Emissions

Already established measures have paved the way for a more environmental-friendly shipping. A key example is the IMO NOx Tier III limits. These limits apply to engines installed on or after 1 January 2016, that are operating in Emission Control Areas and establish a strict limit on their emissions.

During MEPC 75 in November 2020, the IMO approved amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, introducing an Energy Efficiency Design Index for existing ships (EEXI). Subject to adoption at MEPC 76 in June 2021, the requirements will enter into force in 2023. DNV GL analyzed the present and future of EEXI in a recent webinar.

Advanced emissions monitoring of large ships calling at EU ports could help save owners and operators of large ships up to €9 million/year, according to a new study published by sustainable transport group T&E. These savings would come from lower operational costs of using automated systems such as fuel flow meters or continuous emissions monitoring, which are already used by many of the world's largest shipping companies. Transport & Environment(T&E) has issued a new study entitlted as '' Economic impacts of MRV of fuel and emissions in maritime transport'' to estimate the potential fuel saving and therefore lower emissions costs by the MRV implementation. In June 2013, the European Commission issued a strategy to address GHG emissions from maritime transport. The strategy consists of three consecutive steps: 1. Monitoring, reporting and verification of CO2 emissions from large ships using EU ports. 2. Greenhouse gas reduction targets for the maritime transport sector. 3. Further measures, including MBMs For the first step, the Commission issued a legislative proposal to establish an EU system for monitoring, reporting and verifying (MRV) of CO2 emissions from large ships using EU ports. Ships would thereby be obliged to monitor four parameters on a voyage basis, namely fuel consumption, distance travelled, time spent at sea,...

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) recently listed all the countries that restrict the use of open loop scrubbers in their ports.

Mr. Antonis Trakakis, Chief Technology Officer at Forward Ships, talks about methane slips from LNG fueled engines. Mr. Trakakis notes that these emissions are not inherent to the natural gas. The problem lies at the applied heat cycle, making the amount of methane slip depend on the technology of each engine.

After a week of extensive negotiations, both developing and developed countries attending the IMO MEPC 72 meeting in London, have reached an agreement to reduce shipping's GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008. This was marked as a historic decision, as the shipping industry aims to align with the Paris Agreement goals.

The European Union will support with €6.7 million from the TEN-T Programme a series of studies followed by real life trials to evaluate a new generation lightweight pilot scrubber solution for Ro-Ro (Roll on, Roll off) ships. The initiative also contributes to the realisation of the "Motorways of the Sea" (TEN-T Priority Project 21) concept. The studies, selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T Multi-Annual Programme, will assess, install, demonstrate and evaluate a new generation of innovative lightweight scrubber technology on two existing ro-ro vessels operating in the Baltic and North Sea. Three EU Member States - Sweden, Finland and The Netherlands - will work together to verify and evaluate the specific port infrastructure and preparatory investments needed for full scale implementation of this technology. The studies will also investigate how a financial mechanism can be set up in order to support ship owners/operators adopting the new technology and give recommendations to decision-makers on how to implement this mechanism. Dissemination of results and best practices will provide guidance to the shipping community and will assist on how to choose optimum Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) compliance strategies. The study will be monitored by the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA)...

Aiming to open route for low-emission drilling on conventionally powered offshore rigs, Maersk Drilling announced it is entering a series of upgrades to convert its jack-up rig 'Maersk Intrepid' to a hybrid rig with low levels of NOx emissions, adding data intelligence to further reduce energy consumption and CO2.

During the 74th session of its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 74), concluded Friday, IMO agreed stricter energy efficiency targets for certain types of ships, as part of its efforts to reduce shipping emissions. 

Although it is hard to predict what next years will bring for shipping, discussions at this year’s IMO’s MEPC brought in the spotlight a unified effort towards a more sustainable industry. IMO MEPC 72, which took place during the first week of April 2018, agreed on a target to cut shipping’s overall CO2 by adopting an ‘initial strategy’ as a first step.