Tag: EU

EU States reject LNG infrastructure across european ports

The EU co-funded North Adriatic Ports with 322.000 euros for the realization of a Masterplan to design a comprehensive value chain for the use of LNG

ECSA Position Paper on the use of scrubbers in EU ports

ECSA Position Paper on the use of scrubbers In a position paper published today, European shipowners ask EU Member States to adopt a clear, long-term and above all harmonised position on the issue of the discharges of washwater produced by open-loop scrubbers installed on ships.The EU Sulphur Directive requires that, as of 1 January 2015, all ships sailing in the SECAs (Sulphur Emission Control Areas - the Channel, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea) use bunker fuels with a maximum sulphur content of 0.1% or that the same level of emissions is reached by the use of alternative fuels or compliant abatement technologies.Scrubbers are devices that use water to wash unwanted substances from an exhaust gas stream. They have been identified as one of the few abatement technologies available that allow ships to reduce the sulphur content in their emissions.The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) is a source of concern for European shipowners as it sets limits for the content of pollutants in ports, estuaries and coastal areas. This in turn means that the discharges of washwater will in some areas be well under the limits set by the WFD, while in other areas with poorer water quality, washwater ...

The European Commission decided to consult the EESC on the Joint Communication For an open and secure global maritime domain

On 22-23 September, EMSA hosted a workshop for member states on the implementation of the revised Sulphur Directive.

In his opening statement, Mr Šefčovič focused on the importance of transport and well-functioning infrastructure for European competitiveness

The increasing use of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) as a fuel was given another boost with today's commissioning of a new type of inland navigation vessel: Sirocco. Owned by Chemgas Barging, this conventional gas tanker is equipped with a main engine capable of running on marine gas oil as well as on the clean LNG. What makes this dual-fuel system unique is that it is positioned below decks in the cargo area, which improves vessel safety. This deployment is part of the ‘LNG Masterplan Rhine-Main-Danube' project which is being realised with the support of the European Commission's TEN-T Programme under the coordination of Pro Danube Management GmbH and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. With almost fifty years of experience and expertise in the transport of liquefied petro-chemical gasses, Chemgas played a leading role in designing and developing "Sirocco". Chemgas will deploy "Sirocco" for the transportation of conventional gasses for customers throughout the Rhine basin. The vessel was officially christened today in Grevenmacher, Luxembourg, by Mrs. Claudette Majerus, the wife of François Bausch, Minister of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure in Luxembourg. Among those attending the christening were the board members of Chemgas Barging and delegations from the European Commission (represented by ...

New EU rules have been adopted to ensure the build-up of alternative refuelling points across Europe with common standards for their design and use. Member States must set and make public their targets and present their national policy frameworks by end-2016. "Alternative fuels are key to improving the security of energy supply, reducing the impact of transport on the environment and boosting EU competitiveness", said Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, commissioner for transport. "With these new rules, the EU provides long-awaited legal certainty for companies to start investing, and the possibility for economies of scale. EU Member States requested flexibility in deploying the infrastructure. It is now up to them to develop the right national policy frameworks." Up to now, clean fuels have been held back by three main barriers: the high cost of vehicles, a low level of consumer acceptance, and the lack of recharging and refuelling stations. This is a vicious circle. With the new "directive for the deployment of the alternative fuels infrastructure", Member States will have to provide a minimum infrastructure for alternative fuels such as electricity, hydrogen and natural gas, as well as common EU-wide standards for equipment needed and user information. Access to liquefied natural ...

According to the Carbon War Room, the number of ports using ship-evaluation systems to reduce carbon emissions could rise as much as 500 per cent in 2015. Up to 10 ports will cut fees for vessels designed and maintained to minimise fuel consumption next year, compared with two currently. Rotterdam, Europe's largest port, will begin looking at how it can promote more energy efficient vessels, according to a port authority statement. Branson, a Carbon War Room founder, said: "That will speed up the move from shippers to try to move towards clean ships rather than dirty ships. It's just a cog in the wheel to sorting out the much bigger problem of the environmental damage from carbon." Shipping accounted for an estimated 2.7 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2007, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations' shipping agency. Rotterdam discounts port fees to vessels which emit low levels of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. The port is researching how to extend the port-fee discount programme to low-carbon emitting ships, according to the statement. The ship efficiency data rankings were developed by RightShip, a marine and environmental risk management system, and the Carbon War Room. ...