Industry must take note of upcoming vessel general permit - Offshore

Posted - November 12, 2013 - Offshore - Susannah Linington -Environmental Specialist
Castrol Offshore

With increasing concerns about the impact that exploration and production is having on the environment, the offshore industry must work with the authorities in different regions of the world to develop and implement measures to reduce its footprint.
To give an example, the marine ecosystem has the potential to be disrupted by discharges of lubricants from offshore vessels. It is the responsibility of the authorities, operators, and lubricants suppliers to work together to find solutions that will limit the impact on the environment. R&D efforts have long focused on finding alternatives to using mineral oils in applications where lubricants enter the sea. The challenge has been to develop lubricant products that reduce the environmental impact of operations without compromising performance.
In recent years, the need for greater clarity on what is environmentally acceptable has become more apparent. In the North East Atlantic, the Oslo and Paris Convention (OSPAR) is the mechanism by which governments cooperate to protect the marine and offshore environment. The OSPAR guidelines use three primary criteria to determine the level of impact of chemicals and hazardous substances in the marine environment. Plus, there is detailed guidance in place to establish whether individual components used in a product are acceptable or substitutable. This is not the case in other areas of the world and – in a global industry – the resulting uncertainty has led to calls for similar guidance to be implemented elsewhere.
In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published a new version of the Vessel General Permit (VGP), with effect from Dec. 19, 2013. This mandates the use of "Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants" (EALs) by any "vessel" calling in waters within 3 mi (4.8 km) of the US coast. The aim is to reduce the environmental impact of lubricant discharges across all applications.
The VGP ensures that the industry has clear guidance on the procedures that need to be followed in order to limit the environmental impact of operations. The EPA defines an EAL as a lubricant that is biodegradable (can break down naturally in the sea), minimally toxic (reducing the risk of harming marine life), and not bioaccumulative (to ensure that a chemical does not enter the food chain by accumulating in the fatty tissues of organisms).
The culmination of work that has been ongoing for a number of years, this month's deadline marks an important milestone. Yet levels of awareness in the industry are relatively low. The reasons why are unclear, but operators must work with a lubricant supplier that is knowledgeable about the changing environmental requirements to understand the steps that need to be taken to ensure that relevant vessels meet the requirements, and that the necessary OEM approvals are in place ahead of the Dec. 19 deadline.
The first step for operators is to establish if a vessel is affected by the legislation. Within the offshore industry, the VGP applies to mobile offshore drilling units such as semisubmersible drilling rigs and drillships. The vessels covered include the majority of commercial marine vessels of any age or origin of construction, which are longer than 79 ft (24 m). In certain circumstances, mobile drilling rigs or vessels under construction must also adhere to the guidelines. Recreational vessels or vessels belonging to the Armed Forces are exempt. Vessels shorter than 79 ft are exempt from the VGP, but will be subject to the requirements of the small VGP, which is currently under revision.
If a vessel is covered by the VGP and is due to call in US waters, EALs must be used in all oil-to-sea interfaces – including, but not limited to, lubrication discharges from thruster bearings, azimuth thrusters, wire ropes, and mechanical equipment subject to immersion. In order to comply with the new VGP legislation, vessel owners and operators must self-report EAL usage and keep records of material safety data sheets onboard for the EALs used, including a statements of the products' compliance with the VGP. In addition, operators are required to document whether the EALs are registered under a labeling program.
For vessel operators who find it technically infeasible to use an EAL, the reasoning must be explained in record-keeping documentation, and the use of a non-environmentally acceptable lubricant declared in the vessel's annual report. The EPA will accept that it is technically infeasible to use an EAL when products come pre-lubricated and there are no available alternatives manufactured with EALs, or when there are no EALs approved for use in the given application.
Due to the current lack of awareness surrounding the new legislation, and the fact that the EPA is relying on vessel operators to self-report EAL usage, it will be interesting to see how successful the EPA is in ensuring the VGP mandates are followed. Clearly, the availability of EALs that ensure performance is critical. The industry cannot afford to compromise on performance, component life, and system reliability.

Post to be found at:
http://www.offshore-mag.com/articles/print/volume-73/issue-11/departments/beyond-the-horizon/industry-must-take-note-of-upcoming-vessel-general-permit.html
 

Oil tanker wrecks threaten marine environ "Kuwait still grappling with effects of Iraqi invasion" - Arab Times

Posted - November 18, 2013 - By Valiya S. Sajjad - Arab Times Staff -  Arab Times

KUWAIT’S marine environment is under threat haunted by two Iraqi oil tankers sunk during the 1991 Iraqi incursion into Kuwait. John Curley, the former Salvage Director with UNDP who has 26 years of experience in conducting salvage missions in international waters, revealed this to the Arab Times in an exclusive interview from New York. The wrecks have begun to show decay with new cracks emerging on the hulls of both ships, hinting at another major leak in the offing. Outlining the history of the wrecks, Curley said two Iraqi oil tankers of 30,000 DWT were sunk offshore Kuwait in the vicinity of what is now the New Mubarak Port currently under construction. The tankers, named Ain Zalah and Ramaila, had spilled most of their crude into the waterways of Kuwait causing severe damage to marine life and biodiversity back then. Years of wear and strong daily tidal flow have led to high chances of the tankers leaking dangerous emulsion any time again.

Curley backs his claim with the findings of IAEA/UN which says that the ongoing detrimental effect on the fish stocks in the area and the overall environment, especially the coastal area is highly sensitive. According to four major surveys costing nearly $ 2 million, the wrecks pose imminent threat on several fronts, including: negative environmental impact due to continual seeping of emulsion and crude into the waterways; the presence of unexploded ordinance on board both tankers, including one 500 lb bomb on board the Ain Zalah; and security and navigation risk with the expected increase of inbound and outbound shipping traffic after the Mubarak ports becomes fully operational.  Over the past 20 years, organizations such as the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) with its HQ in Kuwait, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (UKMOD) among others have voiced concerns on these issues.

The surveys were conducted in 1995, 1998, 2003/4 and 2010. The last one evidenced major decay, as over time new cracks have opened in both the ships’ hulls. This is a clear sign that the wrecks are starting to break up with the risk of another major slick of the remaining fuel and lubricants that at present are held in place by tons of mud.  Curley is concerned because despite ROPME’s insistence on the urgency for the wreck removal, the salvage operation has not received the green light from the concerned authorities. “Investigations have indicated that all the necessary expertise is available to ROPME. Whatever the reasons for the delay, is it not the responsibility of the Kuwaiti authorities concerned to ensure the long term prospects of its own natural maritime resource? Surely the removal of two large wrecks posing substantial risk should be acknowledged and operations to clean up the area should start immediately.”

Curley also sheds light on what he thinks complicates the salvage efforts. The tankers were sunk in 1991 by the UN forces in Iraqi waters, but now the border line between Kuwait and Iraq has been moved by the UN. The wrecks now lie in Kuwaiti territorial waters. Under normal circumstances, the ship owners request the state where the wrecks are to action the salvage operation as soon as possible to minimize the risk to environment. The insurance company or the owner, in this the Iraqi government, would bear the cost. However, Iraq was slapped with sanctions immediately after the war and the hostile attitude of the Iraqi government to international laws severely crippled the chances of a salvage operation.

Since 2003, Iraq has confused all parties by selling the salvage rights to Iraqi companies who have little or no experience in salvage operations. Iraq also harbors negative feelings about the new port in Kuwait built near the wrecks which further discourages them from having any concern for the Kuwaiti environment. “It feels that they are just playing with this matter with no concern whatsoever, instead of acknowledging all the survey reports completed by UNDP, IMO, IAEA, UK, USA and ROPME.” More importantly, for the past 25 years Iraq and Kuwait haven’t been the best of neighbors. With Iraq having its own environmental problems to tackle, it was not in any big rush to clear the coastline of Kuwait, especially now that the wrecks lay in Kuwaiti waters.

In Curley’s opinion, it would be best for Kuwait to give ROPME the nod for the salvage operation and fund it, and later claim the costs against Iraq via the UN compensation committee. “Otherwise, Kuwait runs the risk of the wrecks breaking and causing another huge environmental disaster requiring clean-up costing several times more. This case, Curley notes, is unique in his 26 years of international salvaging experience. “No state wants this kind of rubbish and pollution in their waters.” Curley was the Salvage Director for all the surveys of the wrecks done for the UN, IMO, ROPME, Japanese reconstruction NK and the British government.

Post to be found at:
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/201399/reftab/36/t/Oil-tanker-wrecks-threaten-marine-environ/Default.aspx

Marine Pollution - BY - sagnik1991/

Found this and thought it should get a wider viewing -

Presentation to be found at:
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/sagnik1991-1992270-marine-pollution/

Danish ballast water company expects explosive growth - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Posted - November 11, 2013 - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

Back in the spring, Klaus Nyborg aired his expectations for Danish company Bawat, which has worked on the development of a ballast water system for the past three years. At the time, Klaus Nyborg had been Chairman of the company for six months, and he referred to the system as “completely unique”.

Now, Bawat’s solution for cleaning ballast water is nearly ready for launch, and certification for the system is likely to be secured during the first six months of 2014, CEO Kim Diederichsen tells ShippingWatch. He expects to start selling the system to carriers in 2014. And expectations are huge:

“The potential is very, very big. We have obviously run some scenarios for what it can bring in, of course based on a ratification of the convention,” he says referring to ongoing discussions in IMO of whether or not the phasing in of the ballast water convention should happen slower than initially decided upon.

But to the advantage of suppliers of ballast water systems, they do not seem to care about the IMO discussions in the US, where the Coastguard is in the process of making the cleaning of ballast water mandatory for vessels docking at US ports. It will probably force most carriers to implement the systems, even if IMO’s requirements do not come into effect yet, certainly the carriers Bawat targets within dry cargo and tank shipping.

“No one from these segments wants to risk not being able to dock at US ports. It’s an unthinkable situation. So the entire market will be kickstarted by this. We are not worried about the market. We are on the verge of a breakthrough on a market that you can now see the outline of, and which will grow explosively in coming years. It’s extremely big numbers in a short number of years. We expect revenue of more than USD 18m within a few years,” says Kim Diederichsen.

The implementation of the ballast water convention has been stalled, which has actually worked to the advantage of Bawat. It is no secret that the company has been able to develop its system due to experiences of all the other actors.

“Once this takes off, we will be far along with a technical solution that will in many ways be cutting-edge. We have benefited from the learning curve of the others.”
Lauritzen Kosan

The great expectations are also based on Bawat’s ballast water system being markedly different from current systems on the market, according to Kim Diederichsen. The system is a so-called in-tank system based on deoxification and pasteurization of the ballast water, and the process happens as the ship is sailing. Current systems clean the ballast water once the ships have docked.

“Furthermore, it’s a green solution. The system is created so it partly or completely utilizes the ships waste heat,” Kim Diederichsen explains.

In order to win IMO approval of the system, the company will have to conduct additional tests at land and at sea. So far, two out of three planned tests at sea have been completed at J. Lauritzens gas tanker Henrietta Kosan, which Bawat collaborates with. Land-based tests are nearing completion as well, and the ballast water system works in all types of water; salt water, brackish water and fresh water, which is not the case for all current systems.

“We have noted that the Bawat system has delivered promising results,” says Peter M. Petersen, Head of Vessel Management at Lauritzen Kosan A/S.

Lauritzen is not the only one interested in the system, and additional players from Denmark and Norway have contacted Bawat to begin talks, says Kim Diederichsen. And the company is also in talks with companies from the Far East:

“Some of the biggest carriers and ship management companies from the Far East have shown an interest in us and have started evaluation processes. It looks very promising,” he says.

Klaus Nyborg former top chief in the Hong Kong-based carrier Pacific Basin, currently serving on a number of boards, for example in D/S Norden and the bunker and shipping group USTC, has been Chairman of the board in Bawat for a year.
Source: Shipping Watch 

Post to be found at:
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/News.aspx?ElementId=542cca30-8460-4987-a3aa-27b395e37bfb&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily

Dredged material guidelines adopted by IMO - Maritime Journal

Posted - October 24, 2013 - Maritime Journal

The 35th Consultative Meeting of the Parties of the London Convention 1972 and London Protocol have adopted Guidelines for Assessment of Dredged Material.

Success came during the final day of the Meeting of the Parties at the International Maritime Organization headquarters in London last week.
These Guidelines are to be used for assessment of dredged material that is proposed to be placed at sea to ensure that the placement does not result in unacceptable adverse impacts to the ecological resources of the sea or present an unacceptable risk to humans.
The World Organisation of Dredging Associations (WODA) has an official Non-Governmental Observer (NGO) status at the London Convention and its Protocol. On behalf of the three dredging associations making up WODA; the Central Dredging Association (CEDA), the Eastern Dredging Association (EADA), and the Western Dredging Association (WEDA), CEDA undertakes this work and actively participates in meetings and relevant working groups to provide independent expert advice to help shape policy development. CEDA’s overarching aim is to ensure that any legislation pertaining to dredging and disposal activities and maritime construction works is based on the sound technical and scientific knowledge, takes account of best practice, and is ultimately workable.
CEDA, along with a number of other organisations, has worked to ensure that dredged material is treated as a special case and has been instrumental in changing the image of dredged material, recognising that it consists mainly of natural sediments and only a small proportion of the total volume dredged annually is contaminated. As a result what was previously described as dredged ‘spoil’ is now known as dredged ‘material’, a term now embedded in the conventions.
The London Convention and Protocol are important in setting basic requirements for the management of dredged material placement at sea and produce guidelines which provide the context within which assessment of the suitability of dredged material placement is carried out within contracting countries.
The London Convention and Protocol adopted the Dredged Material Assessment Framework (DMAF) in 1995, this was replaced by the Specific Guidelines for the Assessment of Dredged Material in 2000. The new Guidelines represent a comprehensive review to update the Guidelines with new science and to provide them in a user friendly format.
Through its observer status, WODA/CEDA contributed significantly to drawing up the original assessment frameworks and guidelines and has continued to provide expert input into their revision.
Before a permit for placement of dredged material at sea can be issued, an assessment must be conducted, including evaluation of alternatives to ocean placement and characterization of the dredged material in terms of physical, chemical, and potential biological toxicity. The Guidelines require that the characteristics of the dredged material be compared to an action list to determine acceptability for open water placement in the ocean, which is followed by careful considerations of placement site characteristics and an assessment of the potential effects of placement at that site. A permit is only to be issued if any effects are below acceptable thresholds. The Guidelines specify that monitoring programs should be put in place to ensure that permit conditions and predictions of acceptable impacts are on target.
Dr. Craig Vogt (Craig Vogt Inc, USA), Chairman of the WEDA Environment Commission represented WODA/CEDA at the recent Consultative Meeting.
The Guidelines apply to the 90 countries that are members of the London Convention and 43 countries that are members of the London Protocol (a number of countries are members of both). The Guidelines will be available on the IMO website soon at www.imo.org as well as on the CEDA and WEDA websites, www.dredging.org and www.westerndredging.org respectively.

Post to be found at:
http://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/dredging/dredged-material-guidelines-adopted-by-imo

International Conference Unanimous That Arctic Code is Needed - MarineLinl.com

Posted - October 23, 2013 - MarineLink.com

The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) recently hosted a St. Petersburg international conference 'Arctic Shipping and Offshore Activities: Responding to Safety and Environmental Challenges' . The conference was attended by key figures with interests in Arctic develoment, including the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Mr Koji Sekimizu. A synopsis of the proceedings follows:
The international maritime community is focusing on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) as a measure to reduce the costs as well as time of cargo transportation, the latter resulting in reduction of CO2 emissions. At the same time the safety of a ship in the harsh ice conditions and protection of the fragile Arctic ecosystems remain a major challenge to the industry.

During the conference the experts discussed possible solutions from technical as well as regulatory standpoints. The yards shared their experience in the innovative approach to ice class ships’ design while the representatives of maritime administrations touched upon various issues concerning the Polar Code. Also widely debated was the ice retreat theory bringing to light different approaches to ice retreat forecast, which all in all confirms the number of the high ice class ships and icebreakers required is continuously increasing.

Notably, participants unanimously agreed on the need for the development of the Polar Code.  According to the IMO Secretary-General, the Polar Code may be implemented by IMO in 2017. He emphasized that IMO needs good scientific and technical base to complete the code and therefore, expressed his gratitude to RS for dedicating the conference to technical discussions of Arctic shipping development among the leading experts in design, construction and operation of sea transport.




Photo CCL

The leading yards presented state-of-the-art solutions in icebreaking ships’ hull design and propulsion. Their presentations covered oblique icebreaker’s design, a pioneer LNG-fuelled icebreaker for Finland, possibilities for double acting feature of the future Yamal LNG Arctic gas carriers and other innovations. The shipping companies operating in the Arctic shared practical experience of transit navigation along the NSR.

The conference was organised as part of the RS 100-anniversary celebration programme. “Most of the RS 100 year long history has been devoted to promoting the safety of navigation in harsh ice conditions including the Northern Sea Route,” said RS CEO Sergey Sedov.

In addition to the IMO Sec. General, were Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation Mr Victor Olerskiy, Executive Director of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) Mr Markku Mylly, senior officials from international associations (ICS, BIMCO), Maritime Administrations (China, Denmark, Germany, Norway),  Russian oil majors (Gazprom, Rosneft), ship owners (Sovkomflot, Maersk), design bureaus, scientific research institutes, shipbuilding yards, insurance companies,  as well as other representatives of the shipping industry.

Post to be found at:
http://www.marinelink.com/news/international-conference360153.aspx

IMO Head Calls for Quick Review of Low-Sulfur Fuel - Ship & Bunker

Posted - October 22, 2013 - Ship & Bunker

Koji Sekimizu, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has told Russian market specialists PortNews IAA he believes a study of the availability of low-sulfur fuel to meet demand in 2020 should be brought forward.
"I have suggested that the study of availability of low sulphur fuel should be accelerated," he said.
"I'm sure that next year the Marine Environment Protection Committee will discuss this matter seriously and I hope that we will carry out important meaningful study for availability of low sulphur fuel."
Sekimizu said that "sometime into 2015" the IMO will evaluate the availability of the fuel for international shipping and the capacity of the oil industry to provide it by 2020.
"So we need to evaluate total amount of energy required for shipping industry by 2020  and then we'll take a decision of what should be done to meet low sulphur regulation by 2020," he said.
The review of fuel availability must be done by 2018, according to the IMO's Annex VI, but industry players have been calling for an earlier evaluation to give shipping and bunker companies time to prepare for a 2020 change in fuel regulations.
Starting January 1, 2020, limits on the sulfur content of marine fuel not already covered by an existing emissions control area (ECA) are set to drop from 3.50 percent to 0.50 percent globally.
Effective January 1, 2015 sulfur limits within the Baltic and the North Sea ECAs, as well as the North American ECA, will drop to 0.10 percent, but Sekimizu says he does not foresee any fuel availability issues for that deadline.
"As far as I understand, that could be achieved," he said.

UK Shipping Minister Stephen Hammond has called for the review of the 2020 limit to start at the beginning of 2015, an idea echoed by the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA).

Post to be found at:
http://shipandbunker.com/news/world/378868-imo-head-calls-for-quick-review-of-low-sulfur-fuel