GTT, Lloyd’s Register and Dalian Shipbuilding, started the second phase of the “30,000m³ B-FREE LNG carrier” Joint Development Project. The projects has set as a target the creation of a ballast-free medium-sized LNG carrier, which will comply with the new Ballast Water Management Convention.
Mouawad Consulting, which participated as advisors to the Norwegian Delegation to the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR), provide a recap of the imporant issues agreed for the BWM treaty .
IMO’s MEPC 72 discussed key environmental issues for global shipping industry on 9-13 April. While global attention was focused on the adoption of initial strategy for the GHG emissions reduction from ships, key themes also included the 2020 sulphur limit, the BWM Convention, HFO use in Arctic, marine litter and biofouling.
The international shipping community is watching with great interest discussions at MEPC 72 which started on 9 April in London. The committee is expected to adopt the Initial Greenhouse Gas emission reduction strategy to minimize air pollution, in line with climate goals as defined in Paris Agreement.
Intertanko created a new procedure for port-states’ response whenever a tanker’s BWMS is not operating correctly, and is about to submit this new procedure to IMO. Namely, it concluded to 9 contingency measures. These include, amongst others, fixing the BWMS at the ballast loading port, fixing the system while heading to the port, conducting a ballast water exchange while in ocean, or retain ballast water onboard.
MEPC 72nd session will take place from 9 to 13 April 2018, at IMO Headquarters in London. MEPC 72 will focus on five key issues: Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships; Implementation of sulphur 2020 limit; Ballast water management treaty implementation; Measures to reduce risks of use and carriage of heavy fuel oil as fuel by ships in Arctic; and Marine litter.
During its Technical and Executive Committees’ meetings in Singapore on 5 and 6 March, INTERCARGO re-iterated its commitment to a safe, efficient, high quality and environmentally-friendly dry cargo shipping industry and its support, at the same time, for an industry governed by free and fair competition.
Qatar became the newest country to have entered to the IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention, increasing the number of countries that have signed to sixty-eight. The countries that have signed represent more than 75% of the world’s merchant fleet tonnage.
In an interview with GREEN4SEA, Paul Hallett, manager of the Biosecurity and Environment Group at MPI New Zealand, highlighted current challenges of biofouling, emphasizing on Craft Risk Management Standard for Biofouling, the world’s first such standard at a national scale, entering into force in May 2018.
ICS issued a report, highlighting the key issues in which ICS is engaged with regulators and other intergovernmental bodies that impact upon the global industry. These issues include among others the ambitious CO2 reduction objective, the regulation implications of BWM Convention, as well as the 2020 sulphur cap.
