Tag: sustainability

Researchers have created an 11-point checklist which they believe could become a vital tool in enabling the UK’s smaller ports to ensure they are working sustainably. Covering topics including environmental practice and management, proactive partnerships and strategic planning for the future, the system breaks down some of the major sustainability challenges harbour masters face on a daily basis. The idea is to help them fully appreciate its importance to their operations, but also to find ways of making the many associated challenges easier to identify and solve. The checklist system has been devised by Dr Andrei Kuznetsov and Professor John Dinwoodie, from the Plymouth Graduate School of Management, in partnership with the University of Hull and the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners. To aid its development, Dr Kuznetsov engaged with more than 20 harbour masters in small ports across Devon and Cornwall over the space of three years, establishing their views and opinions about the challenges they face and how these might be overcome. Dr Kuznetsov said: “Sustainability is of vital importance in the maritime industry, and the harbour masters across Devon and Cornwall are committed to safeguarding local employment and commercially important but sustainable local operations. But while larger ports have ...

For many in the industry the question of attracting and retaining the skilled workers needed to run their shipping operations is a constant challenge. Europort is calling attention to this strategically important issue by designating it as one of the core themes to be explored in 2015. However, recent technical development have reignited interest in an alternative approach: dispensing with the need for a crew altogether! Once more, potential cost savings and the fact that 85% of ship accidents are attributable to human error are being advanced as persuasive arguments for full automation. One company that is exhibiting at Europort in 2015 has already progressed further than the ‘what if?’ stage. Classification society DNV GL has reached the test phase in Norway, using a 1:20 scale model, of its automated short sea ship of the future. “ReVolt” envisages a vessel that is greener, smarter and safer than conventionally fuelled and operated vessels. Autonomous, fully battery powered and highly efficient, the “ReVolt” ship model embodies a shipping concept that looks to being a different dimension to shortsea shipping’s competitive case against rail and road modes. Instead of using diesel fuel, the “ReVolt” vessel will be powered by a 3,000 kWh battery. ...

World governments agreed last week that the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) should be expanded to include a new legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine life in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). The new ocean regulations are proposed to include: ▪ Area-based management tools, such as marine planning and marine protected areas▪ Environmental impact assessment (EIA) requirements▪ The transfer of marine technology▪ The regime for managing marine genetic resources, including benefit-sharing How will these new ocean laws affect companies currently or potentially operating in the high seas and deep seabed – shipping, oil and gas, cruise tourism, fishing, seabed mining, biotechnology, submarine cable, and others – as well those from associated support sectors, such as maritime legal, finance, and insurance companies? The Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping, Peter Hinchliffe, stated that, “It is important that ocean industries are informed and constructively engaged in ocean governance developments. The WOC is providing this by monitoring, analyzing and reporting on the ocean policy and planning on behalf of the ocean business community. The WOC merits the support and involvement of companies concerned about the future of their ocean operations.” The decision ...

The Low Carbon Shipping - A Systems Approach Final Report 2014 presents the key findings from each of the work packages of the LCS project that was funded by the Research Councils UK energy programme. The work undertaken in this project contributes towards an understanding of what the possible future trajectories of the industry will mean to the shipping system and the ships that service future transport demand. Operations for Low Carbon Shipping Crew Awareness A questionnaire was designed, distributed and analysed to identify the levels of seafarers’ awareness, knowledge, motivation and ideas about carbon emissions, their reduction, and methods for achieving energy efficiency on board. Key findings were: Only 20% of participants have learnt about carbon emissions and their effects via an education or training course and the most common sources for knowledge acquisition are not technical or focused: there are clear education and training needs; There is a lack of awareness and focus towards energy efficient operation and a lack of consistent knowledge about best practice; There is a clear correlation between how much participants know about carbon emissions and the energy efficient efforts they make, and so there is a real benefit in increasing knowledge; There is a ...

Hong Kong has recorded a continuous improvement in its overall air quality. The Government will introduce more measures and keep on monitoring the situation.  Chief Executive CY Leung announced the green measures in his new Policy Address, including the new legislation that requires ocean-going vessels at berth in Hong Kong to switch to low-sulphur diesel.   Low emission zones will be set up in Causeway Bay, Central and Mong Kok at the end of this year where franchised bus companies can deploy only low-emission buses. Franchised bus companies will try out single-deck electric buses in mid-2015.  The Government is working with Guangdong authorities to explore the feasibility of requiring ocean-going vessels berthing at ports in the Pearl River Delta to switch to cleaner fuel, in addition to a plan to allocate $150 million to extend the Cleaner Production Partnership Programme to encourage Hong Kong-owned factories in Guangdong to adopt cleaner production technologies.  On promoting the sustainable development of the recycling industry, the Government will introduce a Recycling Fund, while the steering committee to promote the recycling industry's sustainable development will continue to explore and formulate complementary measures.  It will also introduce legislative proposals to implement a producer responsibility scheme on waste ...

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark met IMO Secretary-General Sekimizu at IMO Headquarters (20 January). The two highlighted their common commitment to sustainable development and discussed the important role of maritime transportation in building the economies of developing countries. They noted the two highly successful multi-million dollar Partnerships Projects, executed by IMO in partnership with the UNDP, to address the threat of invasive species in ships’ ballast water. The first project was initiated in 2000 and this evolved into a second project – GloBallast Partnerships. The aims of the projects are to assist developing countries and their maritime industries in implementing international regulations on ballast water management and preventing risks arising from the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms in ships’ ballast water. Both projects have mobilized some US$13 million in financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and leveraged many times this in cash and in-kind co-finance. IMO is currently working with UNDP and the GEF on developing new comprehensive global partnerships on energy efficiency in the maritime transport sector and marine biodiversity protection. ​​​​​​​​ Source and Image Credit: IMOIn the start, I was frank with you propecia before and after has changed my life. It has become ...

MOL has announced company's highlights for 2014 regarding business expansion in LNG, new initiatives on environmetal protection and sustainability as follows:   Reached deal on joint ownership of a new LNG carrier for Chubu Electric Power Company(May) Signed deal to charter two LNG carriers for Mitsui Corporation that will serve the Cameron Project in the U.S. (September) Signed basic agreement for charter contracts, reached a deal to build three new LNG carriers for Tokyo Gas. (February, November, December) Signed strategic association with Reliance for transportation of Liquefied Ethane from United States to India. This will make MOL to be the first shipping company who is dedicated for a continuous Liquefied Ethane transportation by Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLEC). (December) Received "Award of Excellence" from Philippine Overseas Employment Administration. (February) Four MOL-operated/managed vessels selected as "2013 Best Quality Ships" by the Japan Federation of Pilots' Associations. (April) MOL-operated Soma Maru named "Bulk Ship of the Year" at the IBJ Awards 2014. (November) Took delivery of a vessel equipped with a waste heat energy recovery system, which is a core element technology of ISHIN-III. (July) Pledged emergency support to combat spread of Ebola. (September) In response to the Japan Fair Trade Commission's ...

Kyocera Corporation and Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation has announced that Kyocera TCL Solar LLC, a joint venture established by the two companies, will develop and operate a 13.4-megawatt (MW) floating solar power plant on the Yamakura Dam reservoir, managed by the Public Enterprises Agency of Chiba Prefecture in Japan for industrial water services. The plant will become the largest floating solar installation in the world. Aiming to reduce its burden on the environment, the Public Enterprises Agency of Chiba Prefecture had been publicly seeking companies to construct and operate a floating solar power plant at the Yamakura Dam. Kyocera TCL Solar was selected to undertake this project in part due to its experience and expertise in developing utility-scale solar power plants in Japan. The company aims to begin operations in March 2016 after negotiating with related parties including Tokyo Electric Power Company. “When we first started R&D for solar energy in the mid 1970’s, the technology was only viable for small applications such as street lamps, traffic signs and telecommunication stations in mountainous areas,” stated Nobuo Kitamura, senior executive officer and general manager of the Corporate Solar Energy Group at Kyocera. “Since then, we have been working to make solar ...