BLUE SKIES Besides the technical and financial challenges of using direct measurements for assessing emissions factors and indices, there may be reluctance to voluntarily undertake this activity from a commercial perspective. In particular there is a risk of negative perceptions if high emission levels are revealed under realistic operational conditions, as opposed to maintaining a conservative stance of correctly meeting (or nominally exceeding) regulatory requirements, which require no subsequent reporting of actual emissions produced.
Examples of voluntary schemes include: • The Environmental Ship Index (ESI) • The Clean Shipping Index (CSI)
THE CLEAN NORTH SEA SHIPPING PROJECT
I n p ro j e c t s s u c h a s C l e a n N o r t h Sea Shipping (CNSS), there is also an increasing recognition that the geographical location of the emission of air-borne pollution is a relevant factor to be considered. In particular, when emissions are emitted and subsequently
I n i t s c o n c l u d i n g c o n fe r e n c e i n Bergen, March 2014, CNSS brought together all of the strands of work in its publication of the final report and recommendations. This publication summarises the achievements of the CNSS project. It presents key findings and recommendations regarding strategic and operational policy-building for ships in ports, stakeholders and policy makers in the North Sea region.
‘Another approach to assessing exhaust gas emission levels is to directly measure their production onboard ship.’ EMISSIONS INDICES
To date, the principal mechanism for controlling (with the intension of reducing) exhaust gas emissions from ships is through the IMO MARPOL ANNEX VI and, where relevant, regional regulations. These regulations have set nominal rated limits on engine design (for NOx) and fuel quality limits (for SOx), but do not require measurements or monitoring of the actual emissions produced in operation and therefore, under this regime, operational choices will ultimately dictate the levels of these emissions from ships. In addition, more recently, the concept of efficiency indices (EEOI and EEDI) has emerged to encourage encourage a reduction in GHG (CO2) emissions from ships through reducing fuel usage per unit transport effort. Although, since minimising fuel usage is already financially in the best interests of the shipping companies, one could suppose that there is limited scope for further reduction through this strategy alone and might actually be in conflict with other emission reductions. Another emerging concept to exert control on and reduce emissions from ships is through the assignment of ship-specific emissions indices, so that, whether it is through prediction or measurement, in- or excluding abatement technology, some measure of the more complete environmental impact of a ship or fleet of ships can ultimately be characterised. ISSUE 02. 2014
diffuse through the atmosphere in regions of high population density. Therefore, in time, an alternative index could include the use of some impact factor related to region which makes a statement of the relative harm to humans. While many technologies exist at differing technology maturity levels to reduce exhaust gas emissions from ships, as the issues and regulations for exhaust gas emissions control from shipping increases it will become ever more important to establish the tools, methods and strategies for predicting, measuring and controlling exhaust gas emissions. The CNSS project aims to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emission by looking into available technology and the implementation of cost effective and cleaner energy supply infrastructure to ships in harbours/ports at sea. CNSS contributes to encouraging the large scale installation of “clean shipping”
technology around the North Sea e.g. by developing cost-effective implementation concepts (show-cases). Furthermore CNSS paves the way for an incentive and regulatory framework which causes an increased use of environmentally friendly technologies and fuels in shipping and at the same time maintain the competitive position of the North Sea maritime transport. ∎
‘Since minimising fuel usage is already financially in the best interests of the shipping companies, one could suppose that there is limited scope for further reduction through this strategy alone and might actually be in conflict with other emission reductions.’ www.fathomshipping.com
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