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NGOs: UN Shipping Agency still stalling on immediate climate action, despite alarm bells

IMO squandered an opportunity to reduce shipping’s impact on the climate and on the Arctic by failing to make progress on effective short-term measures, says Clean Arctic Alliance.

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The Clean Arctic Alliance on Friday (10 June) expressed dismay over the IMO’s failure to make progress on the urgent short-term measures that would kick-start deep reductions in CO2 and black carbon emissions from global shipping, both of which are needed to protect the Arctic from catastrophic climate impacts. 

The group was commenting on the 78th session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 78) that was held from 6 to 10 June 2022. 

“This week the IMO squandered an opportunity to reduce shipping’s impact on the climate and on the Arctic, by failing to make progress on effective short-term measures which would kick-start reductions in CO2 and immediately cut black carbon emissions”, said Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance, made up of 20 not-for-profit organisations.

“It’s clear that IMO member states have not paid heed to the stark warnings provided by recent IPCC reports, which should have been enough to provoke countries into dramatically reducing CO2 and black carbon emissions from the global shipping industry this decade.” 

“This can still be achieved by committing to raise the carbon intensity indicator requirements to a 7% annual improvement in carbon intensity – to be applied to all ships – and by supporting deep mandatory cuts in black carbon emissions from ships operating in and near the Arctic”.

In April, following the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Working Group III 6th Assessment Report on Climate Mitigation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lambasted governments and industry for their climate inaction, while the report criticised the poor climate governance of international shipping, saying that “improvements to national and international governance structures would further enable the decarbonisation of shipping and aviation”.

“However, the strong statements made this week by some IMO members regarding the level of ambition needed for the review of the IMO’s greenhouse gas strategy can be seen as progress, and while only preliminary views were exchanged this week, it is clear that there is a general acceptance amongst IMO member states that the globally shipping industry must achieve net zero or absolute zero by 2050 at the latest – notably there was support for a 50% reduction by 2030 which is needed if we are to reach a 1.5oC trajectory”, said Prior.

During MEPC 78, an emissions control area (ECA) was agreed for the Mediterranean as a whole (MedECA) . An ECA is a sea area in which stricter controls are put in place to minimise airborne emissions of sulphur and/or nitrous oxides (SOx and NOx) from ships as defined by Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention. 

The new MedECA will address SOx emissions only and ships will be required to use fuels with a maximum 0.1% sulphur content resulting in significantly lower sulphur emissions and lower particulate matter including black carbon emissions. This is the first SOx ECA adopted since 2011, and is expected to be adopted at MEPC 79.

“The creation of the MedECA is good news – the first new emissions control area created anywhere in the world for some time, and while it won’t have immediate implications for the Arctic, it should be recognised that this type of measure will reduce black carbon emissions and reduce localised health impacts and environmental damage”, said Sönke Diesener, Transport Policy Officer at NABU. 

“Local communities will breathe better air and the measure will prevent thousands of premature deaths. Communities will also see less agricultural loss, less acidic rainfall, and it helps with the conservation of limestone and marble buildings”.

“The proposal for a MedECA came about as a result of a huge public effort in all Mediterranean Sea states,” continued Diesener. 

“IMO member states should now consider development of ECA proposals that will contribute directly to reducing black carbon emissions that impact the Arctic, e.g. in European and North American waters, neither of which are currently covered by an ECA. The required higher fuel quality to comply with new regulation will help to reduce the price gap to future potentially emission free fuels and also incentivises more efficient use today”.

This IMO also last week approved guidelines for risk and impact assessments to restrict the discharge of wastes from exhaust gas cleaning systems – also known as scrubbers – into the sea, where it can have serious environmental impacts on marine ecosystems. These guidelines had been developed by the IMO’s Pollution Prevention and Response subcommittee earlier in the year.

“This week’s IMO approval of scrubber guidelines is a step in the right direction and sends a signal that it’s not acceptable for the shipping sector to move pollution from the atmosphere into the ocean”, said Eelco Leemans, Clean Arctic Alliance Technical Advisor. 

“It should also be seen as the beginning of the end for these pollutants and what we ultimately need is a ban on the use of technology such as scrubbers, that prolongs the use of the dirtiest of fossil fuels and a rapid move to decarbonisation of shipping.”

Related: IMO Update by DNV: Marine Environment Protection Committee – MEPC 78

 

Photo credit: Clean Arctic Alliance
Published: 14 June, 2022

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Alternative Fuels

New agreements inked to advance marine electrification in Singapore

Lita Ocean, SeaTech Solutions, Pascal Technologies, and Evoy will develop a fully electric passenger harbour craft, specifically for Singapore, while Yinson GreenTech and Evoy will develop electric vessels.

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New agreements inked to advance marine electrification in Singapore

Innovation Norway and Team Norway on Wednesday (6 November) announced two agreements aimed at advancing sustainable maritime solutions, signed at the Singapore Norway Innovation Conference (SNIC) 2024.

The first agreement—a Letter of Intent (LOI)—was signed by Lita Ocean Pte Ltd, SeaTech Solutions International (S) Pte Ltd, Pascal Technologies AS, and Evoy AS, to develop a fully electric high-speed harbour craft specifically designed for Singapore’s maritime landscape. The second agreement—a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)—was signed between Yinson GreenTech and Evoy, aiming to foster collaboration in marine electrification across Asia. 

The LOI signed between Lita Ocean, SeaTech Solutions, Pascal Technologies, and Evoy marks a key milestone in Singapore’s ongoing efforts to decarbonize its maritime industry. 

The project will develop a fully electric passenger harbour craft, integrating cutting-edge technologies like advanced electric propulsion and air lubrication systems to maximise energy efficiency and performance. This new vessel will set new standards for sustainable harbour operations and support Singapore’s green transformation goals in maritime transportation. 

Evoy sign MOU in Norway Singapore agreement 02

The collaboration builds on previous advancements in electric harbour crafts in Singapore, positioning the project as a critical step toward achieving maritime decarbonisation and a cleaner, greener future for the region. 

Additionally, Yinson GreenTech and Evoy have signed an MoU that will combine their strengths to drive marine electrification in the region. Yinson GreenTech’s electrification solutions, paired with Evoy’s electric propulsion systems, will support the conversion of internal combustion engine (ICE) vessels to electric power and foster the development of new electric vessels. 

This partnership is aimed at advancing the transition to a more sustainable maritime industry, with the shared goal of exploring new opportunities, collaborating on upcoming projects, and playing a key role in the broader transition to greener shipping solutions in Asia. 

The MoU was signed by Jan-Viggo Johansen, Managing Director of marinEV at Yinson GreenTech, and Mads Roland-Glimsholt, Business Development Manager at Evoy. 

“As a proud partner in this Norway-Singapore initiative, Evoy is excited to bring our high-performance electric propulsion systems to Singapore’s maritime landscape. We are committed to setting new standards in sustainable harbour craft and working with our partners to support a greener future in maritime transport” Mads Roland-Glimsholt, Business Development Manager at Evoy. 

 

Photo credit: Evoy
Published: 8 November, 2024

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Vessel Arrest

Malaysia: MMEA detains tanker in Sekinchan waters for anchoring illegally

Investigations found that 13 crew consisting of six Myanmar nationals, four Bangladeshis and three Indonesians, were on board the tanker when detained.

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Malaysia: MMEA detains tanker in Sekinchan waters for anchoring illegally

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Thursday (7 November) said it has detained a tanker for anchoring without permission in Sekinchan waters. 

Selangor MMEA director Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said the tanker was detained by a MMEA patrol boat at 9.6 nautical miles southwest of Sekinchan at 5 pm on that day.

Investigations found that 13 crew consisting of six Myanmar nationals, four Bangladeshis and three Indonesians, were on board the tanker when detained.

Further examination of the documents found that the ship's captain failed to present any documents for permission to anchor.

The ship's captain, 56, and chief engineer, 39, have been taken to Selangor MMEA Headquarters for further investigation.

The case is being investigated under Section 491B (1) (l) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.

 

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 8 November, 2024

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Alternative Fuels

ExxonMobil supplies Hapag-Lloyd with B25 bio bunker fuel blend in Antwerp

Firm supplied Hapag-Lloyd vessel “Colorado Express” with 1,320 mt of B25 bio marine fuel blend, which consisted of ExxonMobil’s Premium HDME 50™ fuel and waste-based FAME derived from UCOME.

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Hapag-Lloyd

ExxonMobil on Thursday (7 November) said it supplied Hapag-Lloyd’s vessel Colorado Express with 1,320 metric tonnes (mt) of a B25 bio marine fuel blend in Antwerp. 

The blend consisted of ExxonMobil’s Premium HDME 50™ fuel, a 0.10% sulphur Emission Control Area (ECA) fuel, and waste-based fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME).

“The ‘drop-in’ blend met the requirements of ISO 8217:2017 with the exception of the FAME component. The FAME content complied with EN 14214,” ExxonMobil said in a statement.

“The bio component was made material certified as meeting the sustainability requirements of the RED II: feedstocks not in competition with land for food production.”

ExxonMobil’s bio marine fuel blend underwent a range of tests prior to delivery in Antwerp. 

The blend offered an estimated 20.1% well-to-wake greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction compared with conventional marine fuel formulations on an energy basis.

“Hapag-Lloyd aims at having net-zero carbon fleet operations by 2045. As part of that commitment, we are continuously looking for opportunities to onboard new bio blends in our fuels mix. We appreciate ExxonMobil’s efforts to supply us with a bio blend with ULSFO, which is another step forward in our decarbonisation journey,” said Ilyas Muhammad, Head of Green Fuels at Hapag-Lloyd. 

“We successfully bunkered bio-ULSFO blend at our Colorado Express and so far our operational experience with this product is positive. We look forward to increasing bio-ULSFO consumption in the future,” said Nikolai Doerner, Senior Manager Biofuels at Hapag-Lloyd.

The Colorado Express used the bio marine fuel blend without incident; both NOx and particulate emissions were within accepted limits.

“ExxonMobil is looking for ways to support our customers [to] reduce their GHG emissions,” said Pelin Gillis, Marine Fuels Sales Manager, BNL, ExxonMobil. “We are proud to have helped Hapag-Lloyd on their journey to a lower GHG emissions future.”

“ExxonMobil has greatly extended its range of ‘drop-in’ bio marine fuel blends,” said Armelle Breneol, Marine Fuels Technical Advisor, ExxonMobil. 

“We now offer a B25 ULSFO, a B30 VLSFO, a B7 MGO and a B10 HSFO. This will help our customers access the blend they need to meet their engine operations and GHG emission reduction goals.”

 

Photo credit: Hapag-Lloyd
Published: 8 November, 2024

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