Jose Maria Figueres News

Norsepower Oy Ltd. and Bore Ltd today carried out successful sea trial of Norsepower’s Rotor Sail Solution, a new wind propulsion technology for ships. The sea trials, verified by NAPA and supported by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, confirm fuel savings of 2.6% using a single small Rotor Sail on a route in the North Sea. With these fuel savings, the technology has a payback period of 4 years. Based on the trials, Norsepower and Bore believe that a full system on Estraden with two rotors has the potential to deliver 5% efficiency savings on an ongoing basis. Norsepower forecasts savings of 20% for vessels with multiple, large rotors traveling in favourable wind routes. The Norsepower Rotor Sail Solution was installed on the 9,700 DWT Ro-Ro carrier MS Estraden.

Demonstrating leadership and commitment to environmental sustainability, Barbados Port Inc. has committed to work in partnership with RightShip to develop an incentive program encouraging more efficient vessels to their port. During the 1st Hemispheric Seminar on Port Legislation held in Montevideo on the 24-25 November David Jean Marie, CEO of Barbados Port and Anuj Chopra, RightShip’s Vice-President - Americas, signed a letter of intent to develop a port incentive program using the RightShip and Carbon War Room Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Rating. The port incentive program rewards vessels with better energy efficient ratings. Measuring their carbon dioxide emissions…

Canada’s two largest west coast ports are now both offering financial incentives to shipowners based on the ‘A to G’ Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) rating, which benchmarks the energy efficiency of the international shipping fleet. Port Metro Vancouver’s ‘Eco-Action’ Program and Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA)’s ‘Green Wave’ Program will reward the most efficient vessels that enter the ports. PRPA’s Green Wave Program has already received 19 vessel entries during its first two weeks, with 11 of these vessels using the A-G rating.

Climate, energy and demographics are to be discussed by industry leaders in Vancouver BC, when BIMCO, the world’s largest representative shipping organisation holds its General Meeting in the Canadian city in June this year. Issues of sustainability are never far from the thoughts of ship operators these days, especially when contemplating the purchase of new ships, which may well have a 25 year lifespan. Shipping people have to look further ahead than most, as they contemplate the future demand for their ships…