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Marine Environmental Protection Committee News

18 Jan 2024

USCG Approves ABS Wavesight eLogs for US-flagged Vessels

Š IDOL'foto / Adobe Stock

ABS Wavesight on Thursday announced its eLogs software has received formal approval from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for use by U.S.-flagged ships. The ABS-affiliated software-as-a-service company is now one of three maritime software providers to receive such approval on the basis of the USCG’s guidance under USCG NVIC 01-23."The maritime industry is entering an era of rapid digitalization,” said Gurinder Singh, Director of Solutions Engineering at ABS Wavesight. “We are proud to be at the forefront of that transformation, and the fact that our eLogs software meets all of the U.S.

06 Jun 2023

Anemoi Scales Up Rotor Sail Technology

(File photo: Anemoi Marine Technologies)

Anemoi Marine Technologies, a UK-based developer of rotor sails for the shipping industry, said it is enhancing its efforts to provide its technology for ship owners, managers and charterers to install onboard vessels as they look to decarbonize their operations.Anemoi offers a range of rotor sails, varying in height from 24 to 35m, suitable for installation and retrofitting on deep-sea vessels including bulk carriers, tankers, ferries, ro-ros, and multipurpose vessels. These…

12 Mar 2020

IMO Shuts Headquarters due to Coronavirus

(Photo: IMO)

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has closed its headquarters in London as a precautionary measure due to the coronavirus outbreak, the United Nations' shipping agency said on Thursday.The IMO said the move follows an assessment on Wednesday by the World Health Organization, which said the virus can be characterized as a pandemic.IMO headquarters will be closed to staff and visitors on Thursday and Friday, and staff are working from home where possible, the agency…

22 Jan 2020

Ferry Industry Sets Pace on Critical Solutions

(Photo: BC Ferries)

Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan describes a distinctly upbeat period in the worldwide ferry community – and explains how the global trade association plans to take its support to far-reaching new levels.There are times when the phrase “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics” seems all too true, but here’s an honest number for you – ferries carry a global total of more than 2 billion passengers a year, which is almost on a par with airlines.Hard to believe? Not for those of us in the industry, but almost certainly for many citizens and politicians.

26 Jul 2019

Interferry Charts a Course for Growth

Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan explains why the global trade association is poised to take its work to the next level.

Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan explains why the global trade association is poised to take its work to the next level.While I respect the mantra of cautious optimism, I can’t help feeling genuinely excited that 2019 could prove to be a milestone year in the continuing growth of Interferry’s influence as the global voice of the ferry industry. We’ve come a long way since our US origins in 1976 as what was essentially a networking movement, but developments in recent months already suggest we are on course for yet more enhancement of our present-day worldwide networking and lobbying relationships.

21 May 2019

PPR to Investigate into Scrubbers's Washwater

The Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) agreed to task its sub-committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) to look into the discharge from open-looped scrubbers, in particular the environmental impact of the washwater.This was decided at the meeting (MEPC 74) held last week, said a press release from BOMCO.During the meeting, several delegations expressed some fundamental concerns whether a scrubber system could constitute a more favourable treatment of ships equipped with a scrubber system (or Exhaust Gas Cleaning System), compared to ships using compliant fuel.Today, the industry is faced with many new national or regional rules on the water discharges from scrubbers.

13 May 2019

NGOs Urge Black Carbon Emissions Cut

The Clean Arctic Alliance (CAA) urged the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States to reduce the impact of black carbon emissions from international shipping on the Arctic environment.The UN body gathers in London for a meeting of its Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC74), during which a number of issues, including black carbon emissions and heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the Arctic will feature on the agenda.Emissions of black carbon particles by ships burning heavy fuel oil has a dramatic climate warming effect – black carbon is a potent short-lived climate forcer that remains in the atmosphere for only a few days to weeks.But when black carbon is emitted from ships burning heavy fuel in or near Arctic waters…

06 Dec 2017

Kyriacou to Lead De Nora's BWMS Unit

Dr. Stelios Kyriacou (Photo: De Nora)

Electrochlorination equipment supplier De Nora announced that Dr. Stelios Kyriacou has been appointed as General Manager of its BALPURE Ballast Water Management System (BWMS) business unit. Dr. Kyriacou joins De Nora Water Technologies from Wärtsilä, where he managed the research, development, design and certification of the full Wärtsilä BWMS range. He previously undertook the same role at Hamworthy from 2009 until its acquisition by Wärtsilä and held roles at Hatlapa Marine Equipment. Dr.

09 Jul 2017

Ocean Conservancy Calls for Clean Arctic

“Ocean Conservancy welcomes steps taken by the International Maritime Organization to mitigate risks to the Arctic from the use and carriage of the world’s dirtiest fossil fuel. “Support for Measures to Reduce Risks of Use and Carriage of Heavy Fuel Oil as Fuel by Ships in Arctic Waters marks an important milestone in the bid to phase out the use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic. “With climate change impacts resulting in record-breaking loss of sea ice—winter ice in the Arctic hit a record setting low in 2017 since records began 38 years ago—there will be a dramatic increase in vessel traffic through shorter Arctic sea routes to transport cargo between Southeast Asia and Europe. At present, around 75% of marine fuel currently carried in the Arctic is heavy fuel oil.

19 Apr 2017

Is Tin Returning in Silicone Hull Coatings?

Photo: Subsea Industries

The reemergence of organotin in marine hull coatings is of increasing concern, with academics and environmentalists calling on International Maritime Organization (IMO) to investigate the use of tin in silicone-based foul release systems and other ships hull coatings. While use of the organotin tributyltin (TBT) was outlawed as an active biocide almost 10 years ago, the IMO is claimed to “have left the door open” for tin as a catalyst, but according to some academics the amount of organotin used suggests it could be acting as the active agent. Dr.

16 Nov 2016

Scrubbers Set to Help Shippers Meet the New Sulfur Cap

The 0.5 percent global sulfur cap by 2020 requires marine industry action. “By 2025, up to 20 percent of the global fleet could have [scrubber] technology installed,” estimates DuPont Clean Technologies Marine Business Development Manager, Europe, Marco Dierico. “Ship owners and operators that want to minimize costly changes and continue to burn heavy fuel oil (HFO) will require a scrubber to clean the fuel. The October 27 decision from the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) to enforce a global 0.5 percent cap on sulfur emissions from fuels by 2020 will necessitate ship owners and operators to select an emissions abatement solution in order to meet the new requirements.

21 Oct 2016

Liberia provides lead with BWMS proposal to IMO

The Liberian Maritime Administration is to introduce a proposal to the meeting of the IMO Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC70) in London on 24 October to allow certain ships additional time beyond 2020 to install adequate ballast water management systems as required under the Ballast Water Management Convention, which comes into force in September 2017. The proposal, says Liberia, would ensure that enough adequate systems and sufficient dockyard space are available. With effect from 8 September, 2017, most oceangoing ships engaged in worldwide operations will be required to install a ballast water management (BWM) system approved in accordance with IMO guidelines.

05 Oct 2016

Definitive Study On The Impact Of Global Sulphur Regulations

Marine Energy Consulting Ltd. (MECL) and 20|20 Marine Energy, two leading consultancies in this field, today announced that they will collaborate to produce a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of MARPOL Annex VI global sulphur regulations on the shipping industry. The study will include a detailed impact assessment of the regulations, as well as insights into compliance solutions, enabling recipients to make more informed decisions when developing strategies to both manage the transition, and the future. The regulations, which mandate the use of bunkers with a sulphur content of less than 0.5% on a global basis, will be implemented in either 2020 or 2025…

30 Sep 2016

Stakeholders Discuss Use of HFO in the Arctic

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) held a public listening session in Washington D.C. on September 27, 2016 to address ships’ use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the Arctic, examining its risks and as well as potential mitigation strategies which can be taken to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The event was held in the Department of Transportation building, where Paul “Chip” Jaenichen, Sr., Maritime Administrator for the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), welcomed participants. The listening session was led by Jeff Lantz, director of Commercial Regulations and Standards at USCG headquarters, and head of U.S. Delegation to the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee and Marine Environment Protection Committee.

04 Apr 2016

SSI Urges IMO to Tackle GHG Emissions from Shipping

The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) has called on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to show its true intent to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions from shipping at the forthcoming Marine Environmental Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 69), which begins on 18th April 2016. The SSI believes that an ambitious but realistic plan must be set that will see the shipping industry take responsibility and contribute to reducing GHG emissions in line with the UNFCCC target of less than 2 degrees warming agreed at the COP 21 meeting in Paris in December 2015. To achieve this requires global GHG emissions to be at least 50% below 1990 levels by 2050, however the shipping industry’s current rate of emissions growth is incompatible with this target.

25 Feb 2016

Arctic Thaw Presents Shipping Risks to Environment

Rising average temperatures are melting ice; the call goes out for heavy fuel oil to be regulated in Arctic. The Arctic is thawing even faster than lawmakers can formulate new rules to prevent the environmental threat of heavy fuel oil pollution from ships plying an increasingly popular trade route. Average Arctic temperatures are rising twice as fast as elsewhere in the world and the polar ice cap's permanent cover is shrinking at a rate of around 10 percent per decade. By the end of this century, summers in the Arctic could be free of ice. As the ice melts, traffic of ships carrying cargoes of gas, coal and diesel through the region has increased. Russia, in particular, is keen to expand shipping through the Arctic given its rich natural resources and efforts to cut costs.

14 May 2015

IMO Dodges Marshall Islands Plea for CO2 Target

Emissions from shipping. Photo courtesy: HZG

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has dodged a decision on the setting of a new global target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, proposed by the Marshall Islands. The environmental lobby group Transport & Environment (T&E)  accused the IMO of falling to "procedural excuses" and ignoring obligations. The proposal was initially announced last month, with Marshall Islands' Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tony de Brum having said at the time that the industry could grow to represent 6 to 14 percent of global emissions if "urgent action" was not taken.

02 Dec 2014

Marine Noise Emissions: Is it Your Next Regulatory and Environmental Hurdle?

Marflex Variable Frequency Drive Cargo pump.

A different kind of emission in the compliance spotlight – above and below decks. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Equipment during its 2012, 56th session submitted a draft revised code on noise levels onboard ships. The code set out mandatory noise level limits for machinery spaces, control rooms, workshops, cargo blocks and accommodation spaces in an effort to address health and safety issues on board ships, ATB’s and/or tugboats.

12 Sep 2013

Dr. Anne-Marie Warris: WISTA-UK Personality of the Year

Dr. Anne-Marie Warris (Courtesy of ISO)

Dr. Anne-Marie Warris, an internationally respected expert in the fields of sustainable shipping, climate change and environmental management, has been chosen as Personality of the Year 2013 by WISTA-UK, part of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association. Dr. Warris recently retired from a leading environmental role at Lloyd’s Register to initiate a new venture, ecoreflect ltd, a U.K.-registered company, whose purpose is “to explore ‘eco’ and to ‘reflect’ on the…

19 Jun 2013

Breaking Down The Cost of MARPOL

Since January 8, 2009, United States (U.S.) and foreign flagged ships operating in the waters of the U.S. have been subject to MARPOL Annex VI. The Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted amendments to Annex VI and the nitrogen oxides (NOx) Technical Code, collectively referred to as Annex VI (Revised). Annex VI (Revised) entered into force on July 1, 2010. These amendments include significant and progressive limits for sulfur oxide (SOx) and NOx emissions from marine engines and for the first time addressed emissions of Particulate Matter (PM). The amendments replaced the SOx Emissions Control Areas (SECA) by introducing the concept of Emission Control Areas (ECA) for SOx, NOx, and PM.

24 Feb 2011

Dubai Maritime City Authority Supports Environmental Efforts

The United Arabs Emirates Shipping Association, a representative body for UAE-based commercial shipping, is supporting the efforts of the UN, IMO, and UAE Ministry of Environment and Water and DMCA in advocating for a global and open verifiable emissions trading program. One of the challenges that face the marine industry is reconciling their global reach with local expectations. As of the last IMO Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting there is no globally accepted or approved method or protocol to assign and include shipping in national or transnational carbon emissions reduction process. Al Ghurair added: “The carbon cost of carrying a ton of freight by ship is 10 times less than by road – and 100 times less than by air.

07 Nov 2011

Port Ops and Vessel Efficiency

According to the United Nations, the world’s population which currently stands at just over 6.7 billion could reach over nine billion by 2050. This staggering figure will no doubt create a surge in consumerism and a subsequent increase in demand for much larger ships, in order to be sufficiently equipped to support the global trade economy. Furthermore, the need for bigger vessels is being driven by the shipping companies’ desire to reduce costs, in order to weather the economic storm which still remains a worrying challenge.

05 Oct 2012

ICS Welcomes IMO Progress on Issues

 ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents over 80% of the world merchant fleet, has welcomed the acknowledgment by governments at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that there will be significant problems with the implementation of the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention. However, ICS feels that the type-approval process for expensive new treatment equipment is seriously flawed and that much more work still needs to be done by governments to rectify the current situation.