Tag: reducing shipping emissions

  75 research and innovation projects under the Horizon 2020 challenge Smart, green and integrated transport will receive €484 million EU funding to turn European air, rail, road and waterborne transport into a greener, safer,  more competitive and well- integrated system. The selected projects cover all transport modes - air, rail, road, waterborne transport - as well as cross-cutting priorities:  green solutions for urban transport, development of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), logistics and infrastructure improvements. Example from selected projects: e-Ferry e-Ferry will build the first mid-size 100% electric ferry to link Aero island to mainland in Denmark. The ferry will be powered by wind sourced electricity and will be able to carry 130 passengers and 40 vehicles, saving 2000 tons of CO2 per year. The ferry will carry the largest battery pack ever installed with a record-breaking high charging capacity allowing for short port stays. The projects are each implemented by a consortium of European partners. INEA will monitor their progress throughout the project life-cycle.  Overall, €6.3 billion have been earmarked for transport research in Horizon 2020, the main EU's funding programme for the period 2014-2020. €2.9 billion of this amount will be managed by INEA resulting in approximately 400 projects of an average ...

  DEME has confirmed its order for two new trailing suction hopper dredgers to enhance its fleet. Built according to a 'green' design the two vessels will have a 'Green Passport' and a 'Clean Design' notation. The ships will be equipped with 'dual fuel' engines and LNG tanks, ensuring compliance with all of the international emission requirements within the Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA). ‘Dual fuel’ technology is both sustainable and future oriented, as it enables engines to operate on either diesel or LNG while limiting the CO2, Nox and SOx emissions to the strictest minimum. In view of the innovative technology the ships will be manned with especially trained high-tech personnel and they will be 'best in class' according to their specific category. Both trailing suction hopper dredgers will be built by the Dutch shipyard Royal IHC. They will be operational before the end of 2016. The first vessel will be a new generation trailing suction hopper dredger in the ‘Antigoon class' with a hopper volume of approx. 8,000 m³ and a total length (LOA) of 104 m. Its maximum draught of 7.5 m and powerful pump for pumping dredging materials ashore make this vessel the perfect all-round solution. ...

  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy visited the Port of Houston to highlight grants aimed at improving air quality. The port will receive about $900,000 in funding as part of EPA’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grant program for clean diesel projects at U.S. ports. “We celebrate that the Port of Houston is growing and thriving, while still reducing pollution,” Administrator McCarthy said. “The DERA program is a good investment for both business and the environment.” “As the leading port in the nation for environmental stewardship, we are pleased with the announcement of the award of substantial EPA grants to improve regional air quality,” said Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria. “As part of the Port Authority’s strong commitment to environmental stewardship, we have worked to reduce emissions from our own operations and those of our tenants, as well as the broader Port of Houston”. “Replacing old, high polluting diesel engines with new, cleaner technology is always a good investment,” stated Jack Steele, Houston-Galveston Area Council Executive Director. “The grant funding awarded today is essential to ongoing efforts to reduce pollution and improve quality of life in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria region.” "This collaborative effort is part of an ongoing ...

  The Spanish ferry operator Baleària has signed up to AkzoNobel's landmark carbon credits program. The company has enrolled its passenger ferry Martin i Soler into the scheme, which financially rewards ship owners by enabling them to generate income in the form of carbon credits earned by reducing CO2 emissions. The landmark program was developed in 2014 in conjunction with the Gold Standard Foundation. It is based on ship owners converting existing vessels from a biocidal antifouling system to a premium, biocide-free advanced hull coating such as Intersleek, part of AkzoNobel's International line of marine coatings. Intersleek products are proven to reduce fuel consumption, and hence reduce CO2 emissions. The Martin i Soler was converted from an existing silyl biocidal antifouling to Intersleek 1100SR in November 2013. The vessel's performance was monitored over the following 12 months and showed a 12 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. These fuel savings – which equate to a reduction of 15 tons of CO2 per day – convinced Baleària to enroll the vessel into the carbon credits program. "We are happy with the performance of our vessel since Intersleek1100SR was applied," said Guillermo Alomar, managing fleet director of Baleària. "We decided to use the new ...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)  awarded $5 million in grant funding for clean diesel projects at U.S. ports. The selected projects in California, Oregon, New Jersey and Texas will improve the air quality for people who live and work near the ports, and significantly reduce emissions of the greenhouse gasses that lead to climate change. “EPA and ports have a shared interest in working together to find practical solutions to reduce pollution for the benefit of workers and communities,” EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said at a conference hosted by American Association of Ports Authorities, where she announced the grant recipients. “The key to our success, the key to healthier families and strong economic growth, is all of us working together.” Most of the country’s busiest ports are located near large metropolitan areas and, as a result, people in neighboring communities are exposed to high levels of diesel emissions, which contribute to smog and soot that can cause illness, hospitalization, or premature death. Since most ships and equipment at ports run on diesel engines, clean diesel projects at ports produce immediate emissions reductions and provide health benefits to those living and working in the area. Depending on the type of ...

  A new competitive and eco-friendly maritime transport concept, the Cargo Ferry project, was presented in Oslo. The result of more than two years of work, the concept has been developed as an alternative transport solution for containers that are carried for more than 200km on land. The project was presented on board Nor Line's brand-new LNG fuelled ship, the M/S Kvitbjørn. The report presents a logistics solution, concept ship and market analysis, while also documenting the Cargo Ferry's potential profitability. A group of 27 companies with interests and expertise in short sea shipping, led by DNV GL, Shortsea Services and Marintek, have cooperated to develop the report. Moving long distance truck cargo off the roads The main market for the Cargo Ferry concept is goods that are currently transported on trucks for long distances to and from coastal Norwegian towns. After conducting extensive customer analyses and interviews, the project has identified this market as covering some 17-20 million tonnes of goods each year. "The analyses show there is a significant potential market for a maritime-based logistics solution," says Remi Eriksen, DNV GL Group Executive Vice President and COO. The Cargo Ferry concept offers transport to and from destinations that ...

  In a submission to the International Maritime Organization, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, has called for the setting of a new global target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, a growing sector currently left out of international climate negotiations. The Marshall Island’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Tony de Brum issued the following statement regarding the submission to the Maritime Environment Protection Committee’s 68th session in May: “The goal of keeping global temperature rise under 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius requires action from all countries, and all sectors of the global economy. International shipping must be part of the action. While the sector currently contributes only 2-3 per cent of global emissions, its projected growth is a real cause for concern. Without urgent action, it is estimated that the sector could soon account for between 6 and 14 percent of global emissions – as much as the entire European Union emits today.” “Back under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, only industrialized countries were instructed to work with the International Maritime Organization to take coordinated action to limit shipping emissions. Since then, we have seen too little movement on the issue, and global shipping emissions have continued to rise ...

  The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has dismissed the recent claim by the European environmental lobby group Transport and Environment (T&E) that modern ships are somehow less CO2 efficient than those built over 20 years ago as ‘fanciful’. T&E bases its claims on a report it has commissioned from the respected consultancy CE Delft, but it has used the findings very selectively. Moreover, the actual data from which the report’s analysis is derived finishes before the worldwide implementation of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). This came into force in 2013 as part of the IMO mandatory package of CO2 reduction measures (amendments to MARPOL Annex VI). The T&E statement appears to confuse overall design efficiency with an approximate ‘estimate of fuel efficiency’ based on generic data. Modern ships are designed for optimal efficiency which requires far less fuel to be consumed than previously. Largely as a result of fuel efficient operations, the latest IMO Green House Gas Study, published in 2014, shows that international shipping reduced its total CO2 emissions by more than 10% between 2007 and 2012, at a time when demand for maritime transport continued to increase. It is not helpful for T&E to twist the ...

  The Maritime Administration Office of Environment has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for projects that focus on vessel conversion to natural gas in an effort to measure in situ change in criteria pollutant emissions and greenhouse gas emissions before and after the conversion. Over the past several years, the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has been partnering with other government agencies, industry, and academia on efforts to reduce vessel and port air emissions and greenhouse gases as well as support the use of alternative fuels and energy sources. Several MARAD efforts are underway to address emissions reductions, specifically through development of planning and modeling tools and in situ testing of alternative fuels, repowers, and emissions reduction and energy efficiency technology. MARAD recognizes the limited Federal funding opportunities specific to the maritime sector for projects in these areas and proposes to enter into an incentive cooperative agreement to help offset costs. The total amount of funding under the RFP will be $900,000. MARAD is seeking to provide cost share funding through cooperative agreements for US-flagged vessels that operate on inland, coastal waterways, or the Great Lakes. Eligible applicants include vessel owners, operators, or sponsors. Awardees will be expected to complete a ...

  Hapag-Lloyd and the Chinese Port of Shenzhen entered into an agreement to cut sulphur oxide emissions. Under the agreement, Hapag-Lloyd has voluntarily undertaken only to use fuel with a sulphur content of less than 0.5% while its ships are docked at the terminal.  “By joining the Shenzhen Port Green Convention, Hapag-Lloyd has once again demonstrated its commitment to environmental and health protection on a voluntary basis that goes beyond national and international requirements, thus emphasising how important this is to our Company,” explained Hapag-Lloyd’s Chief Operating Officer Anthony J. Firmin. Hapag-Lloyd has already participated in various voluntary environmental protection programmes that promote the use of low-emission fuels while ships are in port. Past examples of these include the ‘At Berth Clean Fuels Program’ in Seattle, the ‘Port Metro Vancouver Blue Circle Award’ and the ‘Fair Winds Charter’ in Hong Kong. Outside of ports, Hapag-Lloyd's vessels operate using fuel with an average sulphur content of only 2.1% when they are outside sea areas designated as Emission Control Areas (ECAs). This is significantly below the current limit of 3.5% specified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). When they are inside ECAs, Hapag-Lloyd’s ships only use fuel with a maximum sulphur content ...