Maritime administrators from over 20 countries across Asia have gathered at the first regional event of Asia’s Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTCC-Asia) to discuss ways to bring shipping into a low carbon future. More than 50 participants joined representatives from the EU and IMO at the Shanghai Maritime University (18-22 September) to discuss national priorities and barriers relating to topics such as greenhouse gas control, ship energy-efficiency and technologies applied for fuel consumption data collection.

Rolls-Royce and Inmarsat have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to have the option to make the company’s Energy Management system available via Inmarsat Maritime’s Fleet Xpress high-speed broadband service. With data collected from a multitude of ship control systems and equipment sensors, Energy Management 2.0 reduces energy consumption and supports environmental compliance as well as allowing for the benchmarking of efficiency against historical performance. Marco Camporeale, Rolls-Royce…

IEA report sees energy efficiency finance becoming established market segment in its own right ... The global energy efficiency market is worth at least $310 billion a year and growing, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency that confirms the position of energy efficiency as the world’s “first fuel”. The report also finds that energy efficiency finance is becoming an established market segment, with innovative new products and standards helping to overcome risks and bringing stability and confidence to the market.

The first national workshop under the Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships GloMEEP), Project, which aims to support increased uptake and implementation of energy-efficiency measures for shipping, has been held in Georgia. Georgia is one of the Lead Pilot Countries for the project, which aims to build understanding and knowledge of technical and operational energy-efficiency measures to lead maritime transport into a low-carbon future. The national workshop in Batumi…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) has launched a website for GloMEEP energy efficiency project. IMO’s continuing efforts to promote environmentally sound shipping received a boost today with the launch of Glomeep.imo.org. The new website provides important information and updates on the Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) project – a GEF-UNDP-IMO initiative that supports the uptake and implementation of energy efficiency measures for shipping, thereby reducing the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The German KfW IPEX-Bank evaluates energy efficiency of its merchant shipping portfolio, sees EEDI a key indicator of economic advantage. KfW IPEX-Bank, one of the largest ship financing banks in the world, has evaluated together with FutureShip, a subsidiary of Germanischer Lloyd, the energy efficiency of its shipping portfolio based on the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). The applied valuation approach is based on the standards of the International Maritime Organisation (special organisation of the United Nations) and provides an indicator for the energy efficiency and CO2 emissions of merchant vessels. From 2013 binding EEDI limits will be introduced for newbuildings.

IMO inform that regulations to improve the energy efficiency of international shipping entered into force 1, January 2013. The EEDI is a non-prescriptive, performance-based mechanism that leaves the choice of technologies to use in a specific ship design to the industry. As long as the required energy-efficiency level is attained, ship designers and builders would be free to use the most cost-efficient solutions for the ship to comply with the regulations. The SEEMP establishes a mechanism for operators to improve the energy efficiency of ships. Ships are required to keep on board a ship specific Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP).

With energy efficiency at the forefront of today's environmental agenda, Maran Tankers Management Inc. (MTM), the largest tanker operator in Greece, has collaborated with class society ABS in the development, review and revision of their company and Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (CEEMP/SEEMP). The plan provides a mechanism for identifying measures aimed at maximizing operational efficiency throughout MTM’s fleet and establishes a management tool for the Company and their fleet of vessels. The goal is to continually improve the energy efficiency of all sea born operations.

Investments in energy efficiency improvements offer cruise and ferry and merchant vessel operators an opportunity to reduce operating costs and emissions while building a more sustainable brand image, says Wärtsilä Corporation. The overall energy efficiency of a vessel is determined by the choices made throughout its lifecycle from new build to scrapping and recycling. In the current market situation, investing in more energy efficient solutions is a good way to improve long-term competitiveness.

The IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meets for its 65th session from 13 to 17 May 2013, at IMO HQ in London. Items on a busy agenda include the implementation of energy-efficiency regulations and the ballast water management and ship-recycling treaties. The MEPC is expected to continue its work on further developing technical and operational measures relating to energy-efficiency measures for ships, following the entry into force, on   January 2013, of the new chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI, which includes requirements mandating the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), for new ships, and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), for all ships.

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).

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…

The first-ever Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) certification for a large container vessel owned and operated by Hapag-Lloyd has been conducted by Germanischer Lloyd (GL). The EEDI certificate is issued in accordance with the voluntary EEDI guidelines, MEPC.1/Circ.681 and 682 of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The attained EEDI value of the Hapag-Lloyd vessel is significantly better than the present average vessel of this size (based on Lloyds database), underlining the high energy efficiency of the vessel's design. This documents that members of the maritime industry are pro-actively pursuing measures to improve the energy efficiency of merchant vessels and, thus, reducing the CO2-emissions considerably.

An energy efficiency workshop for Pacific Island countries and territories has been held in Port Vila, Vanuatu (12-14 December). The event helped participants gain knowledge and tools to develop national strategies and clear policies to improve energy efficiency in maritime and port infrastructures, to use alternative and cleaner fuels and to increase awareness of energy-efficiency measures. International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Edmund Hughes delivered a presentation (via remote participation) on policy and strategy for energy efficiency in maritime transport.

MARAD released an Energy Efficiency White Paper. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced the availability of the Energy Efficiency White Paper that provides marine vessel owners and operators information on how to evaluate potential investments in efficiency measures and technologies. The white paper outlines the latest energy efficiency measures currently available for marine vessels, including how the technology works, potential fuel savings, applicability to various vessels types, and lifecycle costs.

Implementation of energy-efficiency, ballast water management & ship-recycling rules on agenda for IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee. The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meets for its 64th session from 1 to 5 October 2012, at IMO Headquarters in London. As well as discussing matters relating to the implementation of energy-efficiency, ballast water management and ship-recycling regulations, the MEPC will also consider formally designating the Saba Bank, in the North-eastern Caribbean area of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA).

Rickmers becomes the first German company operating in the maritime industry and one of only a handful of shipping companies in the world to achieve certification to the ISO 50001 Energy Management System standard. Rickmers Shipmanagement received the accredited ISO 50001 certification from GL Systems Certification (GL) for its offices in Hamburg and Singapore, as well as for ten ships from its fleet. The handover of the certificates took place at the Rickmers head office in Hamburg on the 10th of January 2013. All audits were completed successfully in 2012 by GL auditors, with plans in place to add nine more ships in early 2013. ISO…

Tecnitas, the consultancy arm of Bureau Veritas, has launched a powerful new software tool, E2, aimed at optimising energy usage for both individual ships and across fleets. E2 is a user-friendly tool which enables shipowners to maximise the gains in energy efficiency and emission reduction which can be obtained through proper use of IMO’s Ship Energy Efficiency Monitoring Plan (SEEMP). Claude Andreau, head of engineering, Tecnitas, says, “The SEEMP seeks to improve a ship’s energy efficiency through four steps: planning, implementation, monitoring and measurements and self-evaluation and improvement. We hear a lot about energy saving devices which can be fitted and operational savings which can be made…

A project has been established to identify energy efficiency and fuel saving initiatives for the offshore shipping industry. The partnership involves a collaboration of seven Norwegian offshore shipping companies. The Joint Industry Project is called Energy Efficient Offshore Partners, and consists of: BOA Offshore, Eidesvik Offshore, Farstad Shipping, Gulf Offshore Norge, Havila Shipping, Siem Offshore and Solstad Offshore, and the classification society Det Norske Veritas (DNV) who is project manager. The project aims to identify and implement best practice solutions with regards to energy efficiency, acknowledging that the synergies between energy efficiency and environmental impact will be a competitive advantage for the partners.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s global energy efficiency rules are key to a sustainable future for shipping. This was the message from IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim to the MARENER 2017 conference on maritime energy management, taking place at the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmö, Sweden (24-25 January). Lim emphasized the importance of energy management and outlined the numerous on-going IMO projects to help implement global energy efficiency measures for shipping.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Pentair's Aquatic Systems with a 2015 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by manufacturing energy-efficient products and educating consumers about energy efficiency. Pentair's accomplishments will be recognized in Washington, D.C. on April 20, 2015. Pentair, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2013 is being honored for its leadership in manufacturing products that earn the ENERGY STAR, the government-backed symbol of energy efficiency.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced that the company has established a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) and started its use with the MOL tanker fleet. The SEEMP provides the most efficient vessel operation method (optimum route selection, appropriate maintenance, and so on considering slow steaming, ocean currents, and weather) to reduce CO2 emissions while ensuring safe operation and maintaining a strict operation schedule. Initially, the SEEMP was initiated by MOL Tankship Management (Europe) Ltd. then provided for all vessels managed by the MOL Tanker Division’s in-house companies effective January 1, 2011 to ensure ongoing improvement in energy efficiency by following the plan-do-check-action (PDCA) cycle.

A complete package of training materials on IMO’s energy efficiency requirements is now available to download free of charge from the IMO website. The package, including presentations, posters, exercises and assignments, will be of interest to anyone wanting to understand how to implement the regulations in Chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI and what the technical and operational implications are for ship designers, shipbuilders, companies and seafarers. The course has been designed to train individuals to become trainers themselves.