energy efficiency – Officer of the Watch

IMO MEPC 65 Decisions Summary

August 20, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) met for its 65th session from 13 to 17 May 2013, at IMO Headquarters in London. Among others the Committee made significant progress in its work on further developing energy-efficiency regulations, adopting a MEPC Resolution on Promotion of Technical Co-operation and Transfer of Technology relating to the Improvement of Energy Efficiency of Ships and giving the go-ahead to carry out an update to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions’ estimate for international shipping. Moreover, a draft Assembly resolution to address the implementation of the Ballast Water Management convention has been approved and approved a number of ballast water treatment systems.

Ship Emissions and Air Quality

June 16, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

Filed Under: VIDEOS Tagged With: air pollution, air quality, CSIRO, energy efficiency, Ship emissions

MARPOL Annex VI Requirements for Technical and Operational Measures

April 12, 2013 by Officer of the Watch 1 Comment

During last February a very interesting article from Edmund Hughes, Technical Officer, Marine Environment Division, IMO was published in IMO’s website, explaining the new regulations aimed at improving the energy efficiency of international shipping, which entered into force on 1 January 2013 and make mandatory the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), for new ships, and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) for all ships. Other amendments to MARPOL Annex VI add new definitions and the requirements for survey and certification, including the format for the International Energy Efficiency Certificate. The regulations apply to all ships of 400 gross tonnage and above. However, under regulation 19, the Administration may waive the requirements for new ships up to a maximum of 4 years.

Maersk Ships Get New Bulbous Bow

March 12, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

Ten Maersk ships are getting a new bulbous bow in order to make them more fuel efficient. The change is intended to improve the performance of the vessels significantly, with fuel costs reduced by approximately 8% in the current slow-steaming environment. The vessels were too expensive to use, since they were designed for high speed. If they were retrofitted, however, Seago Line were interested in taking five vessels.

Rotterdam Energy Port

March 10, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

Filed Under: VIDEOS Tagged With: energy efficiency, port, Rotterdam

IMO MEPC 64 Decisions Summary

January 30, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

The IMO MEPC held its 64th Session at IMO from Monday 1 through Friday 5 October with a high attendance of about 900 delegates. A Review Group on Ballast Water matters was formed together with 3 Working Groups on the subjects of Ship Recycling, Technical Co-Operation and Transfer of Technology, also Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency. In addition, 2 Drafting Groups studied Amendments to the IBC Code and Interpretations/Reports of sub-committees. Finally, an informal Technical Group met out-of-hours to report on the Saba Bank PSSA. The next MEPC meeting is scheduled during May 2013.

Propeller Blade and Nozzle Upgrade

January 15, 2013 by Officer of the Watch Leave a Comment

MAN Diesel & Turbo’s PrimeServ division in Frederikshavn has, in close cooperation with shipowner and constructional engineering company NCC, performed a propulsion equipment upgrade for the ‘MV Baltic’, a 900 m³ sand and gravel dredger. A 14 % improvement in fuel efficiency has been reported following an exchange and modernization of the vessel’s propeller blades and propeller nozzle.

Measuring Ships’ Energy Efficiency

January 1, 2013 by Officer of the Watch 1 Comment

During December 2012 Transport & Environment NGO released a paper investigating opportunities to establish an energy efficiency benchmark measurement. The paper also makes references to different metrics and proposals already under consideration at the IMO or in the EU and identifies possible options in the current EU discussions on monitoring, reporting and verification.

New LNG-Fueled Containership Design

December 19, 2012 by Officer of the Watch 1 Comment

LNG-fuelled vessels promise a solution to many of the environmental challenges facing shipping over the next 30 years. To meet the needs to cut CO² emissions and maximize efficiency wherever possible, IPP Ingenieur Partner Pool developed STREAM, the new containership design for LNG-powered containerships. The concept, which has been assessed by GL and given a certificate of approval, is for a range of liner or feeder vessels from 3,000 TEU to 4,200 TEU for worldwide service.

Assessment of Regulated Slow Steaming in the Maritime Industry

November 6, 2012 by Officer of the Watch 1 Comment

On February 2012 the Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) released a report on the impacts of vessel speed on emissions, technical constraints and other experiences with slow steaming and current speed regulations, analyzing at the same time the legal feasibility of regulated slow steaming. Currently, fleet average ship speeds vary as the shipping sector adapts to changing market circumstances. In recent years, speeds have been reduced in a response to an increasing supply of ships, a slower increase in demand for maritime transport and rising fuel prices.