Costs and benefits of reducing SO2 emissions from shipping in the Greek seas - EconPapers

Posted September 15, 2010 -

Ernestos Tzannatos (et@unipi.gr)
Additional contact information
Ernestos Tzannatos: Department of Maritime Studies, University of Piraeus, 40 Karaoli & Dimitriou, Piraeus 18532, Greece.

Maritime Economics and Logistics, 2010, vol. 12, issue 3, pages 280-294

Abstract: A future designation of the Mediterranean Sea as a Sulfur Emission Control Area will mandate the use of low-sulfur fuels by all shipping within the Mediterranean basin, or it will necessitate the application of SO2 exhaust emissions from shipping. According to the results of this work, it is found that international shipping within the Greek seas produces higher external (SO2 emission costs which outweigh the increase in fuel costs. This was found to be most evident in the case of international shipping, since its current fuel use within the Mediterranean is limited by the IMO global sulfur cap of 4.5 per cent, allowing for sizable desulfurization of fuel with significant impact on the private and external costs relationship. On the contrary, the impact of sulfur capping on the private and external costs associated with the domestic shipping within the Greek seas is found to be less significant, because the passenger ships which dominate domestic operations are already restricted to fuel use with 1.5 per cent sulfur by the relevant EU legislation. Finally, it is shown that for maximum reduction of SO2 emission costs from domestic (passenger) shipping within the Greek seas, the application of seawater scrubbing offers a substantially lower private cost alternative than that of using ultra-low (0.1 per cent) sulfur fuel.

Details at:
http://econpapers.repec.org/article/palmarecl/v_3a12_3ay_3a2010_3ai_3a3_3ap_3a280-294.htm

CO2 Emissions, Birth, and Death Rates - Clean Air at Sea: Working Together for a Greener Tomorrow

Posted September 14, 2010 - Clean Air at Sea: Working Together for a Greener Tomorrow

Interesting interactive Flash map from BreathingEarth.net:

http://www.breathingearth.net/

Breathing Earth is an NGO, focused on and campaigning for the reduction of GHGs in the atmosphere. This Flash map is well-designed, and will certainly make you think and ponder about emissions and global warming. It would really be interesting if it could be combined with the maritime emissions shown on the ESA map profiled earlier this year on this site, http://www.cleanairatsea.com/2010/06/24/esa-satellite-images-show-shipping-lanes-and-emissions/.
This is just a simulation, and the web site gives little information about its’data sources, but there are really no real surprises: Heavily industrialized countries are shown producing fewer GHGs and many developing or non-industrialized countries show little impact.
Why write about an NGO? Quite simple, really. Lobbying by NGOs and other organizations influence regulations and the industry. You need to know and understand the “other side’s” positions and beliefs. It’s just good business!

http://www.cleanairatsea.com/2010/09/15/co2-emissions-birth-and-death-rates/

REDUCTION OF GHG EMISSIONS FROM SHIPS - Further details on the US proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping Submitted by the United States -International Maritime Organization

Issued July 23 2010 - IMO - MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE - 61st session
Agenda item 5

Executive summary: The Technical Report attached to this document supplements the
United States' submission, document MEPC 61/5/16, providing
further details on the United States' proposal to establish efficiency
index standards for existing ships and the trading of efficiency
credits as an additional means for achieving compliance.
Document MEPC 61/5/16 provides additional details on the
proposal outlined in documents MEPC 59/4/48 and MEPC 60/4/12
(United States) which described a new approach to address
international maritime GHG emissions.

Complete Report at:
http://legacy.sname.org/committees/tech_ops/O44/imo/mepc/61-inf-24.pdf

Environmental Passport for ten percent of GL fleet - Marine-news.net

Posted September 10, 2010 - Marine-news.net

Nearly ten percent of GL's fleet in service will sail the seven seas with a class notation Environmental Passport (EP). This is a reflection of the on-going trend to further reduce the environmental implications of shipping. More and more ship owners are ordering the class notation in order to outperform international
maritime regulations such as MARPOL. "The GL class notation EP is well recognized among operators as a useful tool to underline their commitment to the protection of the maritime environment," says Ralf Plump, Head of Environmental Research at GL. The scope of issues within GL's class notation EP reflects the increasing demands by shippers and charterers to have evidence of enhanced environmental features. Environmental awareness and the use of environmental friendly equipment are not only essential for a positive image of stakeholders in the maritime industry. It appears that an environmentally sound behavior is one of the key parameter to stay in business."
EP is a voluntary class-notation for ships. All mandatory and voluntary environmental features of a vessel are compiled in a single, ready to use document including the Environmental Passport certificate, flag state certificates, compliance certificates, and NOx emission diagrams.
Mandatory requirements of EP focus on NOx Tier II emission reduction, an approved ballast water management plan, fuel oil tank protection, and for tankers a VOC - Management Plan. The Environmental Passport requires a comprehensive survey of emissions into sea related to MARPOL Annex I to Annex V which include the Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil and Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk (NLS).

Complete story at:
http://www.marine-news.net/Environmental_Passport_for_ten_percent_of_GL_fleet-i18967.html

First ballast water treatment system in Finland installed in Ms Pasila - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

Posted September 7, 2010 - HELLENIC SHIPPING NEWS WORLDWIDE

The dry bulk carrier Ms Pasila, owned by ESL Shipping, a part of the Aspo Group, has been fitted with the first ballast water treatment system in Finland. The cleaning system is used to stop harmful organisms from moving from one sea area to another. The CrystalBallast system installed in the ship has been developed by the Turku-based Auramarine Ltd, a manufacturer of fuel supply systems for ships. Auramarine is a subsidiary of Hollming Group.
ESL Shipping's Ms Pasila is the first Finnish ship to have a ballast water cleaning system installed. The CrystalBallast system, developed and installed by Auramarine Ltd, a manufacturer of fuel supply systems operating in Turku, prevents alien species from being transferred from one sea area to another, and is necessary when a ship sails between the Baltic Sea and other areas.
"Alien species moving from one sea to another pose a serious threat to the environment. By installing a ballast water cleaning system in Ms Pasila, we do our part in protecting the environment and the health of our seas," says Markus Karjalainen, President of ESL Shipping.

Complete story at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=119334&Itemid=79

Wallenius Marine and LNG GOT set sights on reducing shipping emissions - Maritime Information Centre, micportal.com

Posted September 1, 2010 - Maritime Information Centre, micportal.com

Wallenius Marine AB and LNG GOT AB have entered a strategic partnership to examine possibilities for using liquid natural gas (LNG) as a shipping fuel in existing and newly built vessels in the Wallenius fleet.

The study is intended to show how LNG can be used as a fuel in a manner that is economically, environmentally, publicly and commercially appealing.

“We have been using fuel that is significantly cleaner than required for some time, but it is far from being as clean as we would wish. The use of LNG as a shipping fuel will take us a step closer to our vision of having emission-free vessels. We see LNG as a stepping stone to running ships on biogas in the future,” says Per Tunell, Head of Environmental Management,Wallenius Marine.

The initiative begins immediately, with the aim that the study should be completed in 2011. The project will also examine the consequences of adapting the Wallenius’ fleet to LNG operation, as well as the supply and distribution possibilities for LNG.

“It is the long-term goal of LNG GOT to minimize the environmental impact of shipping by making LNG available as a shipping fuel. This agreement marks a significant further step towards this objective. The partnership benefits all parties involved as well as the development of Gothenburg as an energy port,” comments Magnus Witting, CEO of LNG GOT.

LNG is an attractive fuel for shipping from both technical and environmental viewpoints.

In 2015 stricter emission requirements will come into effect in Emission Control Areas (ECAs), with the effect that sulfur emissions must not exceed expected levels for fuel with a maximum sulfur content of 0.1 per cent. Apart from the fact that LNG is effectively sulfur-free and therefore complies with the forthcoming emission restrictions, LNG operation will also reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by up to 85–90 per cent, particulates by almost 100 per cent and carbon dioxide by around 20–25 per cent in comparison with running on heavy fuel oil. These major environmental benefits also provide a good margin as stiffer emission controls are introduced.

http://www.micportal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4293:wallenius-marine-and-lng-got-set-sights-on-reducing-shipping-emissions&catid=19:vessels-equipment&Itemid=30

Towards a Zero Carbon Vision for UK Transport - Stockholm Environment Institute, Project Report - 2010

Towards a Zero Carbon Vision for UK Transport - John Whitelegg, Gary Haq,
Howard Cambridge and Harry Vallack

Executive summary - Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global average sea
level. The dominant factor in the warming of the climate in the industrial era is the increasing concentration of various greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere.

In 2006, the transport sector accounted for approximately 24 per cent (130 million tonnes) of the UK’s domestic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) the majority of these emissions (92 per cent) coming from road transport. The 2008 Climate Change Act, commits the UK to reducing GHG emissions across the economy by at least 80 per cent (in comparison to 1990 levels) by 2050.

Complete Report can be found at:
http://sei-international.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate-mitigation-adaptation/towards-zero-carbon-vision-uk-transport-2010.pdf