Tag: SOx

A new research collaboration between A*STAR’s IHPC, Sembcorp Marine Ltd, University of Glasgow and UGS aims to  make a ship’s voyage more smooth sailing by improving its hydrodynamics and energy efficiency. The four organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate and develop new hull designs for large ocean-going vessels and make them more environmentally friendly. Under the three-year MoU, IHPC, Sembcorp Marine Ltd, University of Glasgow and UGS will use computational modelling and visualisation technologies to design vessels with improved hydrodynamics for better fuel efficiency. In addition, they will collaborate and innovate on features to reduce harmful exhaust emissions and discharges by enhancing the vessel’s scrubber and ballast treatment systems. Currently, maritime transport carries about 90 percent of all international trade and accounts for three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Under this research collaboration, Sembcorp Marine and IHPC will analyse and improve gas abatement technology, using an enhanced scrubber design to address the emission of harmful gases like sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrous oxides (NOx), particulate matter and greenhouse gases, in particular CO2, from the ship’s heavy fossil fuel burning combustion engines. Such designs and technology are also needed to meet the International Maritime Organization’s new 2015 standards on ...

Clean Marine has been selected by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea to supply exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) for two new MR tankers.  IMO’s convention for the reduction of sulphur oxides (SOx) demands that sulphur emission levels in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) shall be cut to 0.1 percent from the year 2015 and that the global emission level must not exceed 0.5 percent from the year 2020.  The order for Clean Marine EGCS will enable the new medium-range tankers, owned and operated by a British oil major, to comply with this regulation without switching to more expensive fuels. “These contracts confirm the growing market demand for Clean Marine’s Allstream EGCS, which is a particularly competitive solution for the tanker segment” says Nils Høy-Petersen, CEO of Clean Marine. “We are very pleased to be working closely with Hyundai Mipo to deliver a cost-effective solution to help the owner comply with existing and pending emissions regulations.”  The two MR2 type tankers (hull number 2495 and 2496) have a deadweight  of 40,000 and are part of a series of five sister vessels to be constructed at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. Clean Marine offers a proven, futureproof EGCS which enables vessels to trade in ...

Yara Marine Technologies (YMT) received award for developing the smallest footprint SOx scrubber that can be retrofitted into any seagoing vessel. Within the next 10 years ships worldwide will need exhaust gas cleaning equipment or change to higher-cost low-sulfur fuel to comply with the latest International Maritime Organization emission regulations. From 1 January 2015, SOx Emission Control Areas will be established in the North and Baltic Seas, the North American Atlantic Coast, and the Caribbean.  Green Tech Marine changed name on the first of this year, resulting in all visual elements being integrated into the Yara brand platform and getting a clear Yara "look and feel". "In 2015, we will support this integration with common marketing activities that include a shared booth at the Nor-shipping Exhibition with all our marine activities, aligned sales teams cross-selling NOx and SOx technologies to their respective customer bases, including the sales of urea and services to the marine segment," says Industrial Marketing Director Bjorn Theijs. "With combined communication efforts, a broader audience will be reached without increasing costs."  "From a branding perspective, Yara is building more environmental solutions awareness on a global scale and raising the profile of our NOx, SOx portfolio within the ...

The ECO VLGC Corvette , delivered from Hyundai Heavy Industries on 2 January, 2015, is fitted with a Class and Flag State approved exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) provided by Clean Marine. The measurements of exhaust gas emission and washwater criteria are well below the required limits stated in the MEPC guideline 184(59). This ensures vessel compliancy with the 0,1% sulphur limit in ECAs, which has been in place from 1 January this year. The vessel is also compliant with the stricter US EPA requirements of a pH above 6 in washwater, measured at the outlet. The vessel’s Class Society ABS, on behalf of the Bahamas Flag, issued a formal letter on 8 January, 2015, confirming that the EGCS complies with “Scheme B – EGC System Approval, Survey and Certification Using Continuous Monitoring of SOx Emissions” of the  IMO Resolution MEPC.184(59), 2009 Guidelines for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems. The approved EGCS will enable the new Dorian LPG vessel to comply with current and future legislation relating to sulphur emissions without switching to more expensive fuels. John Lycouris , Chief Executive Officer at Dorian LPG (USA) said: "Dorian LPG is proud to be the first within the gas carrier market to ...

Ship efficiency remains just as relevant and important in a bearish oil market as it does when shipowners have to pay over US$600 for a tonne of Heavy Fuel Oil. “With crude oil prices at their lowest since April 2009, the temptation is to put your foot on the gas and speed up a bit but this is not the way forward. When oil prices are low shipowners can benefit more fully from energy-saving technologies,” said Hakan Ozcan, the Chief Financial Officer of Ecoships, the technical ship management arm of Newport Shipping Group, “Admittedly bunker fuel will continue to be the largest single operational cost for shipowners, but with fuel prices continuing to drop, profit and loss accounts will improve, providing owners with the resources needed to re-invest in new ship designs, equipment and technologies capable of reducing fuel consumption even further. It’s a win-win situation for the merchant fleet.” Whilst Ozcan does not suggest that the industry embarks on the kind of newbuilding spending spree that will prolong or perpetuate over-capacity, he does believe shipowners have a commercially-viable opportunity to replace ageing, less efficient tonnage with vessels capable of meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations. “It just makes economic sense. ...

From second from left, Heng Chiang Gnee, executive director of Singapore Maritime Institute;Seow Tan Hong, managing director of Sembcorp Marine Technology Pte. Ltd.;Makoto Igarashi, president of Monohakobi Technology Institute; Chan Siew Hwa, professor and co-executive director of Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technology University; Toshio Kurashiki, operating officer and regional manager of South Asia and Oceania at ClassNK Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), the Monohakobi Technology Institute (MTI), which is an NYK Group company, and ClassNK have teamed up with Singapore-based Nanyang Technological University and Sembcorp Marine Technology Pte. Ltd. for research on an exhaust gas cleaning system (EGCS) intended to be used to control SOx emissions outside emission control areas (ECAs). This joint research project between Singapore and Japan will be funded by a grant from the Singapore Maritime Institute and carried out with the support of the ClassNK Joint R&D for Industry Program. Unlike the development of EGCSs intended for use inside ECAs, this research will focus on the future need to comply with SOx emissions regulations outside ECAs after 2020 or 2025.Working with a leading EGCS manufacturer, the project will utilize the most advanced technology available to simplify EGCS operations, as well as reduce costs and ...

According to "Shipping Emissions in Ports" report, issued by International Transport Forum (ITF), shipping emissions in ports are substantial, accounting for 18 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, 0.4 million tonnes of NOx, 0.2 million of SOx and 0.03 million tonnes of PM10 in 2011. Around 85% of emissions come from containerships and tankers. Containerships have short port stays, but high emissions during these stays. Most of CO2 emissions in ports from shipping are in Asia and Europe (58%), but this share is low compared to their share of port calls (70%). European ports have much less emissions of SOx (5%) and PM (7%) than their share of port calls (22%), which can be explained by the EU regulation to use low sulphur fuels at berth. The ports with the largest absolute emission levels due to shipping are Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Tianjin (China) and Port Klang (Malaysia). The distribution of shipping emissions in ports is skewed: the ten ports with largest emissions represent 19% of total CO2 emissions in ports and 22% of SOx emissions. The port with the lowest relative CO2 emissions (emissions per ship call) is Kitakyushu (Japan); the port of Kyllini (Greece) has the lowest SOx emissions. ...

ICS and ECSA have jointly issued a guide to give assistance to ship owners, operators and crew to prepare for the changes in fuel characteristics and compliance with the new sulphur limits for ships fuel used in in Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA) as of January 1, 2015.  Furthermore, they have recently issued a paper to give an overview of the 'fuel changeover' issues and challenges as they affect ECA- SOx compliance. This overview of the key technical and operational aspects faced by ships when undertaking fuel changeover on entering an ECA-SOx is intended to provide competent authorities with an insight into the particular issues and challenges of that process when assessing compliance with the EU Sulphur Directive 2012/33/EC There are a number of technical and operational issues related to the use of these LSDFO type fuels in marine systems, however in terms of the changeover process itself and the demonstration of compliance the following would be identified as themajor issues: Flushing through of the fuel oil service system High fuel temperature changes  HSRFO pick up from dead end pockets Cleaning action mobilising deposits  Flushing time   Managing the changeover transition  Maine diesel engine fuel oil injection systems generally use ram type pumps to provide the injection pressures required. ...

For the first time, all shipping companies calling at EU ports will have to measure and publicly report carbon emissions under a law approved by an overwhelming majority of the EU Parliament's Environment Committee. Sustainable transport group Transport & Environment (T&E) says that the law is weak - it only monitors fuel consumption instead of directly reducing it, and only covers CO2 and not air pollutants like SO2 or NOx - but it can still trigger fuel savings indirectly. The EU law will require ship operators to publicly report three metrics to measure the environmental performance of ships: the theoretical energy performance of the ship known as the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI); its real-world fuel consumption; and its energy efficiency, that is, the amount of fuel divided by the amount of cargo. The more cargo a ship can carry using the same amount of fuel, the more efficient and cheaper to run it is. The publication of ships' real energy efficiency will provide shipping users in Europe and worldwide with transparent data to identify the most efficient ships and practices. This can trigger a virtuous cycle of increased competition among operators, which will enable fuel savings and emissions reductions. ...

Stricter limitations on sulphur emissions (SOx) will pose many challenges to ships operating in Emission Control Areas (ECAs). If not handled with care, switching from Heavy Fuel Oil to Marine Gas Oil can put equipment at risk and increase operational costs. DNV GL issued “Sulphur Limits 2015 – Guidelines to ensure Compliance” to provide a general overview the regulatory background, describe potential difficulties associated with the fuel change-over procedure and discuss which technologies can best help vessels fulfil the new requirements. Furthermore, DNV GL has developed a ship-specific Fuel Change-Over Calculator (FCO) to help shipowners and operators determine the ideal parameters for their vessel’s fuel change-over. Ships operating in an ECA will have to use fuel that does not contain more than 0.10% sulphur (MARPOL Annex VI) from 1st January onwards. Switching to Marine Gas Oil (MGO) is currently the most viable option for following the new threshold limit. This may appear to be a simple task, but the change-over procedure actually requires significant attention from crews during operation as well as extensive on-board preparations before the entry into force date. “Taking into account variables such as a vessel’s fuel system layout, any constraints on temperature and the variable sulphur content of ...