University Of California Riverside News

MARAD study shows renewable diesel fuel reduces emissions without impacting engine performance. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has recently completed tests of renewable biofuel technology onboard the training ship State of Michigan. The project was part of a MARAD initiative to conduct “at sea” tests of advanced renewable fuels and assess its impact on the ship’s engine. The tests compared operational, vibration and air emission differences between regular ultralow sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel and a 76/33 blend of ULSD and Amyris Renewable Diesel (ARD) fuel, which is derived from sugar.

Clean hybrid technology that's already proving its value in two of the world's most environmentally sensitive ports has received verification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA verified the XeroPoint Hybrid Tug Retrofit System (XeroPoint) pioneered by Foss Maritime of Seattle, Wash., and Aspin Kemp and Associates (AKA) of Stratford, PEI. The system captured the attention of the maritime industry for its potential economic and environmental savings as a Foss harbor tug was undergoing extensive testing in the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The rigorous EPA verification process ensures the XeroPoint hybrid system is an effective choice for use on any U.S. harbor tug seeking to meet the nation's highest environmental standards.

Gary Faber brings more than 30 years of experience in the maritime industry to the position of president and COO of Foss Maritime Company. His extensive experience in marine engineering, vessel operations, salvage and project management in extreme environments extending from the arctic regions of Alaska all the way to the southern extremes of South America frame perfectly the diverse workload of this Seattle-based marine services firm. His notable accomplishments include recognition for the U.S.

The UK P&I Club has chosen to focus its latest Legal Briefing publication on the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, adopted by the IMO in 2004. Implementation of the Convention is now probably just two years away and ship owners and managers are coming under increasing pressure as they struggle to be ready in time. Over the past 20 to 30 years, the consequences of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) travelling around the globe in ships’ ballast water have become increasingly apparent.

According to reports, cargo shipping line APL said it has begun using cleaner-burning fuels and will begin testing technology to reduce harmful emissions from its ships. APL, a unit of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines, said 23 of its ships that make regular stops at the ports of Los Angeles and Oakland now carry low-sulfur diesel fuel to run auxiliary engines, which generate power for the ship while it is docked. The move coincides with an approaching deadline for a new law that goes into effect Jan 1. It requires vessels to use cleaner-burning fuel while they near California ports or while berthed. Beginning in February, the ocean…