First Global Maritime Environmental Congress - Ship Building Industry

Posted - February 22, 2010 - Yellow & Finch Publishers - Ship Building Industry - Author Robin

The global maritime environmental congress (gmec) is the first inter-industry, international conference on maritime environmental protection. The conference will be held at CCH-Congress Center Hamburg on 7 and 8 September 2010 - on the occasion of SMM, the world’s premier shipbuilding trade fair. In the future, gmec is to take place every two years.
The gmec provides a platform for representatives of IMO, the European Commission, governments, port industries, shipping and the shipbuilding industry to discuss what has been achieved and to set targets for 2020. These may determine the course for the environmental future of the global maritime industry... 

http://www.shipbuilding-industry.eu/shipbuilding_v2/?p=1357

IMO Seeks Emission Cuts for Emerging-Nation Ships (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

Posted - February 25, 2010, 12:46 PM EST - Bloomberg.com - By Mathew Carr and Alaric Nightingale

Emissions from shipping would fall about 20 percent as early as 2012 under proposed rules for 169 nations, the secretary general of the United Nation’s International Maritime Organization said.

New rules for vessels from rich and emerging nations would probably require owners to adopt so-called slow steaming to cut fuel consumption, said Efthimios Mitropoulos, head of the UN shipping agency known as IMO. For new ships, technical measures including new hull designs for improved propulsion would reduce emissions an additional 15 percent, he said....

 

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-25/imo-seeks-emission-cuts-for-emerging-nation-ships-update1-.html

Environment-friendly air bubbles experiments on air-lubrication system to begin - Maritime Information Center

Posted - Wednesday, 24 February 2010 09:39 - Maritime Information Center

NYK and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. are to begin experiments on an air-lubrication system to reduce CO2 emissions during marine transport.
Jointly developed by the two companies, the system effectively reduces the frictional resistance between a vessel’s bottom and the seawater by means of bubbles generated by supplying air to the vessel’s bottom. The world's first permanent installation of the system using an air-blower is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 10 percent. The experiments will be conducted using module carriers* operated by an NYK Group company, NYK-Hinode Line, Ltd. Construction of the vessels will be completed on March 31 and in late November 2010.... 

http://www.micportal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3359:environment-friendly-air-bubbles-experiments-on-air-lubrication-system-to-begin&catid=19:vessels-equipment&Itemid=30

New Institute to Target Dirty Marine Diesel - The X-Journals

Posted - February 19, 2010

A Hong Kong shipping executive has pledged up to $4.1 million to fund a research program at the University of Southern California to reduce emissions and improve combustion efficiency in   engines.

Kenneth Koo of Tai Chong Cheang Steamship Co. (H.K.) Ltd (TCCHK) says collaboration between industry and academia is needed to substantially reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and harmful pollutants emitted by conventional large bore two-stroke single-acting marine diesel engines used by the world’s merchant shipping fleets.

“The best way to initiate change is to partner with an institution of higher learning,” says Koo, TCCHK’s group chairman and CEO. “Let’s come up with the designs that work and bang on the maritime walls of industry.”...


http://x-journals.com/2010/new-institute-to-target-dirty-marine-diesel/

Maersk steams slow to cut emissions - Carbon Positive

Posted - Friday, 19 February 2010

International shipping giant Maersk has lopped up to 30 per cent off fuel consumption and carbon emissions by halving the cruising speed of many on its container ships and bulk carriers over the past two years. In an initiative that was initially prompted by skyrocketing oil prices in mid-2008, it’s fleet speed reduction programe is significant amid international moves to regulate emissions in the maritime sector.

Shipping is estimated to account for 3.3 per cent of global human-related greenhouse gas emissions, a share that is growing as world trade expands and other carbon-intensive sectors begin to rein in emissions growth.

Up to now, the industry had strives to operate ever faster for quicker delivery in a competitive market. But now shipping companies are finding that “slow steaming”  can be more profitable given lower fuel costs – and making them more competitive. Cruising speeds of up to 25 knots are being pared back to 20 knots, or even as low as 12 knots in some cases at Maersk. 

http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=1899

Global vessel efficiency system proposed - .shippingindustry.com.au

Posted -by Editor on 19 February 2010

THE World Shipping Council and its members have proposed for a Vessel Efficiency System (VES) to improve the carbon and fuel efficiency of the world’s fleets.
The proposal has been made to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and its member governments in an aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by shipping vessels around the world.
The proposal is for the IMO to apply vessel efficiency design standards for both new and existing vessels in the world’s fleet. Newly built vessels would be subject to mandatory efficiency standards requiring new ships to be built with energy efficient features and technologies....


http://www.shippingindustry.com.au/Content/articles/Global-vessel-efficiency-system-proposed.aspx

DNV: Launching of SuperGreen - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted - Thursday, 18 February 2010- HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

DNV Research & Innovation Greece, together with more than 20 experts in the field of transport and logistics convened in Athens on February 2nd and 3rd , 2010 to launch the project “Supporting EU’s Freight Transport Logistics Action Plan on Green Corridors Issues,” (short title SuperGreen). SuperGreen is a Coordination and Support Action, co-funded by the European Commission in the context of the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, and coordinated by the National Technical University of Athens, Laboratory for Maritime Transport. The project involves 22 partners from 13 European countries. These include transport, logistics and infrastructure operators, shippers, environmental organisations and authorities responsible for social and spatial planning, consultants, academia and R&D such as :..


http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87805&Itemid=93