Danish Compatriots Test Emissions Monitoring Solution

Danish shipping company Nordic Tankers, Dania Ship Management and Danfoss IXA have been cooperating on testing new innovative technology for monitoring emissions on an ongoing basis.

The chemical tanker company hailed that the result is a front runner solution to ensure global enforcement of the IMO’s requirements for sulphur emissions way before any legislation is pushed through.

“The sensor equipment from Danfoss IXA is an innovative piece of technology that enables ship owners to continuously prove compliance with the IMO’s requirements for sulphur emissions. At Nordic Tankers, together with our partners, we aim to be front-runners in supporting the development of our industry worldwide, why the cooperation with Danfoss IXA on testing the new solution is an interesting project for us,” explains Per Sylvester Jensen, CEO, Nordic Tankers.

Durability in a harsh environment The sensor technology is installed on the chemical tanker Nordic Mari. The ship is owned by Nordic Tankers with Dania Ship Management as trusted manager.

“The equipment is well designed and was delivered to the Nordic Mari as a complete product. In the beginning of the test period, the durability of the sensor was challenged by the very toxic and harsh environment in which it was placed, but these problems have been solved by Danfoss IXA,” says Carsten Brix Ostenfeldt, CEO, Dania Ship Management.

Big data made accessible Once the IMO responds to how global enforcement will be carried out on a global level, the cooperation with Danfoss IXA will be an advantage to Dania Ship Management.  Danfoss develops sensors and systems for the maritime industry, solving energy optimization and measurement of emission.

“The technology makes it possible to document how much your ships are emitting worldwide, and the data is sent directly to you ashore. This means we can prove compliance at any time and once the development picks up speed, we will be ready and one step ahead of the rest of the industry,” says Carsten Brix Ostenfeldt and continues:

“Our next target is to compare the readings onboard Nordic Mari with other external readings, for example the sensor fitted on the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark. The sensor on the bridge is first and foremost fitted to ensure compliance with Danish and global legislation, but over time such technology will also ensure a level playing field, which we support as a principle for doing business today.”

Cutting fuel costs Besides monitoring emissions on an ongoing basis and proving compliance, the sensor technology also has enabled Dania Ship Management to track how the engines are performing by reading out the data from the vessel.

“As a general rule, change in the shipping industry is driven by legislation. But if the sensor technology is following the development of electronically controlled engines, you will be able to continuously optimize combustion and cut fuel costs. This could be a future incentive for change as well,” says Carsten Brix Ostenfeldt.