Tag: green practices

Stena Line has announced that it will convert its vessel Stena Germanica to methanol propulsion, making it the world’s first methanol vessel. The 240m-long ferry will be converted to run on methanol at a cost of EUR22m ($27.5m), the first such conversion of its type. The 1,500-passenger ferry Stena Germanica will be the world’s first ship powered by methanol. With an aim to reduce emissions, the conversion of the vessel will take place at the at Remontova Shipyard in Poland starting January 2015. Wartsila in co-operation with Stena Teknic will be using an engine conversion kit, which will allow the vessel to operate in dual-fuel configuration using methanol supplied by Methanex. Stena line also said that they are constantly evaluating different fuels for the future and to be first in the world with a methanol conversion is a big step towards sustainable transportation.  “Our aim has always been to apply innovation to increase the benefits for our passengers and society in general. We constantly review the use of different types of fuel for the future. And now to be the world’s first owner of a ship with methanol-drive, is a big step towards sustainable transport. The project is taking shape ...

South Korean and Finnish Prime Ministers, Jung Hong-won and Alexander Stubb,  highlighted a landmark 50th deal for the collaboration between Finland's NAPA Group and Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), as an illustration of the importance of the maritime industry to both nations. At a ceremony in Seoul held during a visit by Finland's Prime Minister accompanied by a Finnish business delegation, the two national leaders joined Vice President Head of Basic Design Team of DSME, Odin Kwon and President of NAPA Group, Juha Heikinheimo to mark the 50th order for NAPA-DSME Power, a joint solution for fuel saving and eco-efficiency in ship operation. NAPA, the maritime software house, has been working with DSME, the second largest shipbuilder in the world, to provide fuel saving optimisation software to the international shipping industry since early 2011. As part of DSME's Green Ship concept, the collaboration directly supports efforts to reduce bunker fuel costs, the highest expense in running a modern vessel. NAPA-DSME Power is used to obtain the most optimal trim, route, speed profile, and engine configuration for any given voyage. In addition it includes a complete office platform, which provides a quick overview of fleet efficiency, including tools for ...

Last year, Maersk Line owned and chartered fleet comprising 550 vessels completed about 37004 voyages called 33000 ports using 380 terminals in 117 countries. Given the sheer scope of Maersk Line’s operations, the Company is committed to reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. This puts energy efficiency as one of the crucial objectives. That means taking careful steps towards optimizing these 37004 voyages in terms of energy efficiency. Wondering how do they go about ensuring the successful implementation of this endeavour? That’s where Maersk Line’s Global Voyage Centre (GVC) comes into the picture. The Global Voyage Centre hosts a giant screen that, monitors in real-time,  the position of all the Maersk Line owned and chartered vessels.  A team of senior seafarers monitors these vessels 24×7 and provides support to improve their energy performance and facilitate best practice sharing. “The Global Voyage Centre was setup as a project in July 2013 by selecting a few Captains and Senior Navigating Officers from the fleet join the team with an objective to bridge the communication gap between the shore staff and the fleet as well as monitor the vessels on long ocean passages on a real time basis. The GVC has since evolved to take on ...

ClassNK is working on a project to develop a low-friction paint designed by tune skin which may reduce ship's fuel consumption by 7% During a shipping conference in China this week,  solutions considered for energy efficiency. Among the more inventive ideas is the paint inspired by tuna skin that ClassNK in collaboration with Nippon Paint Holdings Co. will develop. The membrane will be able to attract water into its microscopic indents, making it extremely slipper. Infused with hydro-gel, the paint can reduce as ship's fuel consumption by approx 6-7 per cent.  Britain's Lloyd's Register, is looking to fit a ship's hull with fans that blow a layer of bubbles to the vessel's bottom, helping it glide more easily through the water, thereby burning less fuel. Nippon Yusen Kaisha already operates vessels that have a similar air-lubrication system, which it says could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent. Also, other innovative ideas discussed such as the use of 3D printing for making parts which can cut the use of raw materials and allow cheaper localized manufacturing. Danish shipper Maersk Line has already invested in one such project.    In the onset, I was outspoken with you propecia before and after has changed my subsistence. ...

A recent survey carried out by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) together with Colfax Fluid Handing has highlighted that 88% of the industry agrees that the ‘Green Agenda’ is good for the global maritime industry, but less than 46% say it actually offers good value for money. With around 200 responses, the survey also claims that 75% of respondents think the ‘Green Agenda’ can impact business and could act as a success factor, with 78% agreeing that more options need to be made available to encourage companies to invest in green initiatives. “The survey results are really interesting and clearly highlight that the industry as a whole could use a best-practice guide or a set of options that are clearly available” said John Barnes of the IMarEST. “There are a number of initiatives available to shipping companies, but it is difficult to work out which solutions work, and for whom, when there are so many out there.    One respondent to the survey suggested that “companies are not going to invest unless forced to or there is an attractive financial incentive”. The IMarEST and Colfax Fluid Handling are holding a roundtable discussion which is set to ...

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 ...