Langh Tech Scrubbers, EGR Water Treatment for New Box Ships
Three container vessels on order at Guangzhou Wenchong Shipyard in China for Eimskip Island ehf and Royal Arctic Line A/S will be equipped with Langh Tech hybrid scrubber systems and water treatment systems for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The newbuilds are of a new energy-efficient design developed by Deltamarin. The in-line scrubbers are multi-inlet installations, where the main engine and auxiliary engines are connected to the same scrubber tower. In addition, the MAN Diesel & Turbo two-stroke main engines of the newbuildings are equipped with EGR systems.
Fire Hampers Ops at Brazil's Santos Port
Trucks carrying commodities and other exports were unable to reach the Guaruja side of Brazil's largest Port of Santos on Friday, a day after containers holding chemicals caught fire and sent poisonous gases into the sky. A port spokeswoman said access would be restricted while firefighters snuff out the blaze that hit up to a dozen containers at the terminal operated by logistics company Localfrio. The fire, which caused dozens of people to go to the hospital after breathing the noxious smoke, is considered under control, the spokeswoman said. With trucks unable to reach the Guaruja side of the port, terminals there may have to rely on stocks, although some products are arriving by train.
Chemical Container Blaze Restricts Brazil's Santos Port
Up to a dozen containers carrying chemicals caught fire at a terminal at Brazil's largest port of Santos on Thursday, restricting ship movement, representatives of the port authority Codesp said. The fire at the container terminal operated by logistics company Localfrio in Guaruja, on the eastern side of Santos, started around 3 p.m. Brasilia time (1700 GMT) and continued into the evening, sending plumes of smoke across the shipping channel at the commodity exporting port. The port authority said in a statement it had stopped ships from docking at a terminal operated by Santos Brasil next to Localfrio's Alfandegado terminal because of smoke, but otherwise the port was operating normally. Santos Brasil also said its operations were stopped indefinitely.
EU Policies Improve Air Quality in Harbors
Sulphur dioxide emissions from shipping have sharply decreased in EU ports thanks to an EU policy which limits sulphur content in fuels for ships at berth or at anchor in ports. Scientists at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre measured key air quality parameters in Mediterranean harbours before and after the entry into force of the low-sulphur requirements in January 2010. In European harbours they found an average decrease of 66% in concentrations of sulphur dioxide, a chemical compound that poses risks to health and the environment. Measurements taken in a non-EU port showed that levels of this noxious substance remained the same.
