Astrid Dispert News

A new strategic partnership to strengthen cooperation between ships and ports to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been signed (on 13 October) by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and the GreenVoyage2050 Project, which is executed by IMO.The partnership will result in collaboration to jointly deliver technical cooperation and capacity-building activities to support implementation of an IMO resolution (MEPC.323(74)) which encourages voluntary cooperation…

"Just-In-Time" (JIT) operations have the potential to cut the time ships spend idling outside ports and help reduce harmful emissions as well as save on fuel costs.According to International Maritime Organization (IMO), this can be achieved by communicating in advance the relevant information to the ship about the requested time of arrival - allowing the ship to adjust to optimum speed. A desktop trial in Just-In-Time ship operations has yielded positive results, showing emissions can be cut considerably.The trial was conducted by members of the IMO-led Global Industry Alliance to Support Low Carbon Shipping (GIA), at the Port of Rotterdam (10 July).Technical adviser Astrid Dispert said…

A new set of toolkits to assess and address emissions from ships and ports is now available from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the global regulatory body for shipping.The Ship Emissions Toolkit and Port Emissions Toolkit have been developed under the GEF-UNDP-IMO Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) Project, in collaboration with its strategic partners, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH)."To reduce emissions across the maritime sector, national authorities need to first quantify those emissions and then develop a strategy to reduce them…

If seagoing vessels were better informed about the availability of berths and adapted their speed accordingly, substantial savings could be made in terms of fuel and CO2 emissions. This conclusion is based on a study that was recently commissioned by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and research institute TNO.The study pointed out that if sea-going vessels are regularly kept informed – particularly during the last twelve hours before arrival – about exactly when their berth will become available, they will be able to adapt their sailing speed accordingly.That usually means reducing their speed so that they arrive just in time. This in turn leads to less fuel consumption and therefore lower emissions of unwanted substances such as carbon dioxide, sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides.

How can ports cut emissions to ensure cleaner air and contribute to the battle against climate change? An International Maritime Organization (IMO)  training course is supporting countries to help find the answers, which include the need to first quantify emissions and then identify measures to reduce port-related emissions in a cost-effective way. Maritime officials in Morocco are the latest to undergo the training, at a workshop in Casablanca (19-21 June). The event is being held under the IMO-run GloMEEP Project on energy-efficiency and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). More than 20 participants will be better equipped to quantify emissions in ports through development of port emissions assessments (both ocean and land-based…

Assessing emissions in ports can help countries to devise strategies to address those emissions, leading to better air quality for local populations. The first national workshop on the prevention and control of shipping and port air emissions has been held in Ningbo, China (23-25 April), under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) -executed GloMEEP energy efficiency project. China is the first country to benefit from the rollout of the three-day workshop package which was recently developed by GloMEEP, in collaboration with the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). The training package aims to support countries in the quantification of emission in ports through the development of port emissions assessments (both ocean and landbased…

Iranian officials responsible for implementing IMO standards on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from shipping are undergoing IMO training at a national workshop in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran (18 April). Around 30 participants from the country’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), Department of Environment and numerous ports are taking part. They are being trained on the IMO treaty restricting air pollution from ships as well as ship energy-efficiency measures – MARPOL Annex VI. This includes measures addressing sulphur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx), which have been successful in lowering the amount of those pollutants being emitted from ships. The event was hosted by the PMO and run by IMO’s Astrid Dispert and a consultant.

How can ports cut emissions to ensure cleaner air and contribute to the battle against climate change? First, ports need to quantify emissions in ports, then they need to identify measures to cost-effectively reduce port-related emissions. A strategic partnership between the International Maritime Organization (IMO)-executed GloMEEP energy efficiency project and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is helping selected countries to develop port emission inventories and subsequently draw up a port emission reduction strategy. A new three-day workshop package on the “Prevention and control of shipping and port air emissions” is being developed as part of the GloMEEP-IAPH strategic partnership.

Inspection training for Port State Control Officers in South and Central America is underway at an International Maritime Organization (IMO) workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina (6-8 November). There are participants from: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay. Port State Control is the process, supported by IMO, by which officials in ports can board visiting foreign-flagged vessels to verify compliance with international safety and pollution standards. The Buenos Aires workshop is specifically focused on training officers to inspect and enforce both air pollution and energy-efficiency provisions in IMO’s MARPOL Annex VI treaty.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s work to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping has conducted in Mumbai, India with a train-the-trainer course on energy-efficient ship operation. The course (28 February – 3 March) is training maritime educators and officials to pass on expertise on the complex technical and regulatory aspects designed to make shipping greener. Thirty participants from Indian, Bangladeshi, Maldivian and Sri Lankan maritime training institutes, maritime administrations and classification societies are taking part. The training includes group exercises in which the participants develop and deliver presentations on barriers to ship energy efficiency.

The Philippines is the latest country to receive International Maritime Organization (IMO)  support to promote energy-efficient ship operation. A workshop taking place in Manila (23-24 February) is equipping 30 maritime educators from across the country with the knowledge to introduce the topic of ship energy-efficiency into their teaching curriculums. The event, run under IMO’s GloMEEP project, is the second of its kind to take place in Asia this week – following a productive event in Malaysia (20-21 February). The focus is on delivering the IMO Model Course 4.05 to seafarers, which consists of lectures, interactive exercises and videos to enhance the learning experience.

An  International Maritime Organization (IMO) workshop is training Malaysia’s maritime educators to introduce the topic of energy-efficient ship operation into their teaching curriculums. The workshop, taking place in Kuala Lumpur (20-21 February), was developed under IMO’s GloMEEP project and supports maritime training institutes to deliver the IMO Model Course 4.05 to seafarers. The course consists of a series of lectures, interactive exercises and videos to enhance the learning experience and ensure crews are adequately trained to contribute to efficient shipping. The workshop supports IMO’s on-going environmental protection goals by spreading industry best practices that can reduce fuel consumption from ships and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

An International Maritime Organization (IMO) training in Malaysia has seen port State control officers practice inspecting air pollution and energy efficiency rules aboard a container ship in Johor Port. The participants from across Malaysia have been taking part in the three-day workshop (13-15 February) focusing on how to effectively enforce IMO’s MARPOL Annex VI regulations. The interactive workshop included class-based lectures and exercises, as well as practical training on board, in which relevant certificates and documentation, fuel tank arrangement and bunker fuel samples were inspected. It is the first time that onboard training has taken place under the GloMEEP project, which supports countries in addressing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from ships.

Maritime educators in China are the first to undergo a newly developed course designed to assist maritime training institutes to introduce the topic of energy-efficient ship operation into their teaching curriculums. More than 30 participants from maritime universities, shipping colleges and institutes from across China are attending the workshop, taking place in Hangzhou (8-9 December). The course, developed under International Maritime Organization (IMO) 's GloMEEP project, will help maritime training institutes to deliver IMO’s Model Course 4.05 to seafarers. It consists of a series of lectures, interactive exercises and videos to enhance the learning experience and ensure there are properly trained crews who can contribute to efficient shipping.

Energy efficiency and the control of GHG emissions from ships have been on the agenda at an International Maritime Organization (IMO)  workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina (8-10 November).    Officials from Argentina’s maritime administration, maritime training institutes and various ministries were in attendance as IMO experts highlighted measures in the Organization’s MARPOL Annex VI.   The event, hosted by the Prefectura Naval, is the latest in a series of workshops organized in lead pilot countries under IMO’s GloMEEP project, which supports uptake and implementation of energy efficiency measures for shipping in developing countries.   IMO is represented by Astrid Dispert and a team of consultants.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is continuing its work to support developing countries to prevent air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from ships with a global training exercise held in Batumi, Georgia (12-14 September). Participants are being trained to use three new draft guides, specifically developed under IMO’s GloMEEP project in collaboration with IMArEST, which cover i) rapid assessment for determining the country maritime energy efficiency and emissions status, ii) maritime energy efficiency strategy development, and iii) incorporation of MARPOL Annex VI into national law. Thirty-seven participants from all 10 GloMEEP lead pilot countries* are taking part in the exercise, which will lay the foundation for further work in the countries going forward.

An International Maritime Organization (IMO) workshop is raising awareness of the Organization’s regulatory regime dealing with improving energy efficiency and the control of GHG emissions from ships. Participants from South African governmental departments and other related bodies are in attendance at the three-day “MARPOL Annex VI and Technology Transfer” workshop, taking place in Durban, South Africa (23-25 August). The event is the latest in a series of workshops organized under IMO’s GloMEEP project, which is supporting uptake and implementation of energy efficiency measures for shipping in developing countries. South Africa is one of the 10 GloMEEP lead pilot countries.

A global Train-the-Trainer workshop on energy efficiency has been delivered in China (23-27 May), preparing the personnel needed to cascade knowledge on energy efficiency for ships and related efforts for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. The five-day intensive course was organized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), within the framework of the Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) Project. The workshop was co-hosted by the China Maritime Safety Administration (China MSA) and Dalian Maritime University (DMU). The GloMEEP Project  aims to support increased uptake and implementation of energy-efficiency measures for shipping. China is one of the ten Lead Pilot Countries implementing the GloMEEP Project.

An International Maritime Organization (IMO) workshop is raising awareness of the organization’s regulatory regime dealing with improving energy efficiency and the control of GHG emissions from ships. Participants from Malaysian governmental departments, academia and other related bodies are in attendance at the three-day “MARPOL Annex VI and Technology Transfer” workshop, taking place in Johor, Malaysia (16-18 May). The event is organized under IMO’s GloMEEP project, which is supporting uptake and implementation of energy efficiency measures for shipping in developing countries. Malaysia is one of the 10 GloMEEP lead pilot countries.