EU must reiterate commitment to Kyoto, says EP - Europolitics

Posted - By Anne Eckstein | Thursday 27 October 2011 - Europolitics

The European Union has to exercise leadership at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, and put its full weight behind continuation of the Kyoto Protocol after 2012, states a resolution adopted on 26 October by the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment (ENVI).
“Continuation of the Kyoto Protocol after 2012 will be decisive to the success or failure of the Durban summit. The EU has to exercise leadership to prevent a failure of the climate negotiations,” commented Jo Leinen (S&D, Germany), chair of the ENVI committee and of the delegation (1) the EP will be sending to Durban.
The resolution, adopted by 53 to four with three abstentions, will go before the plenary of 15-17 November, ie two weeks ahead of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP 17), to be held in Durban from 28 November to 9 December.
The EU must reiterate “publicly and unequivocally” its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, note MEPs. They stress that the fundamental objective must remain the adoption of a legally binding international agreement in conformity with the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. MEPs note, however, that “radical changes in the geopolitical world over the past decades, with some developing countries now being major economic and political players, need to be taken into account” since this situation leads to a “new balance of power and influence, entailing new roles and new responsibilities”.
The Union must pursue the goal of an emissions reduction of over 20% by 2020, “because this will strengthen ‘green’ employment, growth and security,” add MEPs, who also urge the EU to provide assistance for the development of an agreement on financing and management of a ‘green’ climate fund. The resolution states that new measures are needed to reduce emissions from the aviation and maritime sectors and those related to land use changes. MEPs express their firm support for the legislation they approved in 2008 to bring aviation into the EU’s Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) from 1 January 2012, given international challenges to the measure.

Posted at:
http://www.europolitics.info/sectorial-policies/eu-must-reiterate-commitment-to-kyoto-says-ep-art316918-15.html

BMT Argoss and International Paint partner to deliver measurable hull coatings performance - Marinelog

Posted October 31, 2011 - Marine Log

BMT Group member BMT Argoss has formed a partnership with International Paint to deliver demonstrable and transparent improvements in performance, efficiency and environmental emissions for the global shipping fleet.
They say that shipowners and ship operators will be able to benefit from a measurable reduction in energy use and CO2 emission by using International Paint's fouling control coatings in conjunction with the BMT Smartservices system (developed by BMT Argoss) to independently monitor and report the performance of their vessels.
BMT Smartservices builds on the successful track record of BMT Smartpower, an advanced onboard, real-time performance monitoring and reporting system that acquires and records data automatically from ship sensors and provides valuable ship performance information to the crew and shore based management.
When employed as a package, the BMT system can be used with International Paint's Intersmooth (R) SPC, a self-polishing copolymer biocidal antifouling that offers 4 percentsavings and 37 years of proven performance on over 33,000 ships, as well as Intersleek (R), a fluoropolymer foul release coating that offers fuel and emission savings of up to 9 percent.
Han Wensink, Managing Director of BMT Argoss commented: "BMT SMartservices will clearly and transparently demonstrate any in-service performance changes when International Paint's hull coatings have been used. Equipped with a user friendly web based interface and drawing on BMT's 24/7 access to high quality metocean data, the new system can play a major role in improving operational efficiency of the global shipping fleet."

Completer Post at:
http://www.marinelog.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1495:2011oct00252&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=107

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