Shipowners respond to emissions challenge

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

30 Oct 2007

Shipowners are testing and adopting new technologies and other procedures to reduce emissions from shipping, the Marine Fuel Sustainability forum heard. ''Emissions reductions have been a success,'' T.L. Garrett from the PMSA told delegates.Garrett credited regulatory developments in California as an example of what could be achieved and said that shipowners were happy to comply with regulations.''We do not object to the use of cleaner fuels,'' he said, but noted that the PMSA wanted consistent regulations made at the federal and international level.Lisa Swanson, Manager for Environmental Affairs for Matson Navigation outlined some of the technologies that the company was investigating at part of its commitment to meet or exceed environmental regulations.Matson will become an early adopter of cold ironing at the Port of Long Beach as part of its 'green lease' signed with the port, but has also tested Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) on one of its ships to target nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions as an alternative to cold ironing.The project achieved 90% NOx reductions, but did not target particulate matter (PM) like cold ironing, Swanson said.She also noted that there were very real economy and emissions gains from route and speed optimisation for ships.''We took a very close look at fuel usage,'' Swanson explained, and pointed to a 17% fuel saving in its China service. ''Saving fuel is a no-brainer'.''Lee Kindberg, Director, Environment, Maersk Inc., explained that Maersk had taken a different approach to emissions reductions after considering the requirements and costs of cold ironing.All its ships visiting California ports switch to low-sulphur distillate fuel for their main and auxiliary engines as a matter of policy.''There was no capital investment required,'' Kindberg explained. ''And no problem sourcing fuel.''The scheme started at the end of March 2006 and is still running, but Kindberg did note that fuel switching was an expensive proposition.''The fuel cost differential is substantial,'' she said.Maersk's policy was to fuel switch in areas where the emissions reductions, over 800 tonnes per year, would make a difference to local air quality.''It is expensive,'' she reiterated, ''But it should be part of a portfolio of approaches.''Cruise lines have also been at the forefront of adopting new ideas and technologies and John Turvey, a senior manager for compliance with Holland America, reminded the forum that joint private and public approaches were needed.''Collaboration is an important theme,'' he said.The cruise company uses fuel switching in its auxiliary engines and also uses cold ironing in Seattle and Juneau.Turvey also provided an update on its exhaust scrubber programme where the technology was installed on the Zaandam earlier this year with the maiden voyage in May.''The biggest challenge is managing wastewater,'' Turvey explained, echoing one of the concerns expressed about scrubbers at the forum already.He said that it need to find a solution to be able to operate the scrubber continuously, as it was currently not prepared to discharge water from the system while at berth.''We need to be able to operate alongside,'' he said. ''Otherwise it's probably not worth it.''Turvey noted other challenges with the technology, but was overwhelmingly supportive of the decision to test it on the Zaandam given the emissions benefits.In summation, PMSA's Garrett was upbeat about what the shipping industry could achieve.''The future is ours,'' he said. ''We just need to grab it.''