Tag: NOx

  Feadship recently completed the first sea trial of gas-to-liquids synthetic diesel onboard Feadship Kiss. Gas-to-liquids (GTL) synthetic diesel, developed by Shell, proved to be a highly suitable energy carrier for the combined reformer/fuel cell installation envisioned for the year 2020. Shell’s large GTL facility in Qatar only started production in 2011, and pure GTL diesel fuel has only recently become available on the market. The Netherlands is a pioneer in this respect, and is leading the way with a worldwide introduction. The characteristics that make GTL an interesting option for conventional combustion engines originate in the way it is produced. Natural gas is broken down into syngas, from which all different GTL products are synthesised. As syngas contains very few contaminants, the resulting fuel is pure in its composition – free from sulphur, for instance – and gives a highly controllable burn. Another interesting factor is that syngas can also be generated by gasifying biomass, allowing for an operation that is close to CO2 neutral. An R&D project was set up on the recently launched Kiss to explore the possibility of switching to GTL as the fuel for all Feadship sea trials. One of the generators was run on GTL and ...

Parker Procal, part of the Parker Hannifin Corporation and the supplier of Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) for marine applications, has announced that its Procal 2000 emissions analyser has been certified by DNV-GL having met the requirements of MEPC 184(59) Chapter 6 on emission testing of CO2 and SO2, as well as the requirements of the revised MARPOL Annex VI and NOx Technical Code 2008. The certification of the analyser aids ship owners in providing robust evidence to demonstrate compliance with ECA regulations. The Procal 2000 is an in-situ analyser which analyses the gases from the combustion of residual and distillate fuel. It also measures the water content of the exhaust so that CO2 and SO2 can be reported on both a wet and a dry basis, demonstrating compliance with ECA regulations in port and in international waters. To achieve certification, the Procal 2000 analyser was rigorously tested to prove the effective measurement of emissions required to determine compliance with the updated MEPC 184(59) Chapter 6 and Marpol Annex IV and NOx Technical Code 2008 regulations. Changes to these regulations include updates on the measurement of CO2 and SO2, the testing of NOx emissions in gas and dual-fuel engines, calculation ...

  EPD has released the latest Emission Inventory for 2013. It was showed in the Inventory that marine and road traffic has been the major sources of emission. Clean Air Network (CAN) believes more radical measures needed to be taken in order to reach the emission reduction target set for 2015. CAN is particularly concerned by the 4% increase in emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx) between 2010 and 2013. Queries have been raised on whether significant progress in reduction of emission could be made in the following two years, so that the target of reducing NOx reduction by 10% in 2015 could be met. Marine emission still accounted for 31% of NOx emission, which is the major contributing factor together with public electricity generation. In the latest paper on onshore power supply, the government suggested scrubber as a measure to reduce SO2 and PM from cruise ships. However, this technology cannot reduce NOx emission. CAN urges the government to employ onshore power supply to different cruise terminals and container terminal to effectively reduce NOx. Emission reduction 2013 and 2015 Recution Target  Marine transport continues to be the number one source of SO2 emission. The reduction in emission between 2010 and ...

  The Finnish electric drive train specialist VISEDO has been selected as the sole electric-system supplier for the world's largest fully electric ferryboat to be built by the Danish shipbuilder Søby Shipyard Ltd. The ferry will be introduced in June, 2017 to transportation of vehicles and passengers between the island Ærø and the mainland in Denmark. The Finnish ground-breaking innovative electric drive specialist was preferred over the industry giant Siemens which was the previous candidate for the delivery. As one of the Top 5 projects in the EU Horizon 2020 initiative, a program with a total budget of 21 million euros, this initiative is part of the Danish Natura project, which guarantees local people green transportation in these areas. The ferry will be a state-of-the-art design and will achieve efficiency gains by optimizing weight by integrating lighter materials and equipment. It will reduce the CO2 emission by 2000 tons and NOx emissions by 41,500 kg per year. The silent electric propulsion system from Visedo will also reduce the emitted noise level compared to diesel engine operation. In addition, the vessel will reduce wake waves right behind the ferry by 60-70% and it will be able to navigate in the EU ...

  The government of Hong Kong has released the administration’s paper on “Provision of on-shore power supply at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal” to the LegCo. Clean Air Network (CAN) stated its disappointment that the authorities has decided to shelve the installation of onshore power supply for Kai Tak Cruise Terminal. According to the 2012 Emission Inventory for Hong Kong published by the Environmental Protection Department, ocean going ships became the number one source of respirable suspended particulates, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide in Hong Kong. Cruise ships accounted for 2.4% of SO2, 0.9% of NOX and 1.5% of PM respectively. As estimated by Hedley Environmental Index, in 2014, air pollution caused 2,616 premature deaths and 32.657 billion in lost dollars. Thus, we can calculate that by installing onshore power supply, the death number could be reduced by 42 and 523 million could be gained annually Clean Air Network CEO Sum Yin Kwong says, “The government tends to calculate cost benefits without considering external social costs. Comparing similar community projects such as spending 600 million for a gymnasium, the building of onshore power facilities is certainly worthwhile in order to protect public health.” In the paper, it is estimated that the growth ...

  Tenneco introduced  its large engine selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system for marine applications. The system features an integrated soot blower option, which ensures effectiveness of NOx reduction and overall catalyst performance when high sulphur fuels are used or engines operate at low exhaust temperature levels. Tenneco’s SCR aftertreatment system features a complete dosing control solution specifically designed for marine engine applications up to 7,500 kW or 10,000 hp. The system enables auxiliary and propulsion engines to meet EPA Tier IV and IMO Tier III regulatory requirements and provides precise and reliable delivery of liquid urea via a proprietary, high-performance injector design, a precision mechatronic fluid delivery pump, and customizable remote monitoring and controls. The integrated soot blower is designed for use with a range of high-sulfur fuels, including marine diesel oil (MDO), and heavy fuel oil (HFO),  and enables the SCR aftertreatment system to deliver consistent emissions reduction performance by preventing ash and soot from blocking  the catalyst. The result is more effective NOx reduction and overall catalyst performance over the life of the system “We’re committed to developing diesel engine aftertreatment solutions that meet important marine regulatory requirements and deliver the performance expectations of global marine market customers,” said ...

  Worldwide sourcing and distribution of LNG has grown into a major industry player while seeking to balance the growing global appetite for affordable energy with environmental concerns.  MAN Turbo and Diesel created an infographic regarding LNG shipping which is a booming market, driving growth at every stage of the process chain. Lower emissions Natural gas burns far cleaner than other fossil fuels do, producing 30% less carbon dioxide than petroleum and 45% less than coal, as well as significantly lower levels of sulfur and nitrogen oxides. “Natural gas and air are mixed before entering the combustion chamber and ignited via a small quantity of injected MDO/MGO pilot fuel. The combustion process according to the Otto-cycle ensures the lowest nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions when operating in gas mode, which are lower than projected future emission limits. For the sake of fuel flexibility, the engine can operate alternatively in liquid mode, where fuel oil is injected via conventional main pumps as in the 48/60B HFO engine,” explains Dietmar Zutt, Head of Sales Merchant Marine at MAN Diesel & Turbo. A booming market The booming LNG market is driving more than ship production, however. There is significant growth and investment at every stage ...

Image Credit: DNV GL - Maritime Update Issue 01-15, page 53 (Click to enlarge picture)  The challenges for the shipping industry are not getting any easier. New emission limits, while not coming unexpectedly, require substantial investments in technology; and time is running out. A look at the available options The shipping industry has been going through turbulent times. For a sector accustomed to planning decades ahead, the sequence of unexpected major events, from the financial crisis to depressed freight and charter rates, and from dropping fossil fuel prices to new international tensions, has certainly added plenty of headache to investment decisions. Many shipowners delayed investing in new anti-pollution technology hoping for a clearer field of vision, while others took action early to gain competitive advantage. With new sulphur limits now in force for European Emission Control Areas (ECAs), and the North American and US Caribbean Sea ECAs also regulating NOX and PM, those who chose to wait must act now. Further regulations will take effect soon, and additional regional and national regimes are emerging around the globe (refer to info box). Investing now will save shipowners money and protect their reputation. However, the substantial capital requirement, a lack of mature technology and uncertainty regarding compliance documentation add to the complexity of this decision. The IMO’s new ECA regulations, in effect for Northern Europe and ...

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Engine (MHI-MME) released UE Engine Technical Data on its website. The new Technical Data can be browsed and downloaded from the company's website. The new search system, which complies with IMO NOx Tier III regulations, is designed to provide a broad range of useful information to our customers planning new vessels with UE engine. Formerly, MHI-MME shared the UE Engine Technical Data which comply with IMO NOx Tier II regulations, with a limited number of customers on the dedicated website. However, in order to provide better user-friendliness, MHI-MME renewed the system for IMO NOx Tier III compatible engines by improving the format, contents or design, and released the data widely on the website. At this moment, the data for two engine types, UEC50LSH-Eco-C2 and UEC45LSE-Eco-B2, are released to the public. Furthermore, MHI-MME is planning to release the data for all UE Engines that are control subjects of the IMO NOx Tier III regulations, on the website by the end of 2016. Meanwhile, MHI-MME will continue to provide the Technical Data which comply the IMO NOx Tier II through the existing dedicated site. On the strength of this renewal of UE Technical Engine Site, MHI-MME ...

  The Standard P&IClub issued an article outlining club's considerations regarding LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) as a marine fuel. Compared to road transportation, inland shipping has been considered to have a lower carbon footprint. Since January 2011, EU regulations have required low sulphur fuel for inland shipping, but the next raft of regulations is for emission reductions for nitrous oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). As an interim step towards zero emission fuels, LNG has come out as a valuable solution. Coupled with investment for LNG bunkering infrastructure in North Europe, it is becoming more commercially and economically viable and the first LNG inland ships have started operating. LNG powered ships is not new technology. The LNG tanker fleet has used boil off gas since the 1980’s. LNG tankers have a good safety record and are designed and operated within established IMO regulations and recommendations: IGC – Safe Carriage by Sea of Bulk Liquefied Gasses; Resolution MSC 285(86) Interim Guidelines on Safety for Natural Gas-Fuelled Engine Installations in Ships (2009); and the recently accepted draft “International Code for Ships using Gas or other Low Flash-point Fuels” (IGF Code) Rules and regulations For ships operating on the European inland waterways, mostly the ...