Tag: green practices

Nearly 200 delegates from across the world came together for the 9th GreenPort Congress opening session on 15 October 2014 which focused on putting forward a positive environmental image for ports. Held in Barcelona this week, this year's Congress host, the Port of Barcelona opened proceedings, by talking about the many challenges that a port has to face in light of new emission regulations. Sixte Cambra, President, Port Authority of Barcelona, said that the port has seen both a dramatic improvement in terms of emissions and the elevation of the need to provide alternative fuels for shipping, in its case, LNG. The port wants to install a re-gasification plant at the port with a capacity of one million cubic metres. A positive image for ports The Congress opening session was all about putting forward a positive environmental image forward for ports and spreading the message about working together with stakeholders and the local community to achieve emissions targets. Isabelle Ryckbost, secretary general, ESPO, outlined the need for education about European TEN-T funding for "greening hinterland links." "Many ports do not realise they can apply for funding. Combining funding with the moderation of port charges and giving good incentives for environmental ...

From October 8 to 9, NYK welcomed the NYK Group’s chiefs of environmental management (CEM) to the NYK headquarters in Tokyo for a Global CEM Meeting. CEMs from the regions of East Asia, South Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America were in attendance. NYK vice president Tadaaki Naito expressed his appreciation for the daily environmental activities in each area and the harmony between the business and environmental pursuits of the NYK Group. The CEMs then shared the results of their activities and provided the latest information on environmental regulations in their regions. The primary topic of this meeting was the NYK Group’s future environmental policy (Green Policy). The CEMs discussed a proposal and schedule for reducing the number of regions from six to four, in addition to measures in response to the ISO14001 revision scheduled for 2015. Over the two-day meeting, an abundance of information was shared during discussions that bore much fruit, and the CEMs brought a global perspective to active discussions on solutions and challenges for new environmental activities. NYK plans to convene this Global CEM Meeting to promote efficient and cost-effective environmental activities throughout the group and take an active role in the safety and environmental ...

The second GreenPort Cruise Conference held on Tuesday 14 October, highlighted the latest environmental and sustainability issues facing global cruise terminals. Onshore power supply versus the use of LNG at cruise terminals is always guaranteed to create a debate and the first session at the conference did exactly that. Alexandros Chiotopoulos, consultant at DNV GL Maritime Advisory, spoke about the possibility of retrofitting cruise ships to use LNG by lengthening them. In other words, by inserting an LNG ready-made mid-body section to cruisers. "It's definitely an option worth investigating, but it's case by case dependent and depends on your investment strategy," he said. On the same topic, Dr Monika Griefahn, chief sustainability officer, AIDA cruises, pointed out that for ferries, which simply traverse between two points, using LNG is simpler. But she said it was more complex with cruise ships which call at multiple ports. For this reason, she said: "I believe there is a place for shoreside power and it works for smaller vessels. But for cruise ships the long-term future will be in LNG as long as the infrastructure and regulatory aspects can be worked out." Another hot topic at the Greenport Cruise Conference agenda was the port ...

P&I Clubs are involved a lot in what I like to call ECO issues. Like ship owners, Clubs are being asked to align traditional functions and practices with the increasing drive towards environmental protection and preservation. The Clubs are not set up to lead in this area.  On the whole, our function as a liability insurer requires us to follow the Law and Regulation not push for its reform.  The Law, in turn, is notoriously slow to advance.  So, in general terms, the Clubs represent a reactive rather than proactive force where eco-issues are concerned. However, for the purposes of enhancing environmental awareness, I will now focus on the primary areas in which "ECO-issues" and P&I converge. The Clubs and the mutual membership we indemnify service and to an extent represent all take an increasingly responsible view of the duty to protect our environment. There is no doubt we are all getting "greener". Most would say that is because our members are forced by lawmakers and enforcement bodies to be more responsible.  To a great extent they are probably right.  But without the stick of financial penalties being brandished at us we would probably not have come this far. That ...

Thome Ship Management has been awarded a Green Environmental Achievement Award by the Port of Long Beach, California, for high standards in performance during 2013. Yatin Gangla, Chief Operating Officer Bulk Division said: "This award is presented to operators whose vessels call at the Port of Long Beach and who have demonstrated that 90% or more of the vessels have complied with the Voluntary Vessel Speed Reduction Programme. In recognition of this achievement, Thome has received a green flag and a 25% discount on the dockage dues payable by all our managed vessels to the Port of Long Beach during 2014. Announcing Thome's award, Donald B Snyder, Director of Trade Development at the City of Long Beach Harbor Department, said: "Thank you for your commitment to reducing air pollution in Southern California." The Port's Green Flag Program is a voluntary vessel speed reduction program which rewards vessel operators for slowing down to 12 knots or less within 40 nautical miles (nm) of Point Fermin, near the entrance to the Harbor. The Port says that because ships emit less when they travel more slowly, the program has been highly successful in reducing smog-forming emissions and diesel particulates from ships. Vessels that dock at the Port of Long ...

The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Shanghai  signed a formal agreement to exchange information, technical expertise and best practices to expand use of shore power at the Port of Shanghai. The signing ceremony concluded the sixth meeting of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, China's Vice Premier Wang Yang and State Councilor Yang Jiechi. The annual conference brings the two nations together to address mutual challenges and opportunities on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti hailed China's growing interest in reducing vessel emissions as part of its larger efforts to improve air quality. Garcetti said the EcoPartnership strengthens ties established in 1998 under a Los Angeles-Shanghai Friendship Port Agreement. "Los Angeles continues to see the health and economic benefits of green growth, and we are eager to support our No. 1 trading partner as it expands its shore power program," Garcetti said. "We are honored to share our knowledge and experience with the Port of Shanghai and support this progressive environmental initiative at the world's largest port," said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. "We ...