04/22/recent-us-developments-in-vessel-air-emissions/

Ricardo consortium aims to develop next-generation low carbon marine energy systems - Ricardo.com/News

Posted April 21 2010 - Ricardo.com/News

Press release
Release date: 21 April 2010

With the increasingly strict requirements of maritime emissions regulations in numerous international jurisdictions, and the recent sharp global increase in energy costs, ship energy management and efficiency has never before carried such economic significance for marine equipment suppliers and shipbuilders, as well as vessel owners and fleet operators.

Ricardo has been actively involved in development of the very latest in engine, hybrid propulsion systems, mechanical and electrical energy storage, and fuel cell systems including fuel liquid fuel reformers, for a wide range of international clients as well as through the company’s technology research programme. The results of this work – enabled by Ricardo’s state-of-the-art simulation technology – indicates that advanced propulsion systems based on the careful selection of well proven propulsion, energy storage, after-treatment and waste heat recovery solutions, have the potential to bring significant fuel consumption savings while also meeting the requirements of existing and planned international emissions regulations.

By implementing next-generation energy management and propulsion technologies, Ricardo believes that operational fuel consumption reductions of between 15 and 25 percent are possible compared with conventional existing marine propulsion configurations. To help the maritime industry realize this fuel saving potential, Ricardo has today announced the formation of a consortium project known as the Ship Efficiency & Energy Storage Assessment consortium (SeEsA). This pre-competitive consortium will investigate energy management of the propulsion and auxiliary power systems and identify potential technology solutions appropriate for the requirements of applications including cruise liners, ro-ro ferries, tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, and offshore facility supply and navy vessels. In addition to meeting existing and future perceived needs, the flexibility of propulsion configurations in the face of potentially changing operating requirements will also be considered...
Complete Release at -
http://www.ricardo.com/News--Media/Press-releases/News-releases1/2010/Ricardo-consortium-aims-to-develop-next-generation-low-carbon-marine-energy-systems/

Wärtsilä and ABB Turbo Systems jointly develop groundbreaking technology to cut diesel engine emissions - worldmaritimenews.com

Posted April 20, 2010 - worldmaritimenews.com

Wärtsilä and ABB Turbo Systems are co-operating in a joint development programme for a new and groundbreaking application of two-stage turbocharging on large diesel engines. Advanced engine technology, together with two-stage turbocharging, offers significant advantages in fuel consumption and engine emissions.

The application of two-stage turbocharging technology on Wärtsilä diesel engines has been developed through close co-operation between Wärtsilä and ABB Turbo Systems. In this program, Wärtsilä is focusing on developing advanced engine technology, which with the turbocharger, is able to reach the highest possible performance and become a cost-effective commercial solution for its customers. ABB Turbo Systems is delivering the turbocharging technology with defined performance in terms of airflow, pressure ratios and efficiency.

“ABB Turbo Systems is one of Wärtsilä’s main development partners, and has played an important role in Wärtsilä’s product development for more than three decades. Our customers benefit from the productive and successful R&D activities of our two companies, both of whom are leaders in their fields,” says Mikael Troberg, Director of Wärtsilä Testing & Performance....
http://www.worldmaritimenews.com/article/Equipment/15027/wrtsil+and+abb+turbo+systems+jointly+develop+groundbreaking+technology+to+cut+diesel+engine+emissions