Energy Efficiency News

Global ports operator DP World and industrial engineering firm SMS Group announced "Boxbay", a new and 'smart' shipping container storage system that aims to change the way that containers are handled in ports.The patented design and rack structure of the system creates unique advantages with containers stored up to eleven stories high, delivering the capacity of a conventional terminal in a third of the surface area.By being fully automated it has direct access to each container, eliminating unpaid and unproductive reshuffling.

Maersk Supply Service (MSS) announced it will equip its vessels to use data to optimize operations and save fuel in real time.The offshore services company said on Friday it signed a contract earlier this month with Eniram, a Wärtsilä company, to install Energy Advisory Systems on two of its vessels, with potential to equip four additional vessels, and eventually its entire fleet, after performance testing.Proof of concept trials will be carried out during summer 2019 on one M-class Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel (AHTS) and one I-class Subsea Support Vessel (SSV).After testing…

Harvey Energy, the first platform supply vessel (PSV) to be fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) will become the first PSV in the Americas to be hybrid retrofitted. The vessel's owner, Louisiana-based Harvey Gulf International Marine, has ordered an energy storage solution from the technology group Wärtsilä to significantly enhance Harvey Energy's efficiency and environmental performance.The installation of a Wärtsilä 1450 kW battery hybrid solution will reduce the ship’s exhaust emissions, fuel consumption, and noise level.

The Liebherr Group notched up a company record turnover of $11.8 million in 2018, representing an increase of $828 million, or 7.5 %, compared with the previous year.Despite a slight decline in overall economic growth, revenues from construction machinery and mining equipment rose by 10.8 % to $7,761 million, with especially strong contributions from the Earthmoving, Mobile Cranes and Mining divisions. In the other product areas, which include Maritime Cranes, Aerospace and Transportation Systems…

Deltamarin Oy, the provider of ship design, offshore engineering, and construction services for marine and offshore industries worldwide, has signed a contract to support the energy majors in LCO2 vessel design and environmental optimisation.The contract is a part of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project led by Equinor and partners Shell and Total, Deltamarin, said a press release.CCS will be an essential part of reducing carbon emissions and reaching global climate targets.The…

The European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) organised a workshop on the practical implementation of measures to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions, attended by representatives of the European Commission, the European Maritime Safety Agency, the Member States, as well as industry stakeholders and environmental organisations.The focus was on the opportunities and challenges of reducing the shipping industry’s carbon footprint. The speakers presented concrete initiatives in alternative propulsion technology…

Tallink Grupp, the largest passenger and cargo shipping company in the Baltic Sea region, and Finnish shipbuilding company Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) signed the contract for the construction of a new LNG-powered fast ferry for the Tallinn – Helsinki route shuttle operations.Similarl to the group’s newest vessel Megastar, the new shuttle ferry will also be dual fuel operated, its overall length will be approximately 212 meters and with a passenger capacity of 2,800, said…

Global energy demand grew 2.3% last year, marking its fastest pace in a decade, amid a robust global economy and stronger heating and cooling needs in many regions, said the International Energy Agency (IEA).Natural gas emerged as the fuel of choice, posting the biggest gains and accounting for 45% of the rise in energy consumption. Gas demand growth was especially strong in the United States and China.Demand for all fuels increased, with fossil fuels meeting nearly 70% of the growth for the second year running.

China’s first domestically built cruise ship, to be built at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (SWS), will feature a power and propulsion package from ABB.From ABB's perspective the deal includes two Azipod steerable propulsion systems for the 323m vessel, due for delivery in 2023. The ship will be built to accommodate 5,000 passengers and is designed to suit the tastes of Chinese cruise travelers whose numbers are expected to rise to 8-10 million annually by 2025, according to industry body Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).In addition to the Azipods…

The maritime industry has always followed a path of gradual improvement, albeit with many opting to travel the route of least resistance. In some ways, this is a good thing. A cautious approach to navigating change brings stability, assurance and predictability. This measured attitude toward managing change has been fundamental to ensuring that the commercial shipping industry remains the most financially viable transportation solution for moving most goods around the world. But…

The Panama Canal Authority and A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S are the latest entities to join the International Maritime Organization (IMO)-supported Global Industry Alliance to Support Low Carbon Shipping (GIA).According to the UN body, the GIA now has 18 members, including leading shipowners and operators, classification societies, engine and technology builders and suppliers, big data providers, oil companies and ports.The new members signed up to the GIA during the fifth meeting of the GIA Taskforce at IMO Headquarters in London…

Japanese public multinational corporation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (HKI)announced that it delivered the bulk carrier Divinegate for Indigo Marine Shipping at the Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (DACKS).According to a release, the bulk carrier has a capacity of 61,000 DWT and 199.90 meter length. Its gross tonnage is 34,508. Its main engine is one set of MAN B&W 6S50ME-B9.3-TII diesel engine with maximum continuous output: 8,130 kW at 108 rpm.Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co is located in Dalian City…

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) based in Yokohama, held a christening ceremony on March 12th for a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier currently under construction for JX Ocean Co., Ltd. The new ship, named Future Ace, will be the twelfth of Mitsubishi Shipbuilding's latest third-generation, 83,000m3-class LPG carriers. In addition to increased energy-efficiency, the ship will have the capability to adapt flexibly to major LPG terminals worldwide, as well as specifications compatible with the new expanded Panama Canal.

The steel cutting ceremony of the third ship which Fincantieri is building for Holland America Line, a brand under Carnival Corporation & plc, cruise operator, took place today at the shipyard in Marghera (Venice).The new-build, scheduled for delivery in 2021, will be the seventeenth unit built by Fincantieri for Holland America Line, the third of the “Pinnacle” class, after “Koningsdam” and “Nieuw Statendam”, delivered respectively in March 2016 and November 2018 from the same yard.

United European Car Carriers (UECC) has signed a contract to construct two new generation pure car/truck carriers (PCTCs) with China Ship Building Trading Co., Ltd and Jiangnan Shipyard Group Co. Ltd.The newbuilding contract also has options for two additional vessels, and the first vessel is planned for delivery in 2021. UECC is jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines.The vessels will be equipped with a Battery Hybrid LNG Solution which will place…

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has joined SEA\LNG, the multi-sector industry coalition aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel. Vancouver Fraser Port  is the first North America port member to join the industry group.The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is the federal agency of the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, and the fourth port member to join the coalition, alongside Port of Rotterdam, Yokohama-Kawasaki International Port Corporation (YKIP), and most recently the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

ABB’s chiller optimization solution for passenger ships achieves over 18% energy savings on board ferry La Suprema.ABB and Italian shipping company GNV (Grandi Navi Veloci) have completed a first-of-its-kind retrofit of a technology that optimizes the performance of chillers used for heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems on ferries – and the results have exceeded all expectations.Energy efficiency initiatives for ship operations generally focus on main propulsion…

The consortium promoting the commercial case for liquefied natural gas (LNG), SEA\LNG, believes LNG is a viable pathway to meet the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s 2050 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) targets.The maritime industry really has two broad but major environmental initiatives related to air emissions; dramatic improvement of global air quality, and reduction of GHGs, said a release from the multi-sector industry coalition aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel.Reinforcing the case for LNG as a marine fuel…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the latest State to accede to the International Maritime Organization (IMO)instrument providing rules for the prevention of air pollution from ships and energy efficiency requirements.This brings the total number of ratifications of MARPOL Annex VI to 93, representing 96.6% of world merchant shipping tonnage, said the UN body in a release.MARPOL Annex VI limits the main air pollutants contained in ships exhaust gas, including sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides, and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances.

Maastricht Maersk, the latest next-generation Triple-E vessel known for improved energy efficiency and environmental performance, has arrived for the first time to Rotterdam on her westbound voyage from Asia.Welcoming  the maiden voyage of the most modern vessel in the fleet to Rotterdam, Bo Lindberg Andersen, Benelux Countries Manager at Maersk said: "The Dutch name of the new vessel is a symbol of our long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationship with The Netherlands and local customers.

Marine technology specialists Wartsila’s  energy-saving propeller cap has been included in the 2019 Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s EcoAction Program which offers harbor dues discounts for vessels calling at the Port of Vancouver that meet environmental best practices.The listing is in the vessel quieting category, which awards a 23 percent discount in harbor dues for vessels utilizing this technology. The incentive is given because the reduced cavitation offered by vessel quieting technologies reduces underwater noise.The aim is to encourage shipping companies to lessen their noise levels…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim has called for Member States and the entire maritime sector including shipping and ports, to come on board to achieve the ambitions set out in the historic IMO initial strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, adopted last year.The UN body said that the strategy makes a firm commitment to a complete phase out of GHG emissions from ships, a specific linkage to the Paris Agreement and a series of clear levels of ambition…

While conservatism is a hallmark of maritime, research from Inmarsat finds that IoT may be helping turn the tech tide by delivering new solutions that ease rather than complicate compliance.With environmental imperatives mounting, shipping’s hesitation concerning new technology has been laid bare in an Inmarsat Research Program report that includes data on how far the industry sees IoT-based solutions as a gateway to sustainability. Directly out the porthole is the IMO 2020 fuel sulfur cap, but further along is 2050 the target to cut GHG ship emissions by 2050.