Greenhouse Gas Emission News

The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) has released an updated Framework for Assessing Decarbonization Technologies and Alternative Energy Carriers and a comprehensive assessment on the maturity and readiness of alternative fuel options, expanding the number of evaluated fuels covered since the previous heatmap report issued in November 2022.The assessment applied MTF’s recently updated framework to an expanded set of eight fuels, including fossil LNG, fossil MGO combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS)…

MAN Energy Solutions’ licensee, MITSUI E&S Co. Ltd., has announced that it has successfully tested a 50-bore MAN B&W two-stroke engine up to 100% load at its Tamano facility while running on hydrogen, a world-first for the maritime industry.In collaboration with MAN Energy Solutions, MITSUI converted one of the four cylinders of an MAN B&W ME-GI (-Gas Injection) engine to hydrogen operation. The hydrogen was supplied from a hydrogen gas-supply system that MITSUI developed in 2023.Stable operation was achieved at various loads and operating conditions…

As the IMO prepares for negotiations on regulations to support net-zero by 2050 at MEPC 81 in March, the World Shipping Council (WSC) has proposed a greenhouse gas pricing mechanism it calls the Green Balance Mechanism.The aim is to provide a new approach to greenhouse gas pricing which makes it possible to close the price gap between fossil fuels and green fuels, at the lowest possible overall cost:• Through the Green Balance Mechanism, fees are taken from fossil fuels and allocated to green fuels used…

Whether it is from international organizations or state government agencies, there is growing pressure on ferry operators to meet stringent goals to reduce the environmental toll from their operations.The California Air Resource Board’s Commercial Harbor Craft Regulation issued the most stringent of these policies, which requires all short-run ferries to achieve zero emission by January 1, 2026. But it’s not just California that wants this industry to clean up its act. The United…

“The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) targets for the use of zero or near-zero fuels in 2030 can be met using sustainable biofuels. Many different sectors will compete for those fuels, so shipping is focusing on transitioning to alternative green and blue fuels. Today, only 1% of bulk, container, and tanker ships are prepared for using these fuels and fuel availability is low,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.The IMO targets that near-zero greenhouse gas emission fuels shall represent at least 5% of the energy used by shipping in 2030…

Crowley announced it will pilot carbon capture technology on board one of its containerships under the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance (META) program.The Jacksonville, Fla. based shipping company said it has reached an agreement with Sana Monica, Calif. based Carbon Ridge and MARAD to operate, measure and optimize the technology’s effectiveness in actual maritime environments at port and ultimately at sea. The collaboration includes the engineering…

COP28 has concluded with agreement on a text named The UAE Consensus that aims to set out a climate agenda to keep 1.5°C within reach. The UAE Consensus calls on parties to transition away from fossil fuels to reach net zero, encourages them to submit economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions, includes a new specific target to triple renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030, and builds momentum towards a new architecture for climate finance.The UAE Consensus followed a year of inclusive diplomatic engagements and two weeks of intense negotiations.

The CEOs of leading global shipping lines issued a joint declaration at COP 28 calling for an end date for fossil-only powered newbuilds and urging the IMO to create the regulatory conditions to accelerate the transition to green fuels.The only realistic way of meeting the IMO’s 2030, 2040 and net-zero 2050 goals is to transition from fossil to green fuels at scale and at pace, they say.Their joint declaration calls for:• An end date for new building of fossil fuel-only vessels and a clear GHG Intensity Standard timeline to inspire investment confidence…

Seaside LNG and Carnival Corporation have entered into a term bunkering agreement to fuel the Carnival Jubilee, the first LNG-propelled cruise ship to call Galveston, Texas, its homeport.Seaside’s barge, the Clean Jacksonville, will move from Jacksonville, Florida, to operate out of Galveston and serve the Texas Gulf Coast with its first LNG delivery to the Carnival Jubilee in December 2023. With the assistance of the Port of Galveston, Seaside aligned all stakeholders to ensure the proper infrastructure is in place to begin the operation this winter.Initially…

“During the first eight months of 2023, contracting of product tanker newbuilds hit a 10-year high, reaching 140 ships and 10.72 million deadweight tons (DWT). The last time more than 10 million DWT were contracted from January through August was in 2013,” said Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Newbuild contracting activity during the past five years has been low at about 5.46 million DWT per year. In addition, the product tanker order book hit a low of 9.67 million DWT in December 2022…

On August 25, NYK was commissioned by a consortium comprising ENEOS Corporation, Electric Power Development (J-POWER), and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration to conduct a study on the marine transportation of liquefied carbon dioxide (CO2).The study is part of a fiscal 2023 feasibility study on advanced carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in Japan.NYK will study the economics and feasibility of the technology for transporting by ship CO2 emitted in western Japan from ENEOS…

HydroComp is a well-established, small engineering firm focused on hydrodynamic and propulsion system simulation, providing design tools for engineers and naval architects to focus on vessel performance, including emissions. Don MacPherson, HydroComp’s long-tenured Technical Director, discusses the impacts of tightening emissions regulations, with insights on maximizing new vessel designs and refits.Don, maritime has been in the crosshairs of regulators to reduce emissions. What do you see as the top new regulatory issues that are impacting ship and boat design…

A ferry servicing California’s Angel Island State Park will be converted to operate as the state’s first zero-emission, electric propulsion short-route passenger vessel beginning in 2024.Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced it is partnering with the Angel Island-Tiburon Ferry Company (Angel Island Ferry) to support the electrification of The Angel Island vessel.PG&E's Electric Vehicle (EV) Fleet Program helps medium- and heavy-duty fleet customers easily and cost-effectively install charging infrastructure via comprehensive construction support and financial incentives.

A methanol dual fuel 300,000 DWT crude oil carrier (VLCC) has received Approval In Principle (AIP) from classification society Korean Register (KR).The methanol dual-fuel VLCC, which was developed under a joint project between KR and shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), is powered by methanol and marine gas oil (MGO). HHI has developed the vessel so that the methanol fuel tank can be placed in either the open deck or the cargo area and KR has verified the safety and suitability of the vessel’s design…

A consortium, led by the Global Maritime Forum and consisting of BHP, Rio Tinto, Oldendorff Carriers and Star Bulk Carriers Corp., signed a letter of intent (LOI) to assess the development of an iron ore Green Corridor between Australia and East Asia.To mobilize demand for green shipping and to scale zero- or near-zero greenhouse gas emission shipping, governments and industry decision-makers are increasingly looking to enable and simplify the task of decarbonizing the maritime sector by establishing Green Corridors: specific shipping routes where the economics…

On January 14, 2022 the European Parliament’s Rapporteur, MEP Peter Liese, published his draft report on a proposal to revise the Emissions Trading System (ETS) Directive¹ which forms part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package of climate and energy reforms published on July 14, 2021. The draft report includes a number of ambitious amendments to emissions trading for the maritime sector – the Maritime ETS – which, if agreed, will put more pressure on the maritime industry to switch to cleaner fuels sooner than originally planned.

Swiss engine designer WinGD announced that its engines will be able to run on methanol and ammonia from 2024 and 2025 respectively.WinGD’s multi-fuel solutions will be based on their well-established diesel-fueled X engines and dual-fuel X-DF engines. The ability to use zero-carbon or carbon-neutral fuels such as ammonia and methanol in both of its core engine types will give ship operators unprecedented flexibility in how they reduce emissions.Dominik Schneiter, Vice President Research & Development…

Oil major BP said Monday that its BP Singapore branch had delivered its ‎first carbon offset liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo to CPC Corporation, Taiwan ‎‎(“CPC”), to the Yung An terminal in Taiwan in September 2021. The LNG was sourced ‎from BP’s LNG portfolio.‎"This is BP’s first delivery of carbon offset LNG in the Asia-Pacific region, following its ‎first delivery globally to Sempra LNG at the Energia Costa Azul terminal in Mexico in ‎July 2021. This new carbon offset LNG offer strengthens BP’s natural gas offering in ‎the region…

Korean engine manufacturer HSD Engine is to offer ABB’s diagnostics and advisory software Tekomar XPERT to shipowners operating its two-stroke and four-stroke marine engines.Tekomar XPERT is a digital performance optimization platform applicable to any engine that is designed to help shipping companies achieve substantial fuel savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions. Under the agreement, HSD Engine will offer the software as an option to shipowners.“In response to market demand, HSD Engine reviewed various solutions for engine performance optimization and evaluation.

As the marine industry moves toward decarbonization, partnerships that transcend technologies and borders will increasingly play a prominent role. In this regard, Alfa Laval and Japan’s National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI) today announced positive resultes on an innovative carbon capture and storage (CCS) test.Initiated by NMRI, the CO2 capture testing project was designed to provide real-world validation of results achieved in the lab. It required a full-scale hybrid scrubber system, and Alfa Laval's PureSOx was used..

Damen Shipyards Group is partnering with Purus Marine, an environmentally focused maritime vessel and infrastructure company established by EnTrust Global for the financing of green shipping projects. The partnership, named DP Lease, aims to support decarbonization of the maritime industry by providing flexible and attractively priced long-term lease financing solutions to solve the financing gap created by additional capital expenditure requirements associated with the purchase of environmentally-advanced vessels.Jan-Willem van Helden…

Dutch marine contractor and offshore installation services company Van Oord will install a combustion conditioning system with hydrogen and methanol on its subsea rock installation vessel Bravenes, in a push to cut emissions from its fleet.The system, called FUELSAVE FS MARINE+,  is a patented solution used to reduce both fuel consumption and harmful emissions of marine diesel-powered engines. "This solution enables Van Oord to achieve substantial carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx)…

Technology group Wärtsilä said it has been contracted to upgrade four vessels owned by Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC), by retrofitting the Wärtsilä Fuel Efficiency Boost solution to the ships’ main engines. The modification will reduce fuel consumption, and correspondingly lessen the environmental impact by lowering greenhouse gas emission levels.Wärtsilä said its Fuel Efficiency Boost initiative has attracted considerable interest…