Energy Efficiency News

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is at the UN climate change conference (COP 24) in Poland, highlighting key elements of the Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships.A press release from the UN-body said that the strategy sets out a vision to reduce the total annual  Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008, while, at the same time, pursuing efforts towards phasing them out entirely. This sets a pathway of CO2 emissions…

The global network of Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCC ) is expanding with a number of branch offices and becoming an integral player in implementing International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s initial strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships. This is especially true when it comes to capacity building, technical cooperation and R&D, said a press release form the United Nations agency.A 250-strong crowd attended the MTCC-Africa side-event on Capacity Building for Climate Mitigation in the Maritime Shipping Industry (27 November)…

The world’s first intelligent very large ore carrier (iVLOC), the DNV GL-classed Pacific Vision, was delivered by Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard to China Merchants Energy Shipping Company.Norway-headquartered international accredited registrar and classification society said in a statement that the vessel is the world’s first VLOC to implement DNV GL’s SmartShip descriptive notation.To qualify for the notation, Pacific Vision has been outfitted with an integration platform, a smart navigation decision support system…

French automaker Groupe Renault partners with NEOLINE, designer and operator of cargo sailing ships, to experience a new maritime transport solution and reduce the carbon footprint of the Group’s supply chain.Groupe Renault announced the signing of a 3-year partnership with Nantes start-up NEOLINE to develop a more sustainable maritime transport service powered by wind, and to contribute to the environmental management of its logistics chain while nearly 60% of the Group's parts and vehicles are transported by sea.Jean-Philippe Hermine…

Maritime transport emitted 938 million tonnes of CO2 in 2012. This represented 2.6% of total global carbon emissions, said International Transport Forum (ITF)By 2050, shipping CO2 emissions are projected to increase between 50% and 250% if no drastic action is taken, the forum warned.In order to reverse this trajectory, the 174 member states of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted an “Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions from ships” (or…

The technology company The Linde Group has been awarded a contract from Chinese chemical and energy company Inner Mongolia Huineng Coal Chemical Co Ltd to supply a mid-scale LNG plant near Beinichuan in Inner Mongolia."This will be Linde’s seventh and largest LNG plant to date in China and is in response to growing demand from customers in China," said a release from the company.Linde's Engineering Division will be responsible for engineering, procurement and site services for the LNG plant with a nameplate capacity of 750…

The world's most eco-friendly bulk carrier m/s Viikki, owned by ESL Shipping, a subsidiary of the Aspo Plc, has started operating on the Baltic Sea.The 25,600-dwt vessel, 160 metres long and fuelled by liquefied natural gas, produces less than half of the carbon dioxide of previous vessel generation, thanks to LNG and many advanced technologies.M/s Viikki was built in China, and after completion first sailed to Japan to load a cargo of raw materials. From there, she arrived to the Baltic Sea through the Northeast Passage…

The International Maritime Organization (IMO)-led GloMEEP project has delivered a training course in China last week to help maritime administrations and classification societies play their part in an ambitious scheme to collect fuel consumption data from ships.The data collected will provide vital information to support IMO’s global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. From 1 January 2019 ships of 5,000 gross tonnage and above will have to collect consumption data for each type of fuel oil they use.

SEA\LNG, the multi-sector industry coalition aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, strongly supports the decision of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) to reaffirm the January 1, 2020 implementation date of the 0.50% sulphur fuel limit.SEA\LNG said in a press release that it also applauds the adoption of the amendment to MARPOL Annex VI for a carriage ban on non-compliant fuels for vessels without an approved equivalent arrangement to meet the sulphur limit – such as an exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) on March 1…

Practical efforts to implement ship energy-efficiency measures and promote technology transfer are an integral part of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s initial strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.A press release from the UN-body said that this is embodied in the global network for energy-efficient shipping under the Global MTCC Network (GMN) project, funded by the European Union and run by IMO.Representatives from the five Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) in the GMN network recently met for their second annual meeting (22-26 October) in London…

Skangas entered into an agreement with parts of the Gothia Tanker Alliance to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel.The new agreement comprises current as well as new vessels with LNG propulsion soon to come, said a press release from the supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the Nordic markets.The main Swedish shipping companies that will get the advantage of the supply agreement with Skangas are Furetank Rederi AB, Erik Thun AB and Rederi AB Älvtank. These shipping…

Eidesvik’s offshore supply vessel (OSV) Viking Princess reportedly can now operate with only three generators instead of four after a retrofit of an energy storage solution with The Switch DC-Hub at its heart, helping the 5,381 GWT ship to save around a ton of fuel every day.The solution entails replacing one of the main generators of Viking Princess  by batteries connected to a DC-Hub. This energy solution allows the shipowner to reduce the operating costs, fuel consumption and emissions associated with the previous generator that is no longer needed.According to Asbjørn Halsebakke…

IMO’s 2050 deadline to reduce GHG emissions 50% from 2008 levels has set off a gold rush to develop Zero Emissions SolutionsClimate change is the biggest issue facing [all aspects of] the maritime industry, said Kitak Lim, IMO secretary general, in an interview earlier this year with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News. He predicted that shipping could experience as much change in the next 10 to 20 years as it has in the last 100 years, as the industry races to meet a number of challenges…

Trade association Interferry has welcomed this week’s decision by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) to uphold previously agreed sector-specific Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) targets for ro-ro passenger and ro-ro freight vessels.The committee’s latest session – MEPC 73 – tightened EEDI requirements for certain ship types, but confirmed that ferries would be among the categories where it is appropriate to retain the original timeline and reduction rates.

The shipping line Baleària, a pioneer in the application of liquefied natural gas in sea transportation, has marked another milestone with the construction of the world's first passenger and cargo fast ferry powered by dual LNG engines. The fast ferry is being built at the Armon shipyard in Gijón, as announced yesterday by Baleària President Adolfo Utor at the inaugural conference of the 57th Naval Engineering and Maritime Industry Congress currently being held in Valencia.Capacity and investmentWith a length of 125 meters and a beam of 28 meters…

The Norwegian ship owning company Havila Kystruten AS, has ordered four new build Ro-Pax vessels of Havyard 923 design. Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine will provide power and propulsion for all four ships.From January 2021, Havila Kystruten will operate four ships on the coastal route between the cities of Bergen in south western, and Kirkenes in northern, Norway. The company has contracted Spain’s Astillero Hijos de J. Barreras shipyard to build two of the cruise ferries and Turkey’s…

The world’s largest testing facility for carbon capture, Technology Centre Mongstad (TCM), has signed a collaborative agreement with DNV GL to deliver advisory and verification services for CO2 capture technology.According to a press release from the quality assurance and risk management company, the new global advisory partnership will offer advisory and verification services at TCM`s facilities on the west coast of Norway and other worldwide carbon capture projects.Carbon capture…

ABB shore power connectors retrofitted to three Holland America Line vessels will help these ships achieve low emissions in port anywhere in the world.Cruise line Holland American Line will retrofit three of its vessels with ABB’s innovative shore power connectors that allow the ships to draw on land-based electrical grids when docked in port.Holland America Line proactively encompasses programs that aim to reduce emissions and comply with international regulations and environmental guidelines – and seeks to exceed these requirements wherever possible.

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…

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…

The Project Forward initiative led by Athens-Based Arista Shipping, with Wärtsilä as one of the participants, demonstrates that with LNG as fuel, an advanced hull design, and highly efficient propulsion machinery, it will be possible to meet the IMO’s target for a 40 percent reduction in carbon intensity by 2030.Model tests of the Project’s concept vessel indicate that the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) is well below the currently most stringent Phase III level. The EEDI reflects the CO2 emissions per transport work and is a measure of carbon intensity.

Reducing the amount of time ships spend waiting outside port and at anchor could significantly reduce ship emissions, according to studies carried out by members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) GloMEEP Global Industry Alliance (GIA).Ships can spend hours or days waiting at anchor outside ports, but providing ships with regular updates about the availability of berths, especially in the last twelve hours prior to port arrival, can support significant reductions…

The Austrian petrochemical company Borealis has announced that it is to build a new production plant on its existing site in Kallo, in the Antwerp port area.According to a press release, the propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant will use the very latest technology in terms of sustainable production and energy efficiency. With this initiative the port of Antwerp confirms and reinforces its role as the largest chemical cluster in Europe.The intention to build a new PDH plant to convert propane into propylene has been known for some time.