CSI Autumn 2021

AUTUMN 2021

MAKING SPACE

How satellites can speed up shipping’s decarbonisation

THE NEW NUCLEAR

Taking a fresh look at a powerful fuel source

IN WITH THE IN CROWD

Tackling the industry’s impact with carbon insetting

supporting Clean Shipping initiatives

1

FROM THE EDITOR

IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL

Sandra Speares Editor, Clean Shipping International

The maritime industry’s focus on meeting the demands of green legislation has continued to gather pace as we look at new methods, or extending methods that will hopefully improve everyone’s carbon footprint.

This has resulted on concentration on a wide range of alternative fuels, including hydrogen, ammonia and nuclear power, as operators seek to explore the alternatives to low sulphur fuels or fitting expensive scrubbing equipment.

It is not merely a question of a short term fix to meet legislative requirements, but the need to come up with long-term solutions that actually stick. At many times in the past, the maritime industries have been slow to respond to the demands of meeting the legislative requirements introduced and, in some cases, have been either caught out, or have concentrated on finding new uses for vessels that no longer meet requirements because of regulatory changes.

It is good to see a wide range of solutions to ecological problems on display in Clean Shipping International, but also successes in combatting such issues as transference of damaging organisms in ballast water, for example.

One key point that needs to be considered is that it is not just a question of complying with new regulations and meeting the deadlines indicated, but of needing to make new equipment work efficiently in practice.

Regulatory compliance should never be a question of merely ticking the boxes and maritime industries have often been accused of not going the distance in coming up with solutions. Some short-term fixes have proved to be dangerous in the longer term, for example converting single hull tankers for use in other sectors of the industry, with structural changes affecting the safety and viability of the vessels concerned over a longer period.

It is also good to see that not only are companies coming up with new and innovative solutions to combatting climate change, but they are also deciding to band together to explore common approaches to the problem. Maritime experts need to ensure that lawmakers are aware of the level of expertise available within the maritime sphere, which often goes un-noticed.

The recent launch of the Maritime Professional Council in the UK is one initiative that is aimed at giving a push in this direction. In the interests of ensuring clean shipping for the future, we need not only to think outside the box but also ensure that our views are heard in all the right places.

At the same time, we need to consider the race to decarbonisation as an opportunity and not a headache.

This edition shows some of the innovative approaches out there — and we hope that you enjoy reading about them.

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

THE SCRUBBER MAKER PureteQ scrubber systems feature the lowest OPEX in the business and are easy to install.

We have now simplified the installation further in our Generation II scrubber, which potentially will reduce the shipyard installation cost by double-digit percentage.

All scrubber systems come with state-of-the-art intuitive control systems with full remote accessibility. In times like these, it is very convenient to get 24/7 remote on-line support/ guidance to ship crews from certified Marine Engineers.

We are presently releasing a newly developed cloud-based software for optimizing of scrubber systems across fleet and scrubber makes. It features the measuring of MARPOL compliance, operational performance (impact on SFOC) as well as environmental performance reporting, such as CO2, Sulfur and PM reductions. The software will enable sharing of learnings between crews, resulting in lower energy consumption and other OPEX. The software is a perfect match to new IMO regulation on EED(X)I & CCI when well to wake principle applies.

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Editor: Sandra Speares speares1@ aol.com Project Director: Jonathon Ferris Jonathon.ferris@ csi-newsonline.com Sub-editor: Samantha Robinson sam.robinson.journalist@ gmail.com Publisher: Bill Robinson publisher@ csi-newsonline.com Designer: Justin Ives justindesign@ live.co.uk Published by Maritime AMC, Clean Shipping International supports Clean Shipping Initiatives.

The views expressed in Clean Shipping International are not necessarily those of Maritime AMC unless expressly stated as such and disclaim any responsibility for errors or omissions or their consequences or for advertisements contained in this magazine and has no legal responsibility to deal with them.

Distributed to the members of

CLEANSHIPPINGALLIANCE2020

csi-newsonline.com

Knowledge grows

Make the best choice Yara Marine Technologies SOx scrubber systems

1 FROM THE EDITOR

43 BWTS

Why meeting new environmental regulations is a long-term effort

The tectonic shift in ballast water treatment system applications

7 EGCSA

45 BIOFUELS

Don Gregory, Director, Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association

A look at future fuels in the » p9

rapidly evolving marine market

9 ZESTAS

47 ALTERNATIVE FUELS

The Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association on a message of hope

Recent initiatives that aim to help meet the new regulations

10 INTERVIEW: YARA

50 SATELLITES

CSI talks to Aleksander Askeland of Yara Marine Technologies

How data-driven technologies can fast-track shipping’s decarbonisation

11 WORLD NEWS

» p17

Wind power can help the industry leave the fossil fuel era behind

From surveys to solar power, a look at new industry initiatives across the globe

55 DECARBONISATION

17 EGCS s

Focusing on the bigger picture will enable firms to move towards net zero

The scrubbers segment faces a buoyant future, with expansion set to continue

59 RECYCLING

30 VIEWPOINT Laurent Leblanc Senior Vice President Technical and Operations, Bureau Veritas

» p40

Despite many challenges, scrapping is on the rise — but there are issues ahead

61 ALTERNATIVE FUELS

35 SHIP TECHNOLOGY

The recent Maritime AMC-organised Alternative Fuels virtual webinar

Why the internal combustion engine offers a quicker way to meet targets

63 EVENTS

40 INTERVIEW: COREPOWER CorePower has been working to provide alternative sources of power for vessels?

52 WIND ENERGY

Upcoming not-to-be-missed CSI events » p52

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Auutmn 2021

64 LAST WORD News round-up

5

Clear route ahead

Two-stroke solutions for the future of shipping

Navigating new regulations, decarbonization, and complex fuel economics is easy with us as a partner. Our two-stroke engine portfolio offers you full fuel flexibility with extensive retrofit capabilities. You can also rely on our proven track record of millions of running hours and assistance that goes beyond installation and commissioning: Complete life-cycle support from our dedicated staff and the worldwide MAN PrimeServ after-sales network.

Clear route ahead — with MAN B&W two-stroke solutions. www.man-es.com/marine/two-stroke

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EGCSA

CAN WE RISK BUSINESS AS USUAL?

Don Gregory, Director, Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association

We witnessed the return of an iteration of normality with the London International Shipping Week (LISW) earlier this month. Is this the end of COVID-19 stricture and a return to business as usual? Is business as usual actually what the earth needs if we are to avoid mass extinction?

Certainly, everyone I met agreed how good it was to be able to meet again in person – although many of the LISW events were virtual. The highlight of the week was the plenary session. An all-day affair hosted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at its HQ in London. Kitak Lim, IMO Secretary General expressed his happiness to see the main auditorium filled after many months and several missed committee meetings.

The day was themed “Driving Growth, Accelerating Reductions in greenhouse gases, the Social Element of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and is it about the Money?”.

In the opening session, Jan Dieleman, President of Cargill Shipping, stated that charterers are increasingly asking for ESG credentials such as energy efficiency operational indicator (EEOI) and seafarer crew change compliance. On the other hand, Professor Tristan Smith claimed that shipping was already two years late on decarbonisation. He indicated that countries have not taken the opportunity created by COVID-19, which has depressed carbon emissions. Instead, the world is accelerating back to business as usual. Soren Toft of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), said it would cost $17tn to decarbonise by 2050 while MSC were today adding 11 new lines to overcome port congestion and container supply imbalances. He expected GPD growth to exceed 6% over the coming two years.

Overall, the picture one could gather from the LISW plenary session and other sessions is that the reality is business as usual predominates shipping business thinking with a real lack of incentive to make significant change.

Taking just one key phrase spoken during plenary: “Shipping is too cheap”. I would like to explore this more deeply. Shipping prides itself in super efficiency and extremely low unit cost for the transport of goods. Often heard is that a pair of $100 sneakers includes less than 3 cents for transport cost across oceans. Do those 3 cents provide the industry with a fit return to

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

reward all its stakeholders, from investors to seafarers? Do those 3 cents pay for the true cost of externalities? In this case, the externalities under consideration are the impacts shipping has on the environment. One such impact is fossil-carbon emissions. The cost of that externality is the marginal cost of an alternative energy source that does not emit fossil-carbon.

I did not hear one mention of what that cost might amount to. It is certainly not the current cost of methanol for example – fuel that Maersk Shipping has advertised as an option to burn on its recently announced set of eight new buildings. The reality is that those ships are likely to be bunkered by fossil-carbon emitting fuels.

With competing demand for methanol, an insignificant supply infrastructure and questions relating to the environmental compatibility of the sourcing of the raw materials, the supply of methanol is unlikely to match demand, resulting in the long-term price of methanol continuing to exceed that of crude-sourced fuels.

What that means is that until the cost of eliminating fossil-carbon is “discovered” the trend will be to promote initiatives and flashy claims, while slipping back into business as usual.

Nothing highlights this more clearly than the untold benefit accruing from ships fitted with wet scrubbers. Although intended to be an option to reduce SOx emissions, administrations and NGOs have ignored the reduced CO2 emissions accrued on a well-to-wake basis from operating on heavy sulphur fuel oil (HSFO). The CE Delft Institute, which provided the IMO with the fuel availability report, has identified between 10% and 20% reduction in fossil-carbon emissions when using a combination of wet scrubbers and HSFO when compared to operating with more highly processed lower sulphur blended fuels.

Even a 10% reduction in overall fossil-carbon emissions today would immediately slow the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere.

If the true cost of shipping is eventually “discovered”, probably by a fossil-carbon cap, that value could flow back to the shipping industry making shipping a great value industry and not one that is regarded as “too cheap”.

Business as usual will delay that possibility and make any change in the future a more painful transition.

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NORDIC CUSTOM has a purpose-built workshop located just outside Tallinn, Estonia, with a fabrication area of 4,500m2 and lifting capacity of up to 170 tons. We offer more than 2,000 welding procedures covering most of the materials and welding joints used in the marine, energy and petrochemical industries. In addition, we have an acid pickling facility and offer services such as laser cleaning, soda blasting, product development and engineering.

We hold ISO9001, ISO140001, AQAP-2110 and EN3834 certificates.

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With our material and welding know-how, we are an invaluable partner to the marine industry, particularly when it comes to titanium, aluminium and nickel alloys welding. Our on-site service team is on hand to help with special projects and on-site welding.

For more information and contacts, please visit our website: NORDIC-CUSTOM.COM

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ZERO SHIPPING SHIP TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION

A MESSAGE OF HOPE The Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association (ZESTAs) says the recently published United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Climate report is “a message of hope” and believes the authors have made it abundantly clear that it is possible to limit further warming within the next two decades by pursuing the “very low emissions scenario”.

According to the report, there is no other option: it is global society’s obligation to act now with “drastic, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gases to limit global warming to 1.5°”, simply because it can.

Helping the industry to achieve these goals, ZESTAs is holding a “Ship Zero – Charging to True Zero” workshop on 1-3 November in Glasgow, coinciding with COP 26 in the city. ZESTAs’ workshop will be the first shipping event to align with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “very low emissions scenario”, by not contemplating the use of fossil fuels or any greenhouse gas-emitting fuel or technology.

“The simple truth is the time for discussion is past – nothing remains but for us to act,” observes Brent Perry, chairman of ZESTAs board of directors.

“Whatever your beliefs, whatever

your passions, whatever your politics, insuring that we, as a society are no longer contributing to the end of life as we know it is imperative.

“This century is about reckoning – the morals, purpose and goals of society must align with the common good in every aspect of life.

Sustainability is not just a goal, but a social imperative that transcends our societies and presents us with both opportunities and obligations – and future societies will either praise us or damn us for our actions today,” he continues.

Only truly zero GHG emissions systems, solutions and technologies will be considered at this workshop.

ZESTAs states the technology to achieve true zero in all sectors of shipping exists today, but that weak or misaligned policies and lack of finance are preventing these technologies from upscaling, achieving economies of scale and penetrating the wider market.

“We need to stop throwing the ball out to 2050, investing in half measures that won’t get us where we need to be,” says Madadh MacLaine, ZESTAs secretary general. “We need to invest in true zero now, upscale and shoot for 2030. If we don’t, we have no chance of stopping warming anywhere near 1.5°.

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

The IPCC report clearly states we’ve got a shot.

“We need to take that shot and act now to change policy and finance, allowing zero emissions ship technologies to get to market before 2030,” she says.

The Ship Zero workshop will feature technical presentations, followed by discussions and brainstorming sessions, bringing together shipping stakeholders from innovation, policy, finance, infrastructure, energy and the wider shipping sector to combine solutions into an actionable road map.

“Our intention is that the outcome of Ship Zero is an action plan, a navigational chart to true zero with waypoints based on realisable actions, available technologies, and implementable policies that will keep warming below 1.5°,” says MacLaine.

Wind propulsion and other methods will be considered. The Ship Zero workshop will demonstrate that marinised battery and hydrogen systems are market ready at multimegawatt scales, and that wind propulsion is being rolled out across the world fleet and delivers significant emissions reductions.

To find out more about Ship Zero, visit: zestas.org/ship-zero

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INTERVIEW

INNOVATION IS KEY TO SUCCESS As the industry faces huge changes due to environmental considerations, Aleksander Askeland of Yara Marine Technologies explains how the company is facing up to the future

Aleksander Askeland Chief Sales Officer, Yara Marine Technologies

As the world’s first company to bring the in-line scrubber to the maritime industry, Yara Marine Technologies will still have scrubbers as a core product in the next few years. As the shipping industry faces increasingly stringent international and regional environmental regulations, Yara Marine Technologies is continuing to innovate. Here, chief strategy officer Aleksander Askeland discusses plans for the future.

Q: What is the future of SOx scrubbers by Yara Marine?

A: Scrubbers are great at cleaning sulphur oxide (SOX), and we scrub down to levels beyond compliance. We have more than 400 scrubbers installed so far, and we will continue to make all types of scrubbers for all types of vessels. Both our inline and packed bed scrubbers perform better than most alternative fuel oils, in both open and closed loop.

Scrubbers are, beyond any doubt, the best solution for cleaning SOX, whether short, medium or long term. We see several issues with low sulphur fuel oil impurities, which damage engines. In addition, the CO2 footprint is larger with very low sulphur fuel oil well-to-wake.

Q: What technologies do you think have the most potential to help achieve the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2050 decarbonisation goal?

A: New types of fuel and new ways to create propulsion are key. Our parent company, Yara International, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of ammonia.

Ammonia is a suitable zero carbon emission fuel, even for long deep-sea transport.

Also, transforming fossil fuel engines to run on ammonia is possible. We are also

working with electric solutions. Shore power, or cold ironing as we call it, will at some point be mandatory. We now provide turnkey solutions for quick and automated shore power connections and installations.

In addition, we are investing heavily in digital optimisation systems and data capture. We have just acquired Lean Marine and offer cutting edge AI-driven fuel optimisation, for instance by controlling RPM and propeller pitch to provide more trust per kWh. We usually gain more than 10% fuel savings with our new FuelOpt technology.

Finally, yet importantly, we know that ships will again sail the seas – not with traditional sails, but metal wind wings.

Wind-assisted propulsion can cut 30% of CO2 emissions, especially in the bulk and tanker segment. We have just entered a partnership with BAR Technologies – BAR tech WindWings by Yara Marine Technologies will set sail on the world’s first vessel retrofit with wind-assisted propulsion in 2022. An agreement to retrofit one of Cargill’s vessels is already in place.

Q: What are your development strategy and top priorities now?

A: We will continue to make and improve scrubbers, and increase our capacity on service. We are also expanding geographically, focusing on the Asian market with our well-established Shanghai office leading the way. However, we will continue to introduce new technologies to enable a greener maritime industry.

In 2021 alone, we have launched cold ironing, moved intro batteries, started to put WindWings on ships and introduced cuttingedge fuel optimisation. You will see several more innovative technologies launched by Yara Marine Technologies, and put to sea, before the end of the year.

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

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NEWS ROUND-UP

Several initiatives within the industry are helping shipowners and operators to adjust to stringent environmental regulations

HELPING TO MEET TOUGH TARGETS This month sees the launch of DNV’s Maritime Forecast to 2050, which was conceived to help shipowners navigate the technologies and fuels needed to meet global greenhouse gas targets. The report features an updated carbon risk management framework, including a new “decarbonisation stairway” model to help owners map a path to sustainability.

The report aims to assist an industry facing the dual challenge of increasingly stringent climate change targets and regulations coupled with uncertainty over future fuel choices, technology and supply.

It is, according to DNV Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, “the grand challenge of our time”.

“Choosing the right fuel today for operations tomorrow is a daunting task that all owners must face up to,” says Ørbeck-Nilssen. “The business environment is changing in line with the natural one, leading not just to increased regulatory requirements, but also to new cargo-owner and consumer expectations and more

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

rigorous demands from capital investors and institutions.

“A misstep today in newbuild fuel strategies can have damaging consequences for businesses and assets in the future.

So, owners need practical, expert advice and smart solutions to ensure vessels stay competitive, compliant and commercially attractive over their lifetimes. This is where the Maritime Forecast to 2050 can help turn strategic uncertainty into confident decisionmaking,” he says.

To support shipowners, DNV provides an updated framework for managing carbon risk in newbuilding designs, a technoeconomic evaluation of fuel strategies, and the vessel design implications of those chosen approaches. The decarbonisation stairway is introduced to show how individual owners can adapt to stay below the required greenhouse gas emission trajectories. It also helps to inform decisions on newbuildings a far as fuel storage and propulsion, design, safety and fuel ready solutions.

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SOLAR SOLUTION

Class society Bureau Veritas has delivered an Approval in Principle to Dutch renewable energy company SolarDuck for its offshore floating solar solution King Eider. This is the first time such an approval has been granted to an offshore floating solar technology, marking the beginning of a new era for this form of renewable energy.

Launched in April, SolarDuck’s first pilot consists of four triangularshaped units, which are mounted by 156 solar panels and deliver a combined electrical output of 64kWp to the grid. The project was deployed in IJzendoorn, in the Netherlands.

The structure holds the solar panels more than three meters above water level. The platform is designed to handle coastal sea conditions and hurricane-force winds. It is also optimised for offshore sites in estuaries, natural harbours, as well as near-shore sites.

NEWS ROUND-UP

The project was born from the ambitions of a group of maritime and energy engineers, who founded SolarDuck in order to play an active role in getting the world to net zero.

Upon realising that solar energy is the cheapest and most efficient form of renewable energy for many cities, islands and regions around the globe, but inaccessible to many of these regions due to land scarcity constraints, the team initiated the project to make solar panels float offshore.

WINGD SCOOPS CONTRACT

Engine developer WinGD has won a contract to integrate hybrid energy systems on four newbuild pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) vessels for Japanese owner NYK Line.

The four PCTCs will run on LNG as main fuel, with WinGD’s 7X62DF-2.1 two-stroke engines coupled with shaft generators, DC-links and battery systems. Based on its knowledge of

the main engine’s performance, WinGD has optimised spinning reserves, peak shaving and energy flow to run the main engine constantly at its sweet spot, while avoiding inefficient generator loads. WinGD will be responsible for the system integration and system-level energy management, through WinGD’s new Hybrid Control System.

Combined with other ship design enhancements, the LNG-battery configuration is expected to cut overall CO2 equivalent emissions by around 40% compared to conventionally powered vessels operating on HFO.

SURVEY SEEKS ANSWERS

BIMCO is launching a survey with the aim of gathering information from shipowners about the effectiveness of their anti-fouling systems (AFS). The information gathered will help BIMCO provide factual information to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) about biofouling management in practice.

BIMCO encourages shipowners – both members and non-members – to take part in the survey, as this will help build robust argumentation when it comes to help improving the biofouling regulations.

To take part in the BIMCO Biofouling Survey 2021, visit: tinyurl.com/BimcoSurvey

GAC JOINS EYESEA

The GAC Group has announced its membership of the maritime pollution reporting and mapping initiative, Eyesea.

With the support of the shipping and maritime industries, Eyesea uses a smartphone app with which users submit geotagged photographs to report hazards and pollution.

“Eyesea have developed a simple and effective way for companies involved in the maritime sector to play a critical part in improving the health and conservation of our oceans,” says Neil Godfrey, group commercial director – shipping.

Eyesea is a non-profit organisation that comprises a wide range of representatives of the shipping and maritime community.

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

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NEWS ROUND-UP

After successful testing on board commercial vessels and among community volunteers and recreational boat users, the app is now available to download to anyone keen to play a part in tackling maritime pollution effectively.

WORLD FIRST

Bureau Veritas (BV) has classified the world’s first hybrid-powered Surface Effect Ship (SES), the CWind Pioneer, which features an air cushion, twin hulls and an innovative diesel and electric drivetrain with considerable battery storage onboard.

The CWind Pioneer is equipped with a hybrid diesel and battery electric power system, which enables the vessel to operate purely on battery power alongside or at slow speeds, such as when transiting restricted waterways or on standby in the windfarm, which helps reduce fuel consumption, reduce diesel engine running hours and lower CO2 emissions.

However, the electric hybrid system implementation comes with a good level of complexity that needs to be managed carefully. BV’s notation Electric-Hybrid addresses the complexity of these systems, defining requirements for storage, power distribution, control and instrumentation, as well as tests that must be carried out especially when it relates to power management and critical safety considerations, such as thermal runaway.

NEW NOTATIONS

Class society DNV has released the latest updates to its rules for ship classification, with a raft of new class notations designed to enable the maritime industry to tackle the decarbonization challenge.

The new updates include “Fuel Ready”, a class notation that offers shipowners the option to prepare for a later conversion to multiple different alternative fuel options, and “Gas fuelled ammonia” for ammonia-

CROE_HalfPage_Ad_CSISummerReports_outlines.indd 1

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

fuelled vessels, to stay ahead of shipping’s ever-tightening carbon reduction requirements.

DNV’s annual report on the energy transition in shipping, Maritime Forecast to 2050, has identified fuel choice as the most critical decision facing shipowners and operators today.

Maintaining flexibility in the choice of fuel, especially when the bunkering environment is in flux, can minimise the risk of stranded assets and maintain a vessel’s lifetime competitiveness.

“The whole maritime industry, and particularly shipowners and operators, are facing a great deal of uncertainty around their choice of future fuel,” says Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV Maritime.

“With the industry under pressure to bend the carbon curve towards zero, inaction is not an option, but picking a future winner in a complicated fuel landscape is a significant challenge.

‘Fuel Ready’ gives owners the option to tailor their future conversion with more than one fuel in mind, while ‘Gas

8/6/21 2:04 PM

14

fuelled ammonia’ provides a practical path for owners who are looking to move towards a zero-carbon fuel option with their next newbuilding.”

Fuel Ready The “Fuel ready” class notation is applicable for ammonia, liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and LFL (methanol) as a ship fuel – either individually or for more than one fuel at the same time. It is built around two mandatory options, (D) Design and (Ti/Tc) Tank, with basic and optional levels of preparation that offer a simple framework for all involved parties in newbuildings.

Optional attributes cover the structure, engine and machinery, piping and bunkering, and miscellaneous requirements.

With all of the options, owners can choose to prepare for a later installation of any system or go ahead with the actual installation and obtain certification of the system during construction.

Gas fuelled ammonia Ammonia is emerging as an extremely promising alternative fuel option for shipping to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With the “Gas fuelled ammonia” class notation, DNV provides owners looking to build ammonia-fuelled vessels the option to start today.

Currently, owners are faced with the long, challenging, and costly, “alternative design” approach under the SOLAS regulations. The new class notation sets out the requirements for the ship’s fuel system, fuel bunkering connection, and on through to the consumers.

DNV has also updated some of its signature notations that focus on reducing shipping’s overall environmental impact, including: Fuel cell installations, “LFL fuelled” for low flashpoint liquid fuelled engines, the “Silent(E)” notation for underwater noise, and “Quiet” for external airborne noise emissions.

The new notations and rules updates were launched on 1 July, 2021 and enter into force 1 January, 2022.

NEWS ROUND-UP

WEATHER ROUTING

Maritime technology company DeepSea Technologies has partnered with Seanergy Maritime Holdings to develop and test Pythia, the world’s first weather routing and voyage optimisation platform tailored to the exact performance of vessels, under all conditions.

This platform has allowed Seanergy’s capesize vessels to achieve a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 12%, with average fuel savings of 8%, as recorded over a series of voyages during the first four months of this year.

Seanergy and DeepSea have worked closely on the development of Pythia, with the aim of building a unique performance-routing tool tailored to the needs of shipping companies.

Pythia uses AI-based performance models – based on detailed realtime data – to analyse 19 different parameters.

The AI models accurately track how a vessel performs over time under any conditions, including those related to the weather and the state of the vessel, such as the fouling levels.

ROADMAP TO NET ZERO

Maersk Broker Advisory Services and McKinsey & Company have joined forces to assist shipowners and operators in defining their decarbonisation roadmap and strategy.

The two companies are launching the Fleet Decarbonisation Optimizer tool to assist stakeholders in the maritime industry in developing their decarbonisation strategies.

The partnership is built on research of both Maersk Broker Advisory Services and McKinsey on the total cost of ownership and carbon abatement implications of ship efficiency levers and alternative fuels such as e-ammonia, e-methanol, biomethanol, bio-LNG and biodiesel.

The shipping industry is recognized as a “hard-to-abate” sector, as the decarbonisation solutions of the industry carry a high abatement cost compared to current alternatives.

The collaboration aims to help stakeholders in the maritime industry to make decisions on the best possible information platform with expert guidance.

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

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COMPANY PROFILE

CR OCEAN ENGINEERING: A NEW PRESIDENT & COO TAKES THE HELM For more information, contact: Dominique Philibert, President & COO CR Ocean Engineering, LLC Email: dphilibert@croceanx.com Phone: + 1-973-455-0005, Ext.123 croceanx.com

Dominique Philibert was promoted on July 1 this year to President and COO of CR Ocean Engineering (CROE), a company where he’s been a key team player since its founding in 2013.

Previously, Philibert held the post of Technology Director at CROE, working alongside then-President and COO Nick Confuorto, who has now retired and supports the company in an advisory role.

As Technology Director, Philibert led a team of engineers in the development, testing, deployment

and sales of CROE’s exhaust gas cleaning systems, also known as marine scrubbers. CROE is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of this technology.

For most of his career, Philibert has focused on the field of flue gas cleaning with a large array of wet and dry systems and he has worked with the most respected names in the air pollution control industry, both in the US and Europe.

A native of France, Philibert received his engineering degree from ECAM school of engineering in 1990.

For an international roster of CR Ocean Engineering clients, Philibert brings extensive language skills – he is fluent in French and English, with working knowledge of Korean, Spanish and German.

CROE was founded to meet the demand for cleaner emissions in the maritime environment under the MARPOL Convention. Today, hundreds of CROE exhaust systems provide cleaner emissions for commercial vessels sailing around the world. Based in New Jersey, privately-owned CROE has a worldwide network of partners.

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EXHAUST GAS CLEANING SYSTEMS

Recent reports on the size of the scrubber market continue to point to an expansion in this segment over the coming years

SCRUBBERS FACE A BUOYANT FUTURE According to an assessment on the market potential from IndustryArc, growth of marine vessels used for military applications as well as increased trade generally using sea routes are expected to boost the marine scrubber market to $4.3bn by 2026, from $2.5bn in 2020 — an annual growth rate of 8.53% during 2021 to 2026.

Demand for waterborne transportation is on the increase, partly because of ease of transfer, but also because it is less costly than transport by road or air. According to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 1.68bn tonnes of cargo is transported by water per year, using about 177.6m containers.

Recent advances in commercial vessels — as well as giant players’ innovation in cargo ships outfitted with cutting-edge technology such as advanced sensors, navigation systems and other components — create a growth potential for commercial vessels, the IndustryArc report suggests.

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

North America “holds a major share of marine scrubber market owing to increasing government support for navy defence, combined with the robust growth of progressive shipping lines, is expected to boost North American marine scrubber systems market trends,” the report goes on to say.

“The United States government is aggressively investing in upgrading its current naval shipyards and fleet repair and maintenance, thus widening the market landscape.”

WASH WATER RESTRICTIONS

BIMCO has issued an updated list of local restrictions on the discharge of the wash water from Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS).

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has initiated evaluation and harmonisation of rules and guidance on the discharge of water (including wash water) from scrubbers into the aquatic environment, including a revision of the

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2015 Guidelines for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems.

However, due to covid-19 the work has been stalled and the discussions have been deferred to the 77th session of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee in November this year.

The current (2015) Guidelines for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (MEPC.259(68)) include criteria for monitoring and recording levels of: pH, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), turbidity/suspended particle matter, nitrates, additives and other substances in wash water from openloop scrubbers.

Furthermore, the guidelines specify that any residues generated by the scrubber should be delivered ashore to the port reception facilities.

The forthcoming revised guidelines for EGCSs is expected to also unambiguously define and address bleed-off water from closed-loop or hybrid scrubbers.

While the work at IMO to harmonise the rules for discharge of scrubber wash water has been postponed, an increasing number of local restrictions enacted by countries or ports and terminals are emerging. BIMCO has therefore updated its list of local restrictions on the discharge of scrubber wash water.

SCRUBBER UPTAKE

Very large crude carrier (VLCC) spot earnings averaged just $500 a day on the benchmark TD3C trade between the Middle East and China during the first half of the year on a slowsteaming, non-scrubber, non-eco basis — the lowest half yearly result this century according to tanker broker Gibson.

The broker suggests that the VLCC fleet has the highest uptake of scrubbers, with nearly 39% having equipment installed and another 5% retrofitting as well as technology for newbuilds.

Scrubber-equipped vessels have been able to generate increasingly higher returns due to rising bunker prices. For scrubber-equipped VLCC tonnage, the earnings premium on TD3C nearly doubled from $4,000 a day to $7,000 a day over the first six months.

EXHAUST GAS CLEANING SYSTEMS

RETROFIT DEAL

Berge Bulk and Yara Marine Technologies continue their shared commitment to reduce maritime emissions, including additional in-line scrubbers in a new retrofit deal. Yara Marine has already installed scrubbers on about 30 of Berge Bulk’s carriers.

“Yara Marine shares our goal of reducing emissions,” says Berge Bulk “We take interest in how it has broadened its portfolio of green technologies, so we bring it along on our journey to zero carbon.

“We have had good experiences using Yara Marine for emissions reduction. It has already provided several of our vessels with efficient, safe and reliable scrubbers. That is why we are very happy to announce the new deal and our continued commitment to reduce emissions at sea. Retrofitting in-line scrubbers on additional vessels will improve our fleet’s performance.”

“Berge Bulk is one of our most important and long-standing customers, and it is a privilege to be working with a leading company that is making great strides and seizing opportunities for innovation through

“We strive towards the same goal — a greener maritime industry — and that made us a natural match. We are now ready to move our solutions into the next phase of rapid expansion”

green technologies,” says Thomas Koniordos, chief executive at Yara Marine.

“We share Berge Bulk’s commitment to reducing emissions and look forward to providing our best expertise when equipping even more of their ships with our exhaust gas cleaning technology

YARA BUYS LEAN MARINE

Yara Marine Technologies has also acquired Lean Marine, a company at the cutting edge of automated fuelsaving, performance management, and reporting solutions for vessels.

Lean Marine’s FuelOpt system optimises a vessel’s propulsion line in real-time based on the commands from the bridge, enabling automated control of vessel speed and fuel consumption, and avoiding fuel overconsumption.

Additionally, on vessels with controllable pitch propellers, FuelOpt acts as a dynamic tuning system controlling the propeller’s pitch and RPM automatically to produce the most amount of thrust with the least amount of power.

Another Lean Marine product, Fleet Analytics, turns the vessel’s data into knowledge to improve decision-making and achieve operational excellence.

Mikael Laurin chief executive of Lean Marine, says: “Yara Marine has consistently demonstrated its ability and dedication at providing commercial shipping operators with technologies that reduce maritime emissions, and they have the capacity to scale and implement new solutions quickly.

“We strive towards the same goal — a greener maritime industry — and that made us a natural match. We are now ready to move our solutions into the next phase of rapid expansion, in a global market, where the frontrunners will show the way.”

Thomas Koniordos, chief executive at Yara Marine, says: “The savings offered by their technologies are not to be missed. In addition, its experience in propulsion control systems, customised marine engineering, and hydrodynamics really put fast-moving digital developments into good use.

“We already see several interesting synergies between us,” adds Laurin.

“For instance, the integration of windassisted propulsion and conventional

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EXHAUST GAS CLEANING SYSTEMS

propulsion systems requires a smart solution, one that is able to dynamically adjust engine power, pitch propeller, and route for real time optimisation of fuel efficiency. This is a very interesting arena now that Yara Marine is bringing WindWings to the market.”

ECOSPRAY BRANCHES OUT

Ecospray has expanded its range of innovative products with WESP (Wet Electrostatic Precipitator), a preparatory technology for carbon capture solutions combined with exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) and diesel engines.

WESP is ready for its first installation on a cruise ship. Subsequently, thorough testing will be run in collaboration with third-party bodies such as RINA and SGS, in order to validate and assess the results.

WESP is a newly developed system in the marine sector for the elimination of particulate matter and black smoke.

It was developed to eliminate visible smoke from the stack, especially during engine start-up and at low loads, by capturing particles and sulphites. It can be installed downstream of the DeSOx tower and has low pressure drops and high removal efficiency.

WESP can be integrated into an existing DeSOx tower or installed as a stand-alone unit, for both open loop and hybrid EGCS. The project will be developed in collaboration with RINA, which will support Ecospray in the assessment of the technology and run various tests.

Andrea Cogliolo, senior director marine at RINA, says: “Our role in this project begins with the verification and validation of the installation drawings onboard the ship, continues by establishing a test protocol that is to be performed with the support of a third-party company equipped for measurements, and ends with the issuance of a report on the results achieved.

“The collaboration with Ecospray is part of RINA’s strategy, which looks at the energy transition as an area in which to make an important contribution.”

Filippo Lossani, leader of project management at Ecospray says: “Like the EGCS plants for diesel engines, WESP is a ‘bridge’ technology, meaning it’s a true transition technology, which will guide us towards the 2030-2050 objectives.”

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The WESP (Wet Electrostatic Precipitator) © ECOSPRAY

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Wårtsilä has delivered a record-breaking number of scrubbers (© Wårtsilä)

WÄRTSILÄ RECORD

Wärtsilä managed a record-breaking amount of scrubber deliveries in 2020, despite the covid-19 pandemic.

It highlights the continued interest in exhaust gas abatement systems as long-term solutions for the global fleet.

A significant order was booked in November 2020 with a Japanese shipyard, Japan Marine United (JMU), to install a 25mw scrubber on a new Japanese-owned very large crude carrier (VLCC) set to be delivered in 2022.

The order on the newbuild VLCC reinforces the long-term position of exhaust gas treatment technologies.

The system will run in an open loop configuration. The 2022 delivery date for the vessel proves that scrubbers are seen as a full lifecycle asset.

Wärtsilä’s scrubbers take a modular approach and can be upgraded over time, with the potential to mitigate nitrogen oxide and particulate matter.

The order comes as the latest milestone in Wärtsilä’s longstanding relationship with JMU — it has installed 35 scrubbers on vessels being built at the yard.

Scott Oh, director at Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment Asia, says: “This installation is a clear indication of how important scrubbers are becoming for newbuild vessels, as they aim to keep up with shipping’s tightening

environmental regulatory landscape.

“We are confident that the industry understands both the power of exhaust gas cleaning technologies as compliance solutions for today, but also to meet a range of challenges beyond sulphur.”

Wärtsilä ET offers integrated compliant solutions for all types of ships, and in open loop, closed loop or hybrid configurations. Its scrubbers are built with a modular approach to future technology development, creating a platform for the abatement of other emissions from shipping beyond sulphur.

OPEN LOOP ALL CLEAR

A recent independent ecotoxicity study undertaken in accordance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) guidelines by the Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association (EGCSA) gives open loop scrubbers the all-clear.

The study indicated that both in a standard OECD port and in a highly trafficked seaway the operation of open loop scrubbers did not create an unwarranted risk.

Don Gregory, director of the EGCSA comments: “The results of the study were not unexpected. The study puts to bed the myth and unsubstantiated

claims of some NGOs who are simply seeking to ban the use of residual fuel oil. They have used rhetoric, sensationalism and unsubstantiated claims or pseudo studies to attempt to discredit scrubbers.” Gregory went on to say; “the fact is that the forecast for scrubber uptake in IMO’s 2016 Fuel Availability Study by CE Delft Consortium ensured that Administrations agreed to introduce the global sulphur cap in 2020.

Without scrubbers, the world would be facing another 3.5 years of high sulphur emissions.”

The ecotoxicity study addresses the concerns that the discharge water from scrubbers, while infinitely low in concentrations of substances that might be considered hazardous, “might” produce an unexpected toxic cocktail. Ecotoxicity is a GESAMP requirement for assessing the risk arising from toxic substance preparations in ballast water management systems and also in antifouling systems.

Discharge water was taken from four ships operating in northern Europe with open loop scrubbers. The samples were homogenised and presented to different levels of marine organisms, including algae and crustaceans, in a step-wise process, culminating in testing the toxicity with fish. The steps towards assessing the possible toxicity to fish were possible because at no stage were the measured assessment parameters exceeded.

The final step in the risk assessment is the translation of the data to the real-life situations of several scrubbers discharging into a port or into a busy sea lane. In all cases, the risk of ecotoxicity was well below the unacceptable level.

Gregory comments that the study gives certainty to ports, harbours and other authorities about the acceptability of operating open loop scrubbers in their jurisdictions.

Nevertheless, EGCSA will be seeking partnerships with ports to undertake more studies to provide on-going assurance that ecotoxicity of the open loop scrubber wash water remains at a safe level to discharge into the marine environment.

The study can be seen on the EGCSA website at:egcsa.com

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MAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS: FUTURE IN THE MAKING The shipping world shows an increasing interest in reducing the carbon footprint by operating vessels on carbon-neutral or carbon-free fuels.

At MAN Energy Solutions, we expect that many vessels will operate on carbon-neutral methanol produced from renewable energy sources in the future, as part of the global decarbonisation efforts.

The increasing interest has been a contributory cause to the decision of MAN Energy Solutions to extend the wellproven dual-fuel portfolio with the world’s largest methanol combustion engine, the MAN B&W G95ME-C10.5-LGIM engine.

Today, fourteen 50-bore engines of the LGIM type are in service on methanol carriers, and more than 100,000 service hours are accumulated on methanol alone.

The new G95ME-C10.5-LGIM engine design for methanol operation utilizes the same advantageous technology as our 50-bore engines. The new 95-bore engine will benefit from the reliability, high power and efficiency of the ME-GI and MELGI engine series.

The fossil fuel-based methanol produced today can reduce CO2 emissions by more than 10% compared to HFO, particulates and SOX by 99%, and give a 30-50% lower NOX level. When produced from renewable energy sources, methanol can reduce well-to-wake greenhouse gas emissions significantly, potentially making the fuel completely carbon-neutral.

The possibility to operate on methanol as a drop-in fuel, e-methanol and bio-methanol increases the fuel-flexibility of the new engine and the potential of methanol as an option within the large container-vessel segment.

Compared to other dual-fuel supply systems, the fuel gas supply system for the G95ME-C10.5-LGIM engine is both simple and gives a lower capex.

The G95 engine is here by available in the online engine programme.

Power kW ×1,000 100 80 60 40 20 10 8 6

G95ME-C10.6, G95ME-C10.5, G95ME-C10.5-LGIM

G90ME-C10.5 G80ME-C10.5

G80ME-C10.6

S70ME-C10.5

G70ME-C9.5 G70ME-C10.5 S60ME-C10.6

G60ME-C10.5

S65ME-C8.6

S60ME-C10.5

S50ME-C10.6

S50ME-C9.7, S50ME-C9.6-LGIM

G50ME-C9.6, G50ME-C9.6-LGIM

S46ME-C8.6

G45ME-C9.7 S40ME-C9.5

4 S35ME-C9.7

2 1

S30ME-B9.5

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

Methanol engines reflected in engine programme

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Speed 200 r/min

S50ME-C8.5

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PURETEQ: OPTIMISING SCRUBBER PERFORMANCE ACROSS THE FLEET PureteQ designs, delivers and commissions built-tofit maritime scrubber systems for open loop, hybrid ready and fully hybrid (closed loop, with and without bleed-off) operations to shipowners who want to save money on fuel by continuing use of heavy fuel oil (HFO). Recently, we have seen the price span between compliant fuel and HFO increase, while interest for scrubber systems is growing with the increasing price span.

All scrubber systems come with state-of-the-art intuitive control systems with full real-time remote accessibility. In times like these, it is very convenient to have access to 24/7 remote on-line support/ guidance to ship crews from our certified marine engineers. This feature has given all our customers a competitive advantage. We also perform modular training of crews and officers, as well as onshore personnel.

With vast experience gained from installing more than 100 scrubbers on different types of ships at various shipyards around the world, PureteQ has now developed the Generation II scrubber to reduce the total cost of installation (by a double digit percentage).

“PureteQ: giving customers a competitive edge”

PROVIDING ALL-ROUND SERVICE

PureServ is PureteQ’s dedicated service organisation.

It offers cost-effective service agreements designed to meet shipowners’ specific needs, based on the ship’s operational pattern and crew experience. All clients with a PureteQ service agreement have a designated service engineer and, according to every agreement, you only pay for what you get.

Our service team has received extensive training to assist shipowners in safeguarding continuous operation, reliability and MARPOL compliance of scrubber systems. This entails expert support and guidance for all scrubber systems on-site or via the safe PureteQ remote system, depending on the ship’s conditions and the client’s requirements. Our validated concepts allow us to assist crews remotely with troubleshooting and advice on operation, maintenance and optimisation.

We also offer a remote scrubber system modular training programme. In times where the crew changes often, “touch and go” remote training has high value for all stakeholders. Some shipowners even choose to have onshore employees participate in remote specialist training. In general, training cannot be overestimated as it leads to higher up-time and compliance rates, as well as better performance and reduced operational costs.

Installation of a PureteQ scrubber

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AGREEMENTS FOR ALL

Having serviced more than 100 PureteQ scrubber systems and almost as many mixed brands, we have gained invaluable knowledge of any type and brand of scrubber system. We have learned how to rectify issues by combining our technical know-how with hands-on-experience.

We have also assisted shipowners in gaining huge savings by adjusting the way in which the scrubber system is operated and managed. We have seen instances where the system cleans the gas too much and uses much more electricity than needed. However, most ships can save up to 1% fuel by running scrubber systems better and some can even save up to 2% fuel.

In our experience, most crews prefer to play it safe and will therefore put systems in manual operation to clean the gas much more than is needed for compliance. Putting scrubber systems in manual operation may hamper the safety systems and subsequently lead to damage. In these cases, we have assisted with changing the settings for optimal automatic operation, but more importantly, just informing and training the crew in scrubber operation has allowed the crew to understand the significant impact they can make when it comes to cost

reduction by maintaining automatic operation. We also perform spare parts management to avoid the unnecessary cost of replacing parts that may be repaired or calibrated. This includes cell replacement programmes, sensor replacement programmes and even water sampling programmes.

Clients are in safe hands when they enter into a PureteQ / PureServ service agreement. We have the tools, the manpower and the knowledge — and we also have by far the best software in the business. We can even replace software (and some hardware) on other branded scrubbers and make them run much more optimally.

PureteQ PureServ is privileged to quote service agreements for scrubber systems of any brand.

Soon, we will even be offering clients free-of-charge cloudbased software for environmental performance reporting and optimisation of scrubbers across the fleet. It features the measuring of MARPOL compliance and operational performance (impact on SFOC), as well as environmental performance reporting, such as CO2, sulphur and PM reductions.

The software will enable sharing of learnings between crews, resulting in lower energy consumption and other

operational expenditure. Savings are based on comparisons between HFO with scrubber and compliant fuel.

We have taken the lesser positive report from SINTEF into account, as well as third-party testing on sailing installations. The software is a perfect match to new IMO regulation on EED(X)I and CCI, when well-to-wake principles apply. This software will allow for cross ship / fleet learnings to crews, enabling that all-important reduction in costs due to shared knowledge and experiences.

For more information, contact: Anders Skibdal, CEO Tel: + 45 4017 1400 Email: anders@pureteq.com Michael Mouritzen, Sales Director Tel: + 45 4014 4481 Email: mim@pureteq.com pureteq.com

PureteQ has developed a new cloud-based software for performance optimisation of scrubber systems across the fleet

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CYGNUS: CUTTING THE COSTS OF CORROSION In January 2020, a new restriction, IMO 2020, initiated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), enforced a 0.5% sulphur emission cap on all ships worldwide. As the world awakens to the severity of our environmental impact, this positive step from the maritime industry surely marks the beginning of significant efforts to provide cleaner air. The last year already revealed valuable gains.

Although many ships will meet the cap with a simple switch to low sulphur, cleaner fuels, plenty are opting for exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS), more commonly known as scrubbers. By early 2021, nearly 4,000 were installed globally.

WHAT DO SCRUBBERS DO?

Marine scrubbers “wash” sulphur oxides (SOx) and other pollutants out of engine exhaust gases, treating and discharging the waste washwater into the sea at a pH level of no less than 6.5, 4m from the discharge point, as required by the IMO. This is a contentious issue, but strict assessment to identify potential risk to the ocean is mandatory.

Overall, scrubbers are proving to be good investments, with payback time as little as 18 months. Crews can continue using the high sulphur fuels they recognise (and that ships are built for),without relying on supply, demand and quality of cleaner fuels.

However, this ideal system had a rapid, damaging weakness that caught everyone by surprise — corrosion.

This relatively new innovation to the maritime industry was prematurely overwhelmed by it, at a severity and speed no one had predicted. Where?

In and around the overboard pipe, specifically the lower section nearest the valve flange is worst affected.

Extreme, accelerated corrosion is caused by the acidic, highly corrosive

Cygnus 4+ performing scrubber inspection

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washwater from the scrubber, containing pollutants the system has filtered. The effects on the ship’s integrity are further aggravated by the high temperatures of exhaust gases.

Catastrophic incidents have occurred where scrubber corrosion has resulted in water ingress into areas such as the engine room.

WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

The scrubber’s structural integrity and associated pipework must be checked regularly for signs of corrosion.

Classification societies, such as DNV-GL, now require wall thickness measurement for the SOx scrubber overboard distance piece in annual class surveys.

Ultrasonic thickness gauging is simple, inexpensive and reliable for building a preventative scrubber structural integrity maintenance schedule, focusing on the overboard pipe and its surrounding area, including the external hull. For this, many companies worldwide choose Cygnus.

Born in the marine industry, Cygnus Instruments’ first gauge was designed 40 years ago specifically for hull inspection. Consequently, our MK5 gauges are purpose-designed for a tough life aboard ships: waterresistant to IP67, drop-proof, shockproof (US MIL STD 810G standard) and extremely easy to use — a top feature that users value.

Cygnus gauges employ the multiple-echo technique as specified

by Class Societies, reading through coatings (up to 20mm thick with Deep Coat function), negating the need for removing important, expensive protective coatings or epoxy that safeguards against external scrubber corrosion. For heavily corroded metals with a thin or no remaining coating, Cygnus PLUS gauges offer Echo-Echo and Single-Echo measuring modes, and our Measurement Stability Indicator (MSI™) offers quick, reliable readings.

Our advanced models offer datalogging. Readings can be logged, uploaded to simple software for reference or exported for reporting and analysis; thus wall-thinning and corrosion is easily monitored over time and issues addressed early.

SURVEYS ON THE SURFACE Cygnus 1 Intrinsically Safe gauge is the only one of its kind in the world certified to Class 1, Div 1 (“Zone 0”) for ATEX, IECEx and CSA-US, safe for hazardous, potentially explosive atmospheres — absolutely key when working on vessels transporting flammable cargoes.

This heavy-duty, shock-proof unit, complete with MultipleEcho technology, gives accurate, self-verified measurements without removing coatings.

Equally popular, Cygnus 4+ thickness gauge is a fantastic little all-rounder; small but tough, with multi-mode functionality, A-scan display, data-logging with Auto-Log for hassle-free recording and easy data transfer through Bluetooth or a USB lead.

THE FUTURE FOR EGCSS

Class societies now state scrubber systems must be inspected annually following corrosion incidents, and only accept readings taken by approved companies. However, it is advised that ship staff regularly check for potential problems. Thanks to their ease of use, reliability and capabilities, Cygnus ultrasonic thickness gauges (UTG) are widely used by ship owners and global fleet management companies.

“Many companies worldwide choose Cygnus Instruments. Its first gauge was

UNDERWATER INSPECTIONS Occasionally, instead of conventional dry-docking, marine vessels are inspected in operation, reducing downtime, additional travel time and cost.

These Underwater Inspection In-Lieu of Drydocking (UWILD) surveys, often performed by divers, are where Cygnus DIVE comes in.

Cygnus DIVE underwater thickness gauge allows corrosion inspection while ships are in service, increasing costefficiency and frequency. Robust and wrist-mountable, DIVE provides an invaluable free hand while performing ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTM) underwater. The large, bright display with Live A-scan is easily viewable to both diver and camera — even in poor visibility.

Like Cygnus 4+, data can be auto-logged and exported for analysis. Topside repeater and HelmetView™ are available.

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designed 40 years ago specifically for hull inspection”

For more information, contact: Tel: +44 (0) 1305 265533 or Email sales@cygnus-instruments.com cygnus-instruments.com Quote CSI21 for 10% off a gauge

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MAGTREAT®-S: SETTING NEW STANDARDS MagTreat®-S is a stable, non-foaming suspension of magnesium hydroxide that is used as an alkali in marine scrubbers. It is based on the natural mineral brucite and is made in various slurry make-down plants, which are strategically located near main ports.

Since the introduction of IMO 2020 enforcing measurements to drastically reduce the emission of sulphur oxide (SOx) the sales of MagTreat®-S have skyrocketed. What makes shipping lines choose MagTreat®-S and not another alkali?

Henk Don, Managing Director of the Rotterdam-based company Europiren BV says: “I believe it is a combination of various unique properties of our product and our service.” Europiren is the exclusive distribution partner of the Brucite+ group of companies, which includes Russian Mining Chemical

Company LLC and its subsidiaries for the mining and processing of brucite (natural magnesium hydroxide).

RMCC started its activities in 2002 and reached total sales of 450.000 tons in 2020.

“MagTreat®-S offers significant advantages in handling and efficiency compared to caustic soda” says Don. MagTreat®-S is a non-hazardous product, thanks to it’s buffering capacities at a pH of 10. This is a big advantage in handling and storage as no special requirements are needed.

Thanks to the bivalent magnesium ions, magnesium hydroxide is 30% more efficient based on 100% alkali.

But caustic soda is delivered as a 50% solution and MagTreat®-S in its highest concentration has 65% solids. In that case, the efficiency of MagTreat®-S is even 70% higher, which means shipping

lines can save significantly storage space on board.

The natural magnesium hydroxide from Brucite+ comes from the world’s largest brucite deposits in Russia. It is unique in its high level of purity and the absence of any crystalline quartz.

There is often some confusion about the chemical analysis of the different magnesium hydroxides. In the mineral world, it is common practice to list all components as “oxides”, but in reality the components are present in a different chemical form.

Don confirms: “We often get questions about the abrasiveness of MagTreat®-S because people confuse silica (sand) with silicates (for example talc). MagTreat®-S only contains a small percentage of silicates and does not contain noticeable amounts of silica.

Silicates have the same hardness as

Mining of brucite with latest mining technologies and with maximum care for the environment

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In Antwerp and Rotterdam MagTreat®-S is supplied by barge which offers flexibility in volumes and delivery times

magnesium hydroxide and therefore MagTreat®-S has the same low abrasion rate as synthetic magnesium hydroxide and much lower abrasion rates as brucite from other sources.

This is confirmed by endurance tests in extreme conditions in the lab, but even more importantly by the absence of any signs of excessive abrasion after supplying tens of thousands of tons to marine scrubbers.”

Some magnesium hydroxide suspensions are known for creating problems with foaming in the scrubber, but not so for MagTreat®-S. It contains a unique additive that combines stabilisation with anti-foaming properties. Don states: ”Initially, we also had some issues with foaming, depending on the salinity of the scrubber water. But since we changed to a new formulation foaming has not occurred anymore.”

MagTreat®-S is distributed through a network of different slurry makedown plants, strategically located close to main ports. MagTreat®-S is shipped in dry form to different plants where it is processed to a suspension.

The suspension can be supplied with different solids contents, ranging from 32 to 65% solids. Don underlines: “We always promote the use of 65% solids because this offers the biggest benefits is terms of economy (lowest costs per ton based upon 100% alkali), storage space required and carbon footprint (less transport of water). But of course,

if the customer prefers to buy product with a lower solids content ,we can fulfill those needs as well.”

In Rotterdam and Antwerp MagTreat®-S is supplied by a dedicated barge that also serves as a floating storage. The biggest advantages of supplying by barge are the maximum flexibility (delivery times of less than 24 hours) and the absence of any interruption of the onshore operations.

Europiren expects to be able to offer this service also in other ports within the foreseeable future.

“MagTreat®-S has the same low abrasion rate as synthetic magnesium hydroxide and much lower abrasion rates as brucite from other sources”

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Europiren has also started to supply MagTreat®-S to several ports in Asia.

According to Don, it supplies from Europe at the moment, but Brucite+ has decided to build a new milling plant in Eastern Russia, close to the border with China. “From there, we can better serve the markets in China and other countries in eastern Asia. We are also in the process of setting up slurry makedown plants close to the main ports in Asia,” Don states.

The carbon footprint of raw materials is gaining importance in many industries and, indeed, also in shipping. MagTreat®-S has a very low carbon footprint: compared to synthetic magnesium hydroxide it is more than 50 times lower and, compared to caustic soda, more than 100 times lower. This is thanks to the absence of any chemical processing and efficient logistics that mean travelling just a short distance by truck with minimal transport of water.

For more information, contact: Rotterdam Science Tower, 18th Floor, Marconistraat 16, 3029 AK Rotterdam, The Netherlands Tel: +31-(0)6-150 81 860 Office: +31-(0)10-350 62 06 E-mail: h.don@europiren.com info@europiren.com europiren.com

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ECOSPRAY: HOW WESP TECHNOLOGY IS REDEFINING THE FUTURE OF SHIPPING WESP, the latest addition to Ecospray’s range of innovative products, expands the collection by adding a new preparatory technology for carbon capture solutions combined with EGCS and diesel engines.

WESP (Wet ElectroStatic Precipitator) is a well-known technology used in industrial contexts to remove particulate matter and condensable species from exhaust gases generated by combustion plants or engines. Ecospray “marinised” the technology to make it suitable for use on ships, tackling visible plumes at the stack – an issue that affects most ships during port stay and manoeuvring. These plumes – which vary in color from black (mostly associated with engine startup) to a greyish/blueish tint (sometimes present when operating an EGCS) – are mainly composed of harmful particles and are by-products of the engine’s

combustion (such as PM10, 5 and 2.5) and part of the condensable species (SO3) generated by after treatments.

Removing them will undoubtedly solve – or at the very least aid in mitigating – the issues they cause.

WESP is the latest technology developed by Ecospray to provide traditional ships with a modular set of solutions to achieve a further reduction in emissions and get closer to the 2030-2050 objectives.

WESP can be combined with the advanced Wash Water Filtration – another new solution created by Ecospray; for coastal areas specifically, its use can achieve significant environmental performance, well beyond most of the applicable regulations.

Shipowners now have another tool to use to achieve their zeroemission goals: these are all “bridge” technologies, which are

needed to enable carbon capture solutions combined with EGCS and diesel engines.

Although there are currently no specific regulations controlling these types of emissions, the attention to health and goals for the reduction of pollution and emissions are growing and becoming increasingly important.

While waiting for the standardisation process of dust and particulates emissions to be finalised by the relevant regulatory bodies, Ecospray can immediately provide a new system to remove PM and black smoke.

In fact, WESP, which originated as an idea in 2019, is ready for its first installation on a cruise ship. Starting from Q4-2021, thorough testing will be performed in collaboration with important third-party bodies, such as RINA and SGS, in order to validate and assess the performances of this new product.

The WESP (Wet Electrostatic Precipitator) is designed to capture particles of PM 2.5 and below from ship emissions

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MEETING THE CHALLENGES Not surprisingly, even though the technology already existed and was used in several industrial fields, one of the main challenges during the development of this product was the “marinisation” of the Ecospray solution.

Several key focal points were taken into consideration during the engineering phase: » Material selection – corrosionresistant material is a must given that WESP is an add-on for the DeSOx tower. » Structural and vibration resistance – an extensive analysis was carried out to verify all the possible scenarios for installation onboard ships, using a Finite Element Method (FEM). » High-voltage-related concerns were taken into account – for both user safety and electrical interference with the ship’s electrical network, released from the high-voltage equipment.

The integration onboard an existing – and already EGCS-equipped – vessel proved to be an additional challenge.

Starting from a 3D scan, Ecospray is able to locate the main equipment

and the ancillaries onboard, looking for the best arrangement to fulfil process needs, space availability and maintenance requirements.

At the same time, Ecospray has been working on a testing protocol to precisely assess the solution’s performance. The tests undertaken in Ecospray’s labs were fundamental for this as the system and its parameters were replicated on a pilot scale for the best results.

The testing protocol foresees the exhaust gas analysis, both upstream and downstream of the WESP, with dedicated equipment and analysers following ISO methods. Granulometry and chemical compositions of the removed particulate matter will be the key parameters of the laboratory examination. The assistance of RINA and SGS will validate the proposed approach.

The testing campaign will last a few weeks and is to be carried out after the onboard equipment installation is complete. All tests will be performed according to approved testing protocols and will give Ecospray with the chance to collect data on system usage in all the ship’s operating scenarios. Collecting operational data

is of extreme importance both for the performance assessment and for the optimisation of the system capability.

Additionally, in this phase RINA and SGS will assist Ecospray with data analysis and interpretation, to confirm the results are in line with the expectations laid out by the test trials.

Research and development have always been an integral part of Ecospray’s company culture. While R&D activities may often seem slow and complex, the moment when a new technology is finally ready to be implemented in real-life scenarios is always both rewarding and exciting.

For our WESP technology the feelings are more intense than usual, as the technology was developed after a particularly demanding study phase and has now become the start of a long and meaningful journey towards decarbonisation.

For more information, contact: Filippo Lossani, Leader of Project Management, Ecospray Technologies Via Circonvallazione 14/14A 15050 Alzano Scrivia (AL) Italy Email: lossani@ecospray.eu Tel: +39 0131854611 ecospray.eu

With WESP, Ecospray has made a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of the industry

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Shipping needs to make the leap to a new era of cross-industry collaboration, says Laurent Leblanc of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore

COLLABORATE TO INNOVATE

Laurent Leblanc Senior Vice President Technical and Operations, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore

Shipping is operating within a new normal. Even before covid-19 triggered unprecedented social and economic change, we were already dealing with the impact of IMO2020 and facing the challenges of transitioning an industry to actively prevent and mitigate the impacts of climate change. This era of multiple crises: a global public health crisis, a crewing crisis and the climate crisis all point to the need for increased collaboration in the face of great challenges. Only by working closely together and committing significant resources to joint endeavours will we be able to succeed as an industry.

Shipping is facing global challenges. We need to decarbonise our entire operations (with the transition from analogue to digital a key cog in achieving that goal), while also adapting to new market economics. Whether it is choosing a pathway from the plethora of future-fuel options, or the often-complex array of technological innovations at shipping’s disposal, shipping needs clarity in its direction of travel.

ACHIEVING TARGETS

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has outlined its greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction targets for 2030 and 2050, which aim to reduce CO2 emissions, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to 2008; and that total annual GHG emissions from international shipping should be reduced by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008. These ambitious goals will not be achieved without a broad, collaborative industry effort.

The sector must focus its collective minds on the fuels, energy and propulsion systems needed to supply the dense energy that ships need. To power ships today and for the immediate future, gas — principally LNG — represents the start of the transition as a viable alternative available for shipping to reach IMO’s 2030 targets, but more must be done.

This needs to be led by fuel experts providing the research and insight

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required to make commercially and environmentally smart decisions.

On top of that, class must take responsibility for its role in drawing up a pragmatic roadmap that offers clarity and assurance in terms of safety.

COLLABORATION IGNITES PROGRESS

Bureau Veritas became part of the “Coalition for the Energy of the Future” earlier this year, a coalition designed to accelerate the development of future energies and technologies to sustain new green mobility models and reduce the impact of transport and logistics on climate change.

The first seven projects for the Coalition range from focusing on green hydrogen, testing the first bio-crude oil dedicated to maritime needs to increase the use of biofuel along the supply chain and develop the use of third generation biofuels, to drawing a pathway for bioLNG and proposing a business plan to sustain port conversion into new green multimodal hubs, using lower-impact routing with greener energy by the end of 2021.

Crucially, the members of the Coalition extend far beyond shipping, bringing together a real breadth of expertise and knowledge. Without this diverse expertise and progressive approach from the different parties, this would not be possible.

Innovative projects and joint development programmes will certainly be vital to make sure we are ready for the future. Learning from, and collaborating with, different stakeholders with diverse experience certainly brings real power across the shipping sector and supply chains to develop the innovative solutions we need.

It is a collective approach and all our efforts need to be connected to sustain new green transportation models.

Bureau Veritas continues to partner with different industry sectors and invest in new innovations which will help the progress of marine sector in developing safe and successful alternative fuels. Understanding where we can learn and progress from other sectors will create broader progress for all.

UNLOCKING DIGITALISATION

The benefits of digitalisation and accurate, informative data being available across the industry in turn benefits the customers and the carriers, then the terminal operators, vendors, and freight systems.

Closer collaboration provides huge value. There is no doubt that shippers are pushing for greater operational visibility, and that alliances and supply chain partners in connected sectors will demand better ways to share information in order to improve supply chain efficiencies.

For class, it is not limited to just a surveyor with a camera strapped to their chest. Rather it can boost shipping’s entire business operations, update existing processes and operations and harness the benefits of new technologies, along the full length of shipping’s supply chains.

In particular, digitalisation can unlock new technological innovations which can have an immediate positive impact.

For example, digital twin technology provides shipowners with the ability to solve operational challenges, predict faults and reduce downtime. Likewise, remote surveys can reduce costs and save time for both shipowners and class. Digitalisation can unlock an agile and robust sector, mitigating covid-19 disruption while securing its longterm future, in combination with the immense human talent in the industry.

In another example, Bureau Veritas recently highlighted the value of deploying an artificial intelligence (AI) solution for corrosion detection during a hull inspection of a water ballast tank on a bulk carrier by an aerial drone.

The test was conducted in partnership with the RIT operator, MaDfly Marine Drone Services, in Dunkirk in real survey conditions.

During the hull inspection, Bureau Veritas confirmed the value of the solution to support the decision of the surveyor during his general visual inspection and close-up survey of the hull in a number of important ways from accessing real-time information, running the test offline without any connection to internet, and highlighting the capacity of the

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application to be deployed on the field with the computing capacity of a normal computer.

Seeing how other industries use AI and applying this in the shipping industry can make a real difference, helping the industry to be more effective with improved inspection standards and maintenance techniques.

The ambition for Bureau Veritas is to develop an end-to-end solution that will support shipowners and ship managers in anticipating repairs and better maintaining the hull condition of the ship. It will also support our team of surveyors by building their collective experience and knowledge around corrosion detection underpinned by AI solutions; a classic case of using cutting-edge technology to empower and support the human expertise of our surveyors.

Data analytics will support smarter decisions from design to operations.

The digitalisation of shipping is not about reducing the importance of people, ashore or at sea, but about helping us make more informed decisions. As such, we have to recognise the need for training and new skills in shipping.

As a world-leading classification society, Bureau Veritas helps shipping mitigate risk, comply with regulations and improve ship performance. As an organisation, we are dedicated to working with the industry in a proactive and progressive way to support innovation through new rules and tools, anticipating the future. We are also constantly looking for new ways to develop and change our operations.

Cross-sector and, importantly, crossindustry learning and information sharing, will accelerate progress across the industry and will have a positive impact, globally, assisting in navigating the current challenges of our time.

From addressing the implications of the pandemic and biorisks, and assisting crew movements and seafarer vaccination, to accelerating emission reductions, we must accept that broad collaboration will only help us all to reap the benefits, commercially, socially and environmentally.

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SIEMENS: DIGITAL TOOLS OPTIMISE SHIP EFFICIENCY THE CHALLENGE OF MEETING EEXI

In June this year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex VI that introduced an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEXI) for existing ships. The EEXI is applied to almost all oceangoing cargo and passenger ships above 400 gross tonnage. Requirements will enter into force on 1 January 2023.

Applying EEXI to your existing fleet involves two stages: first, assess each ship’s current CO2 emissions; second, implement technical solutions to reduce the emissions and meet the required EEXI target. But deciding which technical solutions to implement on each ship is not straightforward.

How can you compare the efficiency gains of different options? How can you also take into account the costs associated with installing improvements and any changes in vessel speed or performance?

Shipyards and naval architects have been asking — and answering — similar questions for years as part of the process for designing and building new ships. Through a combination of simulation and model testing, they assess many alternative designs,

including hull form, propulsion, energy saving devices, and so on so that every newbuild ship performs as required during the final sea trial, and now also meets the relevant Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirements.

However, implementing changes into your existing fleet to meet EEXI is more challenging. The ships are already in operation, so creating a physical model of the existing hull, adding modifications and running towing tank tests is expensive and time consuming. Model testing can also only be used for a small range of design changes, so the data is severely limited. This approach will not help if you want to investigate novel solutions such as wind-assisted power or keep the existing arrangement but run at reduced engine power, for example.

SIMULATION IS THE KEY TO REACHING TARGETS

The solution to finding the best efficiency improvements for your existing fleet is to go digital. The Simcenter portfolio from Siemens Digital Industries Software contains a range of simulation tools, which can be used to create a digital twin of your existing ship, assess its performance,

Using a digital approach means you can virtually assess the performance of multiple efficiency solutions before choosing the best option to meet EEXI requirements

then virtually test multiple alternative efficiency solutions. This gives the ability to explore a wide range of options and assess both their efficiency gains and potential cost implications, before any retrofit or sea trial takes place.

Simcenter includes tools for computational fluid dynamics (CFD), stress analysis, system simulation and design exploration and optimisation.

These tools are designed to work together, but also form an open environment so can be linked to existing data sets or analysis tools.

With a digital approach to efficiency assessment you can: » Test multiple contributing factors to any vessel’s energy demands in one virtual environment, including hull hydrodynamics, superstructure aerodynamics and drag, and rudder and propulsion systems. » Predict performance of the full-size ship, under realistic operating conditions. » Investigate new and novel configurations, and optimise the ship as a complete system.

SIMULATION-DRIVEN EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENT

A digital twin is a virtual representation of the physical ship, used to predict the performance during design and investigate the impact of changes when in operation. This virtual approach improves the effectiveness of the search for the best efficiency solutions and speeds up the design and retrofit process. Once the ship is in operation, the digital twin also benefits from the data feedback thread, for example from sea trials and mission profiles.

In a previous article in this magazine (Winter 2019), I discussed the benefits of a simulation-driven approach to ship design and performance analysis.

This is based on a central ship model, which contains all available data on ship geometry, layout and performance — a single source of truth. For any

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suggested configuration change, the required information for the current ship is drawn from the central model.

Using Simcenter we can simulate and analyse the performance and explore alternatives to search for the optimal design. The data from this investigation is then fed back into the central model, available to all stakeholders. When a final design change is agreed, the central model is updated to include the new information. This makes the central model the heart of the digital twin for a ship throughout its lifecycle.

This simulation-driven approach also makes it quick and easy to ascertain the best efficiency solution for ships in operation, and to tailor designs to individual ships. Simcenter’s automated optimisation software can search for the best configuration within specified constraints: with this digital approach we allow computers to do the heavy lifting, and then experts and stakeholders evaluate and select from suggested best designs. For example, you can assess hundreds of alternatives to find the one which both minimises capital expenditure (CAPEX) during build or retrofit and meets your efficiency requirements while keeping operational expenditure (OPEX) at acceptable levels.

VIRTUALLY ASSESS A RANGE OF SOLUTIONS

In recent years, the marine industry has seen an explosion of possible efficiency improvement options and ideas, from hull-targeted solutions including energy saving devices or air lubrication, to engine adaptions such as scrubbers, alternative fuels or downrating for reduced power. Using Simcenter’s high-fidelity tools, all of these can be tested digitally before implementation, to find the best option

(or combination of options) for your ship. For example: » Using simulation, energy saving devices and rudder systems can be tailored to individual ships. Becker Marine Systems uses this approach for every installation of its BeckerMewis ducts, which provide up to 6% annual fuel savings. » Simulation is a key tool in the development of new efficiency solutions, such as wind-assisted propulsion. In a recent study, Cape Horn Engineering used Simcenter to compare the delivered propeller power (and thus fuel savings) for the same ship with either solid wings or Flettner rotors. It found a 24% reduction in required power under given conditions if wing sails were used. » Companies are using simulation to improve scrubber performance. With virtual testing, it is possible to find scrubber configurations that deliver the highest scrubbing performance at the lowest pressure-drop and lowest equipment footprint to minimise its impact on operational performance.

have introduced a new contract guaranteeing propulsion performance in actual sea conditions. This will be verified using data collected during ship operation. Again, a digital approach to performance prediction can give full confidence before launch.

Using Simcenter, you can perform hydrodynamic simulations of your full-size ship, under any combination of wind and wave conditions. Using the included automated design exploration tools, you can quickly set up and run sweeps over different speeds or wave conditions. The whole investigation can run in a matter of hours on a cloud computing platform, giving you all the data you need to make fully informed decisions.

It is also easy to include the propulsion system in the simulation and investigate ship power consumption. In a recent webinar, we presented an example using Simcenter to predict ship minimum power requirements for safe operation in head and beam seas, as per the IMO process for obtaining EEDI certification.

PREDICT PERFORMANCE OVER MISSION PROFILES

ADDED VALUE FOR SHIP OPERATIONS

Ship performance contracts are typically defined for a single operating point: design speed and draft. This is assessed during sea trials before final acceptance into service. But in reality, every ship sails over a wide range of operating conditions.

Optimising performance for a single point in calm conditions does not guarantee safe or efficient performance across all weather conditions and complete mission profiles. Shipyards and owners are starting to recognise this and change their tendering requirements. For example, NYK Line and Japan United Corporation (JMU)

With simulation, you can virtually test and compare alternative efficiency solutions

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This simulation-driven approach is already being used by many companies during the early design stage for new ships. But with the new EEXI regulations, I believe the same tools can now add huge value during ship operations. In fact, this process has recently been approved by the IMO. As part of resolution MEPC.333 (76), the committee agreed that ship speedpower relations can be calculated using CFD, with no requirement for model tests. By applying digital testing via Simcenter to your EEXI compliance plans, you can have confidence in your planned solutions, whether retrofitting or engine modifications, and guarantee your fleet will meet all efficiency requirements, now and in the future.

For more information, contact: Dejan Radosavljevic Director, Marine Siemens Digital Industries Software Email: dejan.radosavljevic@ siemens.com Siemens.com/isde

SIMCENTER: ENGINEER INNOVATION.

Digital solutions for an efficient future Embrace the sea-change brought by digitalization to implement efficiency gains throughout your fleet. Use simulation-driven design to explore alternative solutions faster, predict their performance more accurately and deliver innovation with greater confidence. Sail on the seas of tomorrow thanks to Simcenter software. siemens.com/simcenter

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Shipping needs to take urgent action to achieve its environmental targets — and the internal combustion engine can help the industry achieve its decarbonisation mission, according to Marc Sima of Fuelsave

TIME TO TAKE ACTION

Marc Sima Chief Executive, Fuelsave

From the longer-term effects of climate change to the immediate shock and uncertainty of the global pandemic, shipping is firmly in the midst of a historic period. Environmental, Social and Governance and green financing pressures, along with government and private sector climate reduction ambitions, are pushing the maritime sector to make complex and costly decisions within increasing timeconstraints.

Time is not on our side. The International Maritme Organization’s target to reduce CO2 by 40% by 2030 is just around the corner.

In addition, by 2050 – the equivalent of one ship’s lifecycle away – the sector must reach 70% CO2 emissions reductions.

The growing majority of the shipping industry accepts that action is needed now to reach these targets. But what can we do today to make an immediate impact, while charting a clear pathway for the adoption of zero-carbon future fuels?

In an ideal world, shipping’s decarbonisation dilemma could be resolved

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by waiting for the current fleet to reach the end of its life, before replacing it with a fleet of new highly efficient vessels.

However, with targets looming large on the horizon, we don’t have time to sit back and wait. Short term measures to address emissions reductions from the current fleet are essential.

In particular, we must turn our attention to the older, more polluting vessels.

According to Elizabeth Lindstad, chief scientist at Sintef, 80% of emissions came from just 20% of the current fleet. We must prioritise tackling the emissions from these older vessels, as well as the remainder of the current fleet, or else risk irreversible damage to our climate.

The science is clear. A study by the University of Manchester highlights the potential benefits of using the existing fleet as a vehicle to achieve decarbonisation targets, as opposed to delaying until new more sustainable ships come online.

There is no silver bullet to tackling these emissions in the short-term. It will require a

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combination of design, technical, and operational measures, as well as rapid innovation in alternative propulsion technologies plus the establishment of a worldwide bunker infrastructure for viable clean-fuel alternatives.

However, the sector cannot afford to ignore established solutions such as the internal combustion engine (ICE), which is currently shipping’s only viable engine. The ICE, when used in combination with clean drop-in fuel alternatives, can make significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions now.

This is backed up by research from the Energy Transitions Commission, which strongly favours “drop-in” fuels that can be used in existing engines.

Clearly, the ICE will be an indispensable asset for the sector to reach its emissions targets, thanks to its flexibility to accommodate future fuels, its prevalence within shipping, and its ability to be enhanced further thanks to combustion conditioning – which can significantly influence and

optimise the combustion process.

By achieving a leaner and cleaner combustion at higher thermal and volumetric efficiency of an engine at a lower combustion temperature, shipping can enjoy not only fuel savings, but significant reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx) (GWP 289) by up to 80% and black carbon (GWP 3200) by up to 33% depending on the engine load, with solutions such as FS MARINE+, being compatible with other efficiency enhancement and emission reduction measures while providing flexibility to be used with current and future fuels coming throughout the clean-fuel transition.

There are many roadmaps available in the industry that suggest pathways towards the adoption of cleaner futurefuels for the shipping sector. However, these future fuels must be able to work effectively with the ICE. Ammonia has emerged as a popular choice – it is a zero-carbon fuel and is more energy-dense than hydrogen.

It can also be used in an internal combustion engine, including blends and pilot fuels such as hydrogen and diesel.

As opposed to waiting for an alternative form of propulsion to emerge, we have the technology at our disposal now that enables those future fuels, including ammonia and liquified synthetic methane, to enjoy further benefits in their combustion process.

The ICE will enable these futurefuels to become a success. We’re already seeing the sector develop ICEs equipped to handle the likes of ammonia with MAN and Wärtsilä both developing an ammonia-based ICE, aiming to be available for as early as 2024.

The combustion process can be further controlled and optimised thanks to advanced combustion conditioning enabling stable and robust combustion at high efficiency while controlling combustion temperatures and reducing NOx

The International Maritme Organization’s target to reduce CO2 by 40% by 2030

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emissions significantly.

However, a major barrier to the adoption of ammonia lies in its costs.

In particular, according to a recent study by the Energy Transitions Commission, first movers would face green ammonia costs around five times the cost of heavy fuel oil, with a similar cost increase also applicable for green methanol. As a result, cost savings remains the primary objective for ship owners and operators.

Modern dual fuel engines allow shipowners to adapt and retrofit compatibility with these future fuels, thus saving on costs of replacing them with alternative propulsion.

Additionally, advanced combustion conditioning is helping operators to reduce costs and address remaining performance deficits on the combustion and emissions side.

By being able to help ammonia to ignite better and combust with more stability in low and high loads, while at the same time addressing NOx emissions and reducing therefore associated capex and opex required to run the selective catalytic reduction, solutions like FS Marine+ for advanced combustion conditioning are delivering a unique value add, helping operators to save costs while optimising emissions and reducing maintenance due to a cleaner combustion with less soot and deposit and lower lube oil contamination, reducing the engine wear and tear with a high-waterbased retrofit technology that can be integrated effectively and with even lower capex in new-builds in the future.

Waiting is not an option and we must take action now. Therefore, shipping cannot afford to overlook its assets to achieve decarbonisation goals. The ICE, with its simplicity and capability, will be critical in enabling the sector to reach its short and long-term emissions targets.

As greener future-fuels become available at scale, the ICE – shipping’s only viable combustion unit – will come into its own. Thanks to its in-built flexibility, shipowners will not need to spend additional amounts overhauling their combustion process but can use the ICE now with minor modifications.

SEADRILL CONTRACT

Fuelsave will deploy its advanced combustion conditioning technology to reduce primary fuel oil consumption and cut Co2 and GHG emissions in the offshore oil and gas sector for the first time, following the signature of a landmark contract with Seadrill, one of the world’s leading offshore drilling contractors.

Seadrill’s high-spec sixth generation West Saturn drillship will be fitted with Fuelsave’s solution FS Marine+, which optimises combustion through the dynamic injection of hydrogen, oxygen, water and methanol.

By making combustion more efficient, the award-winning system significantly reduces fuel consumption and harmful emissions, such as CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and black carbon. Emissions of CO2 are expected to be cut by 10-15%, and NOx by 3080%, in line with Seadrill’s commitment to reduce emissions and protect the environment.

Three FS MARINE+ units will be deployed on the drillship. There will be one in each engine room, with each unit connected to two engines. This will support a total of 6 HIMSEN 16H32 / 40V engines with 8,000 kW each, or 48,000 kW MCR in total. Each will be specially configured for the vessel’s operational load profile, in line with DP3 configuration.

John Carroll, chief executive, Purify Fuel

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CODE RED FOR HUMANITY

In its recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a “code red for humanity” citing that impacts from human activity are exceeding the limits set in 2015 for temperature increases.

“Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades,” the report says.

In a world looking for solutions, the report recognised that “from a physical science perspective, limiting human-induced global warming to a specific level requires limiting cumulative CO2 emissions, reaching at least net zero CO2 emissions, along with strong reductions in other greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Our report shows that we need to be prepared for going into that level of warming in the coming decades. But we can avoid further levels of warming by acting on greenhouse gas emissions,” says report co-chair Valerie MassonDelmotte, a climate scientist at France’s Laboratory of Climate and Environment Sciences at the University of Paris-Saclay.

Calling for immediate action, the report states: “It is unequivocal that the increase of CO2, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere over the industrial era is the result of human activities and that human influence is the principal driver of many changes observed across the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere.”

Propelled by this sense of urgency, Purify Fuel’s nanO2 family of combustion catalysts provide an immediate reduction in greenhouse gases, the company says.

“With the world’s focus on developing immediate fossil fuel alternatives, we cannot lose sight of the reality that the majority of industries are still dependent on heavy duty diesel fuel applications and searching for ways to reduce emissions,” says John Carroll, chief executive of Purify Fuel.

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WÄRTSILÄ: EXHAUST GAS ABATEMENT TECHNOLOGY AN AID TO MARITIME’S DECARBONISATION With rapidly growing pressure from regulators, consumers, charterers, and investors – many shipowners are now facing the overwhelming need of having to meet sustainability targets whilst effectively reducing emissions from their fleets in a short space of time.

There have already been positive steps on the road to curtailing emissions from shipping operations, for example the Global Sulphur Cap, which enabled the industry to collectively innovate new ideas to ensure both baseline compliance and encourage proactive environmental performance.

When it comes to sustainability as a whole, regulation is only going to go one way.

However, it’s also clear that there isn’t a clear-cut solution to enable sustainable progress; be it on carbon, SOx, NOx or Particulate Matter (PM).

Moreover, it’s vital that the industry champions flexible technologies enabling shipping to adapt for the future as more stringent environmental rules are likely to arise in the near term. Exhaust gas treatment systems are one of these potential future technology platforms, which continue to be innovated beyond tackling just sulphur, to also support a whole host of our sector’s broader sustainability goals.

Scrubbers are already the go-to Sulphur Cap compliance option for world-renowned owners and operators.

The fuel spread continues on a steady incline – this is resulting in a growing interest in scrubbers from shipowners and operators who recognise the 1 www.egcsa.com/ecotoxicity-assessmentgives-open-loop-scrubbers-the-all-clear/

economic benefits of installing a system and the fact that there is no time like now.

Furthermore, open loop scrubbers continue to be revered following an independent ecotoxicity study1 in accordance with IMO GESAMP guidelines, which found that the technology running in an open configuration does not generate unwarranted environmental risk.

Together, our industry continues to develop and build a great understanding of the flexibility and power of scrubbers, which is why now is the perfect time to develop them further, in a modular manner, in order

tackle other pollutants. By adding other abatement technologies around the stack, using the experience of sulphur cap compliance to tackle other current and future emissions challenges – this approach can be achieved.

Modularity cuts the risk of technology investments in what is going to be a very uncertain time for the maritime sector.

Adapting scrubbers as a platform for modular technology advancement will give shipowners the flexibility of choosing certain technologies now, while keeping their options constantly open to incorporate more abatement technology in the future.

Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment mechanic welding scrubber machinery

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Wärtsilä test facility in Moss, Norway

As the industry moves beyond sulphur, scrubbers should therefore be viewed as a springboard for environmental innovation, with the potential to reduce other emissions that are also on the horizon. This includes the capacity to reduce NOx with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and exploring filtering and capture – either in scrubbers or with add-on equipment – to remove particulates and black carbon.

Meanwhile, and perhaps most intriguingly, is the potential to use expertise gained from installing and engineering scrubbers, to integrate carbon capture and storage within the stack.

This development is worth pursuing due to the significant reductions in a relatively short timeframe it can be capable of. It also comes at a time when the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee recently debated ways to cut carbon from ships, all in line with the ambition of the IMO’s Initial Greenhouse Gas Strategy. Whatever regulation comes, shipping needs to solve the fundamental challenge of carbon, and

to re-enforce this view, it’s vital that maritime explores technologies that will allow it to continue to operate sustainably and that may be able capture the industry’s carbon at the point of exhaust.

Wärtsilä is aiming to have a carbon capture demonstration unit installed by the end of 2021, which will help us to understand how to test and scale the technology on a ship.

At the same time, it’s also important that the industry understands that technology development and investment should take place with the future in mind. Essentially, a true lifecycle solution for a vessel must be futureproofed against changes that will inevitably be implemented over two or more decades. Having a global lifecycle service that is already available on the market enables shipowners and operators with the technology and innovation needed to achieve the industry’s goals today and tomorrow.

The flexibility and assurance of adding further technologies, dependent on compliance or operational requirements, will therefore be essential for the industry as we look ahead to 2030 and 2050.

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A vessel being constructed by 2025 will be at end of its life by the time it’s 2050 and the IMO’s reduction target for that year. Opting for a truly futureproofed and assured technology option is therefore critical, not only to ensure owners and operators meet impending regulation but also to pave the way for wider decarbonisation progress.

Beyond just being a solution for sulphur, EGCS solutions are perfectly placed to help the industry’s wider transition, they provide a base for future technology adoption. As a collective, it’s time we realise the endless options and flexibility that this irreplaceable technology can contribute towards the industry’s journey to decarbonisation and sustainable operations.

For more information, visit: wartsila.com/marine/build/exhausttreatment

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INTERVIEW

CorePower is just one company that has been working to provide alternative sources of power for vessels — in this case, its Molten Salt Reactor programme, which will deliver advanced atomic energy batteries for large commercial ships. Ian Cochran talks to chief executive Mikal Boe

A NEW LOOK AT NUCLEAR POWER

Mikal Boe Chief Executive, CorePower

Q: Please explain what a molten salt reactor is.

A: A molten salt reactor (MSR) is a class of nuclear fission reactor in which the primary nuclear reactor coolant and/or the fuel is a molten salt mixture. A key characteristic of MSRs is their operation at or close to atmospheric pressure, hence inherent safety is built in.

Marine Molten Salt Reactors (m-MSR) technology will provide the power for the largest ships afloat through the installation of advanced atomic batteries, currently in development with the first prototype scheduled for 2024.

Q: I see it can be used to manufacture green ammonia. Should this fuel be chosen, would CorePower manufacture green ammonia ashore and then can it be shipped to bunker points?

A: With m-MSR power, floating production vessels (think FPSOs) could be positioned where fuel is needed. Making green fuels from air (Nitrogen) and water (Hydrogen) to

create green ammonia (NH3) can be done in ports, substantially reducing the need for a trillion-dollar supply chain to be built around green fuels.

Such floating production units could produce to meet demand, and switch to production of fuels for urban transport and infrastructure when demand for green marine fuel is lower. Production vessels could — and should — be owned by professionally run private companies.

Q: Which particular areas of the shipping industry is CorePower currently aiming to equip?

A: Currently, there are about 40,000 ships that are too small to make commercial sense of installing an m-MSR battery onboard. Instead, they can use green fuels for their existing propulsion systems.

We are aligned with the shipping industry’s drive towards producing green synthetic fuels to replace fossil fuels. So, from Core Power’s perspective that is a market where we can provide long-term,

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INTERVIEW

scalable, emission free energy to produce green fuels and meet that demand. The development of on-board m-MSRs will make perfect sense for the largest vessels afloat.

Our plans, moving ahead, are in parallel with the development of the technology for use in the production of green fuels.

Q: Most pundits think that the internal combustion engine (ICE) is here to stay. Will this technology lead to engine conversions to run off the nuclear battery pack system?

A: Diesel engines are cheap, but maintenance and fuel over the lifetime of the ship is expensive.

With very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), the total propulsion costs, including capex and opex, of a Triple-E container ship can be more than $950m over a 20-year period sailing at full service-speed.

Fuelled for life, m-MSRs are more expensive up front, but operating costs over the lifetime of the ship are very low. A Triple-E containership could be up to 30% cheaper to run on full service-speed with an m-MSR “battery pack” over a 20year period, compared with one burning VLSFO, and potentially more than 70% cheaper than the same ship burning green NH3.

The m-MSR will produce the heat needed to generate power for an electric motor using a steam turbine, hence no emissions.

Q: Will the battery packs do away the need for auxiliaries?

A: We envisage there will be a need have an auxiliary power system for maintenance periods, safety checks and port state control inspections.

Q: A system like this will obviously favour newbuildings due to the design work needed. Will there be much of a retrofit market?

A: We are working with some of the major shipyards in Japan to develop a building programme to incorporate m-MSR technology into ships with new design concepts.

So, yes, it is unlikely there will be initial demand for retrofitting, although as the m-MSR batteries are mass produced and the unit price drops there may be opportunities for retrofitting in the future.

Q: How have you tackled the issue of onboard storage?

A: The advanced atomic battery packs are relatively small and, with no smokestacks or exhaust systems, the engine room size can be reduced and the additional space used for more cargo.

Engineering crews can also be reduced as only turbines and electric systems need regular maintenance.

Q: Like any new innovation, mass production is key. Is CorePower looking for a partner with mass production facilities as yet?

A: Once the prototype m-MSR battery is ready, as early as 2024, we will look to establish a production facility in the US in the following years. In the future, there will opportunities to build the MSRs in countries such as Japan or the UK. However initially, as the batteries are relatively small, they can be easily transported to shipyards or green fuel production platforms by sea.

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MSR batteries in different configurations

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Q: De-commissioning of nuclear power plants is seen as a problem. How will you tackle this?

A: The main difference is that m-MSR spent fuel can be recycled into terrestrial power production and used for up to 150 years per load, leaving a small amount of waste.

Once the ship has been taken out of service, the battery can be removed and, following refurbishment, can be reinstalled in the next vessel.

Unlike old nuclear vessels, which required atomic material to be replaced every 12-24 months because only 1% of the fuel was used and the rest is waste, MSR batteries have a life span of 25 years without refuelling and use somewhere between 95% and 97% of the fuel, leaving minimal waste for reprocessing. Some of the that waste can be harvested for rare isotopes used in the treatment of cancer.

Q: Obviously CorePower will need finance to go into any sort of production. Are you addressing this?

A: CorePower is in a consortium with TerraPower, founded by Bill Gates, Southern Company, a leading USenergy provider, and Orano, the French state-owned atomic energy provider.

INTERVIEW

The consortium was granted US Department of Energy funding in 2020.

CorePower also has more than 50 shipowners involved in the company, both as private investors and advisors.

Q: What about political or other obstacles to this type of power? How will this be addressed?

A: For sure, public opinion is one of our main strategic areas to help the general public, governments, NGOs and the shipping industry understand that this MSR technology is totally different from the old nuclear. The perceived issues with nuclear bear no resemblance to the actual figures. m-MSR is not connected to the “old nuclear”, like the technology that is used in power stations, on naval submarines, aircraft carriers and ice breakers, but new advanced “atomic battery” technology in the form of the m-MSR. It can provide all the positive benefits of atomic energy, without the negative problems of old nuclear.

In the m-MSR atomic battery, the fuel is the coolant and the coolant is the fuel, so coolant cannot be lost. What happened at Chernobyl

or Fukushima is unthinkable with an m-MSR. An MSR is a class of nuclear fission reactor in which the primary nuclear reactor coolant and/or the fuel is a molten salt mixture. A key characteristic of MSRs is their operation at or close to atmospheric pressure, rather than the 75-150 times atmospheric pressure of typical lightwater reactors (LWR), hence reducing the large, expensive containment structures used for LWRs and eliminating a source of explosion risk.

Reverse Cold Ironing - Powering ports with MSR powered ships One of the potential benefits of MSR-powered vessels is that when at berth, the atomic battery can be connected to the local grid and power the port or terminal for the duration of its stay. The cost of power used will be priced to be significantly cheaper than the land side electricity provider.

The port or terminal operator can then pay the power used or discount the amount from the berthing charges.

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BALLAST WATER

Since the rules requiring operators to address the issue of ballast water management came into force, there has been what Mark Riggio of Filtersafe describes as a tectonic shift from compliance to actually living with the ballast water system installed on the ship

BUCKING THE SYSTEM

Mark Riggio Head of Marine, Filtersafe Automatic Screen Filtration

“When people say that a ballast water system doesn’t work, there are really only two things they are talking about,” says Mark Riggio, head of marine based in Israel, Filtersafe Automatic Screen Filtration.

“Eighty per cent of the time, they are talking about the filter and it is the filter that is slowing down flows. It is the filter mesh that is clogging and creating the issue that they have.”

According to Riggio, when ballast water management approval standards were initially introduced, owners and operators scrambled to get the cheapest equipment that would be compliant.

Now, he says, we have reached a state in the retrofitting cycle where operators are moving from the bare fact of compliance to considering whether the system actually works in practice; whether it needs additions to improve performance or changed completely.

It is no longer just a question of ensuring compliance with the regulations, he explains, but of actually having a system on board

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that meets the operating profile of the ship in question.

Systems are designed to work at the test facility, he explains, but that creates certain limitations when you take them out of the test facility and put them on an actual ship. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) addressed this with onboard testing, but again there was something of a disconnect, Riggio believes, because the manufacturers themselves got to select which ship they used so that everything could be done perfectly. Once the doors were thrown open to fitting thousands of ships, this created a lot of challenges.

Filters are tested for a very specific organic removal rate, he explains, but issues become apparent due to high sediment flows that ships would experience in operation. For example, there might be a number of different river deltas feeding into ports with different sediment loads and ships serving those ports could be drawing a lot of mud, silt and dirt into the

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vessel, which could have an impact on the filter performance.

It makes things complicated for ships when ballast rates and cargo rates get out of balance. The amount of cargo coming on must equal the amount of ballast coming off and vice versa to ensure stability. It is essential, therefore, for ships to have a predictable ballast flow, explains Riggio. “Even if it’s slower or half the rate, you know you are going to be able to move cargo at this rate.”

Filtersafe joined the market in the mid-2000s, designing what Riggio believes remains the only purpose-built ballast water filter; other filters were designed for other purposes, he says, and not specifically for ballast water.

After comprehensive testing by industry experts, Filtersafe was able to demonstrate that its filters were, quite simply, exceptionally good at cleaning. The company also devised its own test — the FACT test — which tries to simulate more accurately a vessel installation in ideal conditions.

Inlet and outlet pressures are specifically regulated so it is possible to track what happens if minimum requirements for the system are not being met.

Such testing enabled the company to tailor different types of solutions after attending vessels to establish why the system was not performing according to specification.

Filtersafe offers a staged cleaning solution by which the number of cleaning nozzles can be increased for vessels that operate in dirtier water.

While cleaning levels can be increased where necessary, this does not involve changing the filter, simply the nozzles.

This means the company can assess what cleaning solution is needed to maintain a certain flow, for a certain time, in specific water conditions.

“We can help to improve the flow rate through the filter and help to give them a more predictable outcome to their cleaning,” says Riggio.

Filtersafe is seeing its filter systems being placed ahead of other treatment systems on ships to improve overall performance. “It never really occurred to me that someone would want to put another filter ahead, so we started talking about it,” Riggio explains. Now,

BALLAST WATER

fitting a filter ahead of the existing one is becoming a bigger market than the company anticipated.

All the components of a system are intimately tied together and changes could potentially affect the type approval situation as far a treatment system is concerned. Placing an additional filter ahead of the system to ensure cleaner water is a solution that does not affect type approval. “It is cheaper to add another filter than replace the whole system that you have. At least we are able to provide them with a solution that allows their vessels to operate longer and closer to their rated capacity.”

“Making sure the systems work is a goal we need as an industry. We need to understand that we have taken the most complicated disinfection technology that exists and we have to fit it on a ship” Riggio explains that shipowners and operators are approaching Filtersafe to provide solutions to all sorts of filtration problems — and this includes ensuring that crew know how to operate systems. “To me, everything about ballast has always been ‘how do we make it easy for the crews’. If a system does not work for a crew member, they are going to find a way around it,” he says.

Making these systems as usable as possible ultimately results in

successfully protecting the marine environment. With this in mind, the company’s engineers make regular visits to ships to ensure systems are working efficiently.

The company is also constantly innovating. One improvement it is currently looking at is to deal with the issue of corrosion. Filtersafe screens are very visible, he says, and therefore attract many particles, including iron filings that stain the screen and corrode. “If you are not getting close to the mesh, you are not cleaning that off,” he explains.

The company is aiming for a problem-free screen that will last for five years, or the time between drydockings of the ship. “We are being very proactive on that,” Riggio says.

Another issue he mentions is filter cake and the parts of the system that remain dirty even after the filter is cleaned. However, there is almost no filter cake with the company’s filters he says, meaning a system retains its full suction pressure.

However, the correct initial installation is key. Often the problem with ballast water filters is they are placed in the last available spot, which is difficult to access and maintain, and therefore people don’t check they work.

“Making sure the systems work is a goal we need to have as an industry,” he says. “We need to understand that we have taken the most complicated disinfection technology that exists and we have to fit it on a ship.

“For ship operators, it is the eighth most important thing they are doing at any given time. It has to happen seamlessly as they are busy keeping the ship stable, preventing fire, shifting cargo and dealing with a lot of other things.”

Filtersafe continues to share its knowledge with the industry, providing advice on best practice when installing filters, how to get the most out of the system and what the industry needs to look for. “The ballast water market is big enough for everyone. Sharing knowledge makes every system better,” Riggio says.

“At the end of the day, the market succeeds or fails as a market and not as a series of competitors.”

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BIOFUELS

The marine fuel market is rapidly evolving. Low and zero carbon fuels have been readily distinguished as key to fulfilling impending global decarbonisation targets, resulting in a huge increase in the production and development of “future fuels”, as Teemu Jutila of Auramarine explains

FACING THE FUTURE

Teemu Jutila Director of Engineering and Products, Auramarine

Questions about the supporting infrastructure, quality and cost of so-called future fuels — as well as the pressure of day-to-day operations — is halting industry uptake, with uncertainty leading to some shipowners stalling newbuild orders.

Building shipowner and operator confidence in newer fuels is becoming increasingly important and relies on critical factors, such as financial viability, fuel supply infrastructure as well as availability.

One such existing clean fuel that continues to make quick progress is biofuel. In fact, several leading maritime organisations, such as The Finnish Maritime Industry, have stated that biofuels “could use the existing bunkering infrastructure with minor modifications and therefore show a strong potential to replace part of the fuel mix”.

Likewise, moves from major industry influencers —such as Trafigura, which recently started trialling biofuels across its fleet — indicate that it is set to have an increasing market share.

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At Auramarine, we view biofuels as one of the most feasible and effective low-carbon future fuel options. Our 45 years of expertise, designing and manufacturing fuel supply systems for a wide range of fuels, has led us to conclude that the fuel, when sustainably produced, will play a key role in ensuring the future decarbonisation of the shipping industry.

INSPIRING CONFIDENCE

The continuation of research, widespread industry collaboration and a meticulous approach is required if we are to fully realise biofuels. The uptake of biofuels — as with any future fuel — relies on a high attention to detail and scrutiny of infrastructure and operations across the entire supply chain.

With this in mind, and to further support shipowners and operators in the transition, we are working with industry leaders on the three-year collaborative BioFlex project to determine the most ecologically and economically sustainable way to evolve

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BIOFUELS

and coagulation of biofuels requiring carefully tailored specialised solutions, such as acid-proof materials, dedicated heating procedure and careful insulation. We are applying our expertise to ensure that every element of material used in a vessel’s fuel supply unit is examined to ensure a safe environment for the fuel and subsequently the wellbeing of those on board.

LOOKING AHEAD

Industry players are working together to progress the use of biofuels

the marine energy supply chain and replace fossil fuels.

The project is funded by Business Finland, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and participating companies, and enacted by VTT and companies Auramarine, Fortum, FG-Shipping, Neste, Pohjanmaan Hyötyjätekuljetus, Polartek, St1, Valmet and Wärtsilä.

Working alongside research centres, fuel suppliers and engine manufactures, we will harness our expertise to progress the use of biofuels as a viable new source of energy and propulsion by analysing the impact of the fuel on a vessel’s fuel supply units.

For example, biofuels can be corrosive and wearing on metals; the acidity, reactivity, filtration properties

“In terms of looking to the future, we believe biofuels are one of the most viable low-carbon fuel options available to the shipping industry”

With every ship unique in its design, purpose and history, we offer an expert technical review of the ship’s or fleet’s fuel supply system to determine the best possible adaptation of existing on-board fuel supply systems to handle new fuels.

We also believe that crews’ knowledge of the fuel in use is vital to ensure biofuels are managed correctly.

For example, it is important to know whether the fuel has been blended before bunkering or on board, what is the cloud point and recommended storage conditions to avoid the occurrence of costly sludging and disturbances.

If there are several fuels in use, each must have a dedicated tank and the changeover process must be controlled properly.

In terms of looking to the future, we believe biofuels are one of the most viable low-carbon fuel options available to the shipping industry. For this to be effective, we are not only continuously developing our offering in pace with the latest developments, but also designing a new product family aimed at supporting the use of biofuels to meet the demands of the new market dynamics.

As with all major changes in shipping, there will be hurdles to overcome to enact significant transformation. Fundamentally, we believe a thorough and consultative approach consisting of widespread industry collaboration, expert advice, counsel, and on hand support is required.

This is vital to not only ensure the safety, efficiency, and continuity of vessel operations, but to ensure the reputation and integrity of biofuel as a viable future fuel.

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ALTERNATIVE FUELS

As maritime transport prepares to decarbonise, there have been a number of initiatives over the past year in the development of alternative fuels

NEW ALTERNATIVES The Methanol Institute (MI) is calling on maritime policy-makers to adopt a “well-to-wake” approach in greenhouse gas accounting of fuels to support the decarbonisation of maritime transport.

The recent release of the European Union’s plans for maritime emissions trading will be followed later this year by IMO MEPC 77 meeting and COP 26, both of which will intensify the pressure on governments to put viable fuel choices in the hands of shipowners.

The Institute believes an approach that accounts for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the fuel’s entire value chain is essential to stimulate the uptake of renewable fuels that can drive the maritime industry’s energy transition.

Applying a well-to-wake approach in GHG accounting of maritime transport has four important implications for shipping.

First, it would provide an investment signal and foster innovation in renewable power generation and avoid transferring the reallocation of GHG emissions to upstream

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fuel production processes. Second, the burden of decarbonisation would belong to the entire maritime sector rather than to shipowners alone. Third, it will enable the industry to respond to fast-approaching regulatory targets and adopt sustainable fuels without delay. Finally, policy should incorporate incentives as well as present investment signals, the .

“The tank-to-wake approach currently used by IMO undisputedly places the burden of GHG emissions solely on shipowners and it implies that to achieve decarbonisation, they are held wholly responsible for ensuring decarbonisation of the sector,” says Gregory Dolan, chief executive of the Institute. “A well-to-wake approach would share the burden with fuel suppliers, power generators, port authorities and national government. We can’t just look at what happens in the engine room and ignore how the fuel got there in the first place.”

The MI policy paper includes an analysis of the consequences of focusing purely on tank to wake or “operational” emissions. By

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granting vessels propelled by ammonia or hydrogen from natural gas zeroemission status, policy-makers ignore the fact that they emit more GHG than any of the other potential alternative fuels. If policymakers truly intend to apply a metric to GHG emissions that reflects reality instead of a false impression of progress, the well-towake approach represents the only viable path forward, it says.

“The approach for calculating well-to-wake emissions based on fuel consumption is well established, as Lifecycle Assessment is frequently applied across different sectors to assess true environmental impact,” says Matthias Ólafsson, the institute’s manager of government and public affairs, Europe.

“Shipping doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for as-yet-unavailable fuel technologies to reach technical readiness, regulatory approval and availability when clean fuels are already available now for existing vessels and newbuilds, are readily traded on digital fuel platforms, and are available in low-carbon formats,” he explains.

A tank-to-wake approach risks selecting winners from the outset, which is bound to stifle To download a full copy of the report ‘Measuring Maritime Emissions: Policy Recommendations Regarding GHG Accounting of the Maritime Industry’, please visit: methanol.org

NEW KR GUIDELINES

The Korea Register (KR) has announced the publication of new Guidelines for Ships Using Ammonia as Fuel, containing the class society’s latest safety regulations and inspection standards for vessels using ammonia fuel. KR has also developed new class notations for vessels meeting the regulations and inspection standards in the guidelines.

Ammonia emits no carbon dioxide during its combustion, is relatively easy to store and transport compared to hydrogen, is cheaper, and has less possibility of fire or explosion.

As a result, ammonia is attracting worldwide attention (along with hydrogen), as a next-generation energy source, with the shipping industry

ALTERNATIVE FUELS

actively conducting technical research into the use of ammonia as a fuel.

The guidelines describe in detail the design and arrangement of machinery spaces and fuel tanks, control and safety devices, and material requirements for any facilities handling ammonia, taking into consideration the toxicity and corrosiveness of ammonia.

In addition, new class notations (SF-Ammonia, DF-Ammonia, Ammonia Ready) have been developed. If the vessel satisfactorily meets the regulations and inspection standards in the guidelines, the relevant classification notation can be issued.

Kim Yeon-tae, executive vice president of KR’s technical division, says: “Ammonia-fuelled ships are under development in various fields, we hope that our guidelines will help support the maritime industry to introduce ammonia as a ship fuel.

KR will continue to provide technical support and develop regulations for carbon-free fuels, to help the maritime industry’s successful transition to decarbonisation.”

“Shipping doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for as-yet-unavailable fuel technologies to reach technical readiness, regulatory approval and availability when clean fuels are available now for existing vessels and newbuilds”

AMMONIA PARTNERSHIP

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) announced in August that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a joint study to build a supply chain of renewable energy-derived ammonia (green ammonia), with major Australian energy company Origin Energy.

Origin is pursuing a number of green ammonia and hydrogen projects, including a green ammonia export project in Bell Bay, Tasmania, with first cargo targeted for 2026. MOL and Origin will complete a feasibility study on marine transportation of ammonia, demand in Japan and Asia and developing a supply chain by December of this year.

The MOL Group is aiming for net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, according to the MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1. It will not only reduce GHG emissions from its operated vessels, but also contribute to reducing GHG emissions in general and aim for a low-carbon society by taking a proactive approach to building supply chains for cleaner energy resources.

GREEN AGREEMENT

Defining integrated solutions for the production, supply, management and use of green hydrogen for port areas and long-range maritime transport is the objective of the memorandum of understanding signed recently by Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri and Enel Green Power Italia.

The two companies intend to exploit their expertise and know-how in their respective sectors to identify possible sustainable and innovative solutions.

According to Carlo Zorzoli, head of business development for Enel Green Power: “The signing of this agreement represents a further step forward in our commitment to collaborating with operators interested in developing solutions for the use of green hydrogen in sectors where electrification is not possible, thus contributing to the energy transition process through the decarbonisation of industrial activities”.

The two companies will evaluate the possibility of collaborating both in the supply of green hydrogen to naval,

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ALTERNATIVE FUELS

submarine and surface vessels, and to industrial users within the port area, including the design and construction of the necessary infrastructure elements, including storage, where necessary. They are also looking at the design and development of a system for the management of energy flows, including through the involvement of other companies from the respective groups.

Enel’s Eugenio Montale power plant in La Spezia will be used as an initial test site for the activities covered by the agreement, thus launching a sustainable energy transition path for the site.

GROUND-BREAKING STUDIES

A consortium led by ABS, along with CE Delft and Arcsilea, is to perform six studies on alternative fuels and decarbonisation technologies for the European Maritime Safety Agency

(EMSA).The studies will be carried out over four years and will look at the decarbonisation of shipping, including biofuels, ammonia, hydrogen, wind-assisted propulsion, air lubrication and other similar technologies that look promising.

The initiative is part of EMSA’s mission to provide technical assistance to the EU Commission and member states in the promotion of sustainable shipping and support the shift to lowand zero-carbon operations.

“This will be a monumental study that will provide an unprecedented degree of guidance and clarity with regards to the maritime application of alternative fuels and energy-saving devices,” says Georgios Plevrakis, ABS director of global sustainability.

The studies will analyse the industry’s use of each fuel or power technology, including availability, life-cycle emission characteristics

and economic aspects. Project partners will also review the current regulatory framework, identify any gaps and include safety assessments for the application of each fuel and power source to cargo as well as passenger vessels.

INSIGHTS INTO FUELS

As shipping pivots towards greener operations, and opportunities to increase ship efficiency decrease (as they inevitably must), a major issue the industry must get to grips with is fuel transition. Law firm Hill Dickinson has put together some insights on decarbonisation and alternative fuels and the challenges faced by the industry, including storage issues and the proximity of fuel storage and human living quarters on ships. See Decarbonisation, page 57 To find out more, visit: hilldickinson.com

MAN METHANOL INITIATIVE

MAN Energy Solutions has won the order to supply the world’s first, low-speed, dual-fuel engine to run on methanol within the container segment. Hyundai (HMD) will construct the 2,100-teu vessel in Korea for AP Møller – Maersk while Hyundai’s engine division, HHI-EMD, will build the MAN B&W 6G50ME-LGIM (liquid gas injection methanol) type. The engine will be Tier III-compliant.

Upon launch, the newbuilding will become the first methanol-powered vessel that doesn’t carry methanol as cargo. Mærsk has further announced that it expects the new vessel to be powered by green methanol with bio-fuel employed as pilot oil. The vessel is set to enter service in 2023 and will sail in the network of Sealand Europe — a Maersk company — the Baltic shipping route between Northern Europe and the Bay of Bothnia.

ME-LGIM engine

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ME-LGIM components

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SATELLITES

Data-driven technologies such as satellites can fast-track shipping’s decarbonisation.

Carole Plessy at OneWeb considers the proposition

REACHING FOR THE STARS

Carole Plessy Head of Maritime, OneWeb

Decarbonisation is one of the biggest challenges in shipping’s shift towards greater sustainability and improved Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance.

With the International Maritime Organization mandating a reduction in shipping’s CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030, incoming EEXI and CII requirements, as well as commercially driven initiatives by financiers and cargo owners such as the Poseidon Principles and Sea Cargo Charter, the pressure on shipowners and operators to reduce their environmental footprint is mounting.

Fortunately, transformative technologies have also emerged to help meet these environmental targets. With new digital datadriven technologies and software, a wealth of options are available to help vessels reduce fuel usage and emissions, optimise routes and monitor their performance. The commonality of all these interventions is the need for data, and lots of it; quickly transposed from ship to shore.

As shipping digitises and decarbonises simultaneously, the ability to measure,

report and verify vast amounts of data from a series of sensors and data points monitoring a modern vessel has become business critical. This is not only helping them become more competitive, as well as efficient in managing the energy transition, but for some it will define whether owners and operators can straddle this transition period and emerge from the other side.

Ironically, the industry that has for so long been hidden will require openness and transparency in order to succeed However, a bottleneck to the widespread adoption of these technologies persists, delaying shipping’s transformation into an industry as digitally connected as our onshore peers: global access to fast, reliable and low-latency data. Currently, connectivity beyond the range of shorebased 4G or without direct connection to fibre-optic cables is usually provided by Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite networks. While these undoubtedly wrought a 20th-century transformation on shipping and have a role in supporting connectivity

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SATELLITES

“Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are part of the answer to enabling shipping’s transformation”

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going forward, the effective widespread use of digital data-reliant new technologies requires a dramatic step change in how these are supported.

Enter Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks. These are part of the answer to enabling shipping’s transformation.

These consist of constellations of many smaller satellites that can provide consistent coverage anywhere in the globe with seamless handoffs between units ensuring that vessels on the move — even in the deep-sea — are always connected.

With these technologies, speeds up to 10x faster than VSAT are possible, alongside latency, download speeds, and costs on par with terrestrial fibre-optic networks and superceding 4G systems out at sea. With this level of connectivity, monitoring systems can provide detailed, real-time, and data-heavy updates to crew, owners and operators to enable them to maximise efficiency and minimise carbon footprints.

Alongside these environmental benefits, the bandwidth, speed and reliability offered by LEO satellite networks mean the digital transformation extends beyond decarbonisation to encompass the social and governance of ESG. These networks can offer crew the remote connectivity to video calls, streaming entertainment, and social media even when far from home, alongside fasttracking transparency initiatives vital to good governance.

The combination of these new technologies and the infrastructure to finally enable their potential offers shipowners and operators real opportunities to take the lead in shipping’s digital and environmental transformation — demonstrating to shipping’s regulators, financiers and outside observers that it is emerging from the digital doldrums into a cleaner, high-speed data-driven future.

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WIND ENERGY

The shipping industry still has a long way to go before it can truly leave the fossil fuel era behind — but wind power can help with the change, says Matthew Smith of Airseas

WINDS OF CHANGE

Matthew Smith Commercial Director, Airseas

In August this year, the shipping industry hit what may in the future be deemed an important milestone. Maersk announced that it has ordered up to 12 new methanolpowered vessels — including a new facility to produce the roughly 10,000 tonnes of carbon neutral e-methanol required to power one vessel annually.

It is a step that simultaneously shows how far shipping has come in terms of the evolution of its fuel supply chain, shining a light on what is feasible in terms of truly transitioning from shipping’s fossil fuel era.

However, it also illustrates just how far the industry needs to go in terms of scale.

Maersk Line’s announcement will mean it saves less than 3% of the company’s 33m tonnes of CO2 per annum, while the facility, although a milestone, will only produce fuel for one vessel, and it will be expensive.

According to industry expert Martin Stopford (a director of Clarksons plc), the fuel “could cost $1,000 a tonne, and it takes

two tonnes of methanol to do the work of one tonne of heavy fuel oil (HFO) — 19.7MJ/ kg compared with 41.8 MJ/kg for HFO — which pushes the ‘real’ price up to $2,000 a tonne, so shippers must expect to pay a lot more for ‘green transport’.”

Given the scale of the climate emergency, this is a price that the shipping industry, and global economy, increasingly recognises it must find a way to pay.

At the same time, however, it demonstrates the need to look beyond fuels alone as a means of decarbonisation.

Currently, much of the regulatory weight of initiatives such as FuelEU, or the International Maritime Organization’s EEXI and CII, incentivises either a gradual switch to cleaner fuels, or vessels to de-rate engines and slow down to save fuel. The industry should be asking itself, “why not transition in parallel with a free and zero carbon propulsion source, such as wind?”.

A risk of focusing solely on fuels is that it minimises the important role of efficiency technologies, such as wind propulsion, hull

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WIND ENERGY

coatings, air lubrication, hull, propeller optimisation, and other fuel-saving solutions. The ships of the future will need both alternative fuels to power their engines without emitting carbon, and clean technologies to ensure that they burn as little fuel as possible.

Not least when a vessel burning 10,000 tonnes of “old money” fuel will face a bill for $20m per annum in fuel expenditure.

The immediate benefits of clean technologies are obvious: ships need to burn less fuel to achieve the same result, which cuts fuel consumption and costs, as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

For example, our Seawing, an automated power kite capable of towing commercial ships, reduces the engine effort by an average of 20%, and — when applying the savings to one of the new Maersk vessels, for example — could cut fuel costs by $4m per year.

Whether it’s methanol, hydrogen or biofuels, all alternative fuels are likely to be more expensive than the industry’s primary fossil fuels currently used, and have a lower energy density. The doubling of required fuel volume on the vessel in the instance of methanol, for example, will replace valuable cargo space.

Having Seawing installed on such a vessel would reduce the need for such large additional fuel tank capacity, thus softening the operational and commercial impact of moving to alternative fuels.

Additionally, demand for marine fuels is expected to rise as the global fleet grows to meet the demands of the global economy, which will most likely drive prices up, and the alternative fuels may not meet the demand in terms of quantity.

Adopting cleantech is not as steep a hill as many may imagine. Many wind propulsion systems, for example, are easy to retrofit and do not interfere with cargo operations. Automation also greatly facilitates the transition, by removing the need for costly training or additional crew members.

For example, Seawing combines kite technology with an automated flight control system developed and proven in the aerospace industry. The kite can

“Seawing combines kite technology with an automated flight control system developed and proven in the aerospace industry”

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be easily deployed at the push of a button, and automated systems ensure its optimal operation. The same system also acts as a safeguard for Seawing when conditions are unfavourable.

Crucially, installing clean technologies will allow ships to remain compliant in the years to come, thereby buying their owners vital strategic decision time. With Seawing, companies will benefit from being able to maintain their fleets in compliant operation for additional years so they can monitor the emerging industry trends.

Just as in the auto industry, we are likely to see hybrid transport as standard in many countries within the next decade. Shipowners, shipyards and naval architects can accelerate this energy transition — and make it easier for all involved — if we start to think of efficiency technology as a fundamental part of the solution.

Seawing

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RETROFITS OFFSHORE

Making ships that service the offshore wind sector greener and more eco-friendly is the goal for a co-operation agreement between CSM Energy and technical consultant Hydrus Engineering.

CSM Energy and Hydrus will be assessing and retrofitting offshore support vessels (OSVs) involved in offshore installations and operations in order to transform them into hybrid ships powered by battery and fuel. This will result in fuel savings, a reduction in emissions and a cut in diesel generator maintenance costs, the companies believe.

Retrofitting existing vessels will be far quicker and much more costeffective than building greener OSVs from scratch, they maintain .

“Building new vessels with a substantial or even an all-green profile will be significantly expensive and take several years before they are ready for service,” says Kyriakos Tsangaris, technical director at CSM Energy.

“The current order book for new OSVs has declined since 2016, with fewer than 50 vessels ordered since the beginning of 2020. Given that OSVs already in operation are likely to run for another 25 years, retrofitting them is the best option for ensuring vessels in the offshore wind farm sector are eco-friendly,” adds Lambros Nakos, a partner at Hydrus Engineering.

The OSV market has struggled in recent years because of the oversupply of vessels and the declining need for oil. But demand for these ships is expected to grow as investment in the offshore wind market — now worth US$65bn compared to the offshore oil and gas sector, which is valued at $45bn — continues to rise.

“The offshore wind market is driven by moving away from fossil fuels and, as such, the green profile of the stakeholders involved is critical,” Nakos says.“Thus, in several cases, OSV market growth is closely related to the environmental profile of the vessels deployed for such services, especially for the offshore wind farm projects, where the need for green vessels operating on alternative fuels is solidified.”

WIND ENERGY

Commenting on the partnership, Mark O’Neil, CEO of Columbia Shipmanagement and president of InterManager, said: “This co-operation targets delivering innovative turnkey bespoke services for upgrading the green profile of the existing fleet servicing the offshore industry.”

SAIL POWER

Mitsui OSK Lines announced recently that MOL, MOL Drybulk, Oshima Shipbuilding and Iknow Machinery have reached an agreement on joint research and development of the Iknow Delta Sail Crane, a sail that can be mounted on ships’ cargo handling cranes and similar equipment to boost propulsion force.

The joint R&D project aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vessels while underway by using the sail.

Many MOL Drybulk-operated vessels are equipped with cargo handing cranes, and the company plans to study the installation of the Delta Sail on a broad range of ship types, such as bulkers, wood chip carriers, and multipurpose vessels.

MOL has already placed an order with Oshima Shipbuilding for construction of the first vessel to be equipped with the sail — a coal carrier, slated to start operation in 2022 supplying Tohoku Electric .

BLADE EXPANSION

Siemens Gamesa is planning to expand its offshore blade factory in Hull with an investment of £186m.

The expansion is set to be completed in 2023. Manufacturing of nextgeneration offshore wind turbine blades will be undertaken at the facility.

“Since our offshore blade factory opened in Hull in 2016, Siemens Gamesa has served as the catalyst for the powerful growth the area has seen,” says Marc Becker, chief executive of the Siemens Gamesa Offshore Business Unit.

“The rapid development of the offshore wind industry — and continued, strong, long-term support provided by the UK government for offshore wind — has enabled us to power ahead with confidence when making these plans.

“We’re committed to unlocking the potential of wind energy around the globe, with solutions from Hull playing a vital role.”

Clark MacFarlane, managing director of Siemens Gamesa UK comments: “The UK government has provided strong and consistent support for offshore wind, having committed to a further 30 GW installed this decade, three times the current installed capacity.”

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DECARBONISATION

To meet the decarbonisation challenge, shipping will need to adopt new technologies and fuels — and a fresh mindset.

Katarin van Orshaegen at GoodShipping explains how focusing on the bigger picture will enable companies to reduce emissions and move towards a zero-carbon future

TRANSFORMING CARBON INSETTING

Katarin van Orshaegen Commercial Lead, GoodShipping

The challenge to decarbonise shipping is unprecedented, both in breadth and urgency. According to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Fourth Greenhouse Gas Study published in 2020, shipping’s share of global anthropogenic emissions has continued to grow in the past decade, jumping from 2.76% in 2012 to 2.89% in 2018. Emissions are likely to increase further unless action is taken now, a reality that puts the spotlight on our industry.

This new pressure on shipowners and charterers has become more tangible than ever. In June, the IMO adopted amendments that will require ships to reduce their emissions through technical and operational measures. The industry is also watching closely as the European Union (EU) is considering its own regulations to disincentivise fossil fuels in shipping.

Meeting the growing expectations from legislators and society will require shipping companies to think differently and find impactful solutions that enable them to

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reduce their emissions now, while also laying the groundwork for the supply chains of tomorrow. This is where organisations such as GoodShipping can play a key role.

REDUCING EMISSIONS AT THE SOURCE

The concept of carbon offsetting, which enables organisations to compensate for their emissions by investing in external climate protection projects, is already widely understood and reasonably commonplace. However, it’s clear that reducing shipping’s global carbon footprint will require innovations to happen within the maritime supply chain. Therefore, a more effective approach to tackling organisations’ environmental impact is carbon insetting, which enables them to reduce emissions directly within their own sector.

The principle of insetting is put into action by GoodShipping, which offers cargo owners the possibility to transport all or part of their cargo in a carbon-neutral way.

Once the cargo owner has decided on the

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amount of cargo that they wish to transport sustainably, GoodShipping facilitates a fuel switch to sustainable marine biofuel. In simple terms, a volume of sustainable biofuel that reduces transport emissions is fuelled into a vessel or truck that would have normally run on fossil fuel.

For hard-to-abate sectors such as deep sea shipping, biofuels are currently the most practical solution to reduce emissions from shipping. Even with production and transportation process emissions included, the biofuels used by GoodShipping reduce carbon emissions by at least 80%.

THINK GLOBAL AND MEASURABLE

Carbon insetting encourages organisations to think differently on several levels. The most important mindset they should adopt is to see the decarbonisation challenge through global lenses and view their own individual actions as part of our collective fight against climate change.

For cargo owners, this means understanding that the sustainable marine biofuels they purchase may not be burned directly by the vessel transporting their cargo. Carbon insetting works because to improve the quality of the environment, it does

DECARBONISATION

not matter where in the atmosphere you substitute a material with a better alternative, as the net result for the atmosphere is the same. This is called the mass balance principle and it gives us a way to make real impact.

With carbon insetting, what really matters is whether carbon emissions were avoided as a direct result of each cargo owner’s decisions. Therefore, another focus must be on making emissions reductions measurable and verifiable. GoodShipping’s strict carbon accounting principles ensure that any carbon reductions are only claimed once, by the cargo owner who has paid for the biofuel.

sustainable marine biofuels is their “drop-in” capacity, meaning that they can be burned in place of conventional fossil fuels, on their own or in a blend, without any adjustments to conventional marine engines.

While this makes advanced marine biofuels the solution of choice right now, we believe in the importance of adapting to the fastevolving technological picture. Smart and flexible thinking will be key to assess other clean fuel options, such as ammonia and hydrogen, and integrating them to the GoodShipping solution as and when they become available.

CURRENT AND FUTURE FUEL OPTIONS

TRANSFORMING SUPPLY CHAINS TOGETHER

To make carbon insetting solutions work, a critical assessment of all available fuel options is also essential.

Here, too, it is vital to see the bigger picture and that’s why GoodShipping carefully selects fuels that will not have unintended consequences for the environment or communities, such as land-use issues, competition with food production or deforestation.

GoodShipping works with GoodFuels to supply sustainable biofuels to participating transport companies.

A key characteristic of GoodFuels’

Seeing the bigger picture also means being aware of the impacts of individual climate actions on the structures and supply chains that will facilitate the transition of shipping towards a zero-carbon future.

Carbon insetting is so impactful because it empowers cargo owners to take control of their own emissions and reduce them immediately, on the scale that suits their current objectives.

Insetting also ensures that the money spent by companies to reduce their emissions stays close to their supply chain, where it can help to accelerate the development of new technologies and future fuel innovations that will benefit the whole industry.

Bringing about the structural changes needed to decarbonise shipping will also require companies to work together and find ways to support each other. What unites all of GoodShipping’s carbon insetting pioneers, despite their diverse sectoral backgrounds and commercial interests, is an ambition to decarbonise supply chains and accelerate the energy transition.

As more cargo owners join, the share of sustainable biofuels used on cargo ships will increase, thereby even further reducing the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. And the more companies that throw their weight behind solutions such as carbon insetting, the more we can collectively forge zero-carbon supply chains and create a better world.

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DECARBONISATION

DECARBONISATION AND SHIPPING: ALTERNATIVE FUELS As shipping pivots towards greener operations, and opportunities to increase ship efficiency decrease (as they inevitably must), a major issue the industry must get to grips with is fuel transition.

Shipping is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and the majority of ships globally are powered today by hydrocarbon based fuel oils, albeit with some variation in grade and specification. Burning this fuel releases large quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which significantly contributes to its insulative properties and to global warming and climate change.

Fuel oils have found favour in the marine industry, and almost all other industries, due to their high energy density, wide availability and the relative ease with which they may be stored, transported and handled.

Although care is certainly needed, and fuel oils are not without inconveniences and difficulties, we live in a world almost universally well adapted to handling these.

Replacing ubiquitous and convenient fossil fuels is a challenge, which all industries face.

However, some dimensions of the challenge that are specific to shipping include: i. limited storage capacity on board ships coupled with, in some cases, long distances between land based refuelling stops ii. the necessary proximity of fuel storage and human living quarters on board ships iii. uncertainty (in some cases) as to schedule and future ports of call and a preference to retain flexibility as to port calls (i.e. to be able to fuel anywhere globally) iv. limited storage capacity ashore at ports and terminals

ALTERNATIVE FUELS: CANDIDATES

The industry has by no means agreed on a shortlist of alternative fuels.

However, in order to illuminate some of the considerations at play, we take a quick look below at some pros and cons of three future fuel candidates:

Hydrogen

Pros: speed and ease of refuelling; green production by way of electrolysis powered by renewable energy is possible; suitable for use in fuel cells; already produced in substantial volumes for use in the chemical industry; falling cost of renewable energy may lower green production costs.

Cons: currently produced mostly from fossil fuel sources; green production currently expensive; low energy density, requiring 8 x more volume than fuel oils for equal power output, and consequent storage capacity issues; must be kept at -253°C to be stored as a liquid; highly combustible and explosive, giving rise to safety issues; combustion produces nitrous oxides; fuel cells not currently capable of powering large vessels; large capital investment needed for storage and refuelling infrastructure for shipping.

Ammonia

Pros: speed and ease of refuelling; green production, using green hydrogen and renewable power for the conversion process, is possible; conversion process relatively cheap and uncomplicated; already produced in substantial volumes for the chemical industry; handling issues in relation to marine transportation are already well understood; higher energy density than hydrogen; storage requires refrigeration only.

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Cons: highly toxic; the conversion process requires an additional input of energy compared to green hydrogen; requires energy input for refrigeration; less energy dense than fuel oils, requiring larger storage capacity and/or more frequent refuelling; large capital investment needed for storage and refuelling infrastructure for shipping.

Methanol

Pros: speed and ease of refuelling; low cost for conversion of existing engines; minor modifications to existing storage and bunkering facilities only; widely traded, well understood and already available in some ports for bunkering; biodegradable, with a lower impact on the environment in the event of spillage; more energy dense than hydrogen and ammonia; relatively clean burning with low levels of SOx and NOx; liquid at ambient temperatures, no need to heat or cool.

Cons: lower energy density than fuel oil, requiring larger storage tanks and/or more frequent bunkering; low flash point represents a fire risk; toxic when inhaled, ingested or handled; increased corrosion risks; large capital investment needed for more widespread storage and refuelling infrastructure for shipping

CAN ONE FUEL SERVE ALL NEEDS?

While early dialogue and vigorous speculation on this topic envisaged a single “new” fuel might replace fuel oils in the future, discussion more recently has swung towards embracing a future in which multiple fuels will likely have a role to play in shipping’s green transition.

As the ongoing machinations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) testify, accomplishing a single

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solution for shipping globally is challenging, and even if the industry were to agree to switch to a single alternative fuel, it is not practically possible to flick the switch overnight.

Changing fuel means huge investments in fuel production, infrastructure and supply chains, retrofitting of ship engines and storage and bunkering facilities, modification of fuel tanks and fuel delivery systems, retraining of crew and terminal staff, adjustments to contracts, and reappraisal and recertification of equipment and processes. It requires foresight, planning and collaboration extending beyond the shipping industry.

It also requires fuel availability, at scale and at a viable price.

Consequently, shipping finds itself in a classic “chicken and egg” situation.

Owners will understandably be reluctant to initiate the refitting of their vessels (or to order new vessels built to burn different fuels) while ever an alternative fuel is unproven at scale, not globally available and comes with the high price tag that vast infrastructure projects tend to generate.

Meanwhile, if there is no demand signal from shipping, energy producers will be slow to orientate their efforts towards creating shore side availability of alternative fuels and to start producing at sufficient scale to supply those sites.

The solution to moving beyond this impasse seems to be emerging — as is true in relation to other aspects of the decarbonisation landscape — at a more local level.

Not all shipping operations are the same and neither are all ships. Needs, and the capacity for compromise, therefore vary significantly across the industry. A ferry running between the same few ports on a regular schedule, and never at sea for more than a few hours, can utilise an alternative fuel option which would be simply unworkable for a vessel tramping the deep seas, away from port for weeks at a time and not always knowing which port it will arrive at next.

As recognition of this reality spreads, owners and operators are increasingly looking to find a solution

DECARBONISATION

that is right for their fleet and its activity, rather than waiting for a onesize-fits-all solution, and pockets of new practice are now emerging around the world in the form of trials, and one to several ship experiments.

“The transition to alternative fuels for shipping is likely to be led by industry participants” KEEPING THE BIG PICTURE IN MIND

Two important considerations for the industry to keep in mind throughout its transition to alternative fuels, are that: 1. the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping exists in the context of an urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all human activities 2. the move to alternative fuels in industries other than shipping is an opportunity for shipping to downsize, given that a large percentage of the cargo it carries (some put it as high as 40%) is fossil fuel.

In relation to both of these considerations, a critical question of any new fuel for shipping is: how green are its credentials?

Displacing emissions up the production chain, so as to burn a clean fuel on the ship, which has nonetheless emerged from a polluting production process, will do little to halt the climate crisis.

Equally, where an opportunity exists to recreate the fuel production and supply chain, using fuel that has been unnecessarily transported around the world, instead of generated in

facilities close to the source of demand, will be an incomplete answer to the emissions emergency.

Just as the blending of fuel oils to achieve a reduced sulphur content led to an increase in output of black carbon particles, sparking a debate about whether there in fact was a net benefit to reducing sulphur levels in marine fuels, the widespread use of alternative fuels in the marine industry may give rise to unforeseen adverse consequences.

Being aware of that possibility, and approaching the issue with as broad a view as possible, should help to reduce the risk, although accomplishing this means keeping the big picture in mind at all times.

CONCLUSION

As things stand at present, it appears that the transition to alternative fuels for shipping is likely to be led by industry participants, rather than regulators, and that the future is likely to be diverse.

A variety of fuels may be deployed across the industry with not all sectors, or even ships within sectors, utilising the same fuel and possibly even with some ships utilising multiple fuels, and fuel supplements such as wind and solar power, aboard.

Production and upstream pollution, and the emissions of combustion products other than CO2 will be factors for consideration when selecting alternative fuels and, at some point, the industry may start to downsize as a result of a global drop in demand for fossil fuels.

This may go hand in hand with older fossil fuel burning (and carrying) vessels naturally reaching their end of life, and could lead to a spike in ship disposals, as vessels become economically and environmentally obsolete. A new era of ships and shipping dawns.

This article first appeared on hilldickinson.com and was written by Rachel Hoyland, senior associate, and Peter McDonnell, trainee solicitor.

Visit: hilldickinson.com/insights/ articles/decarbonisation-and-shippingalternative-fuels

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RECYCLING

Despite facing many challenges during the pandemic, ship recycling is showing a healthy growth. However, the industry still has many issues to face

SURGE IN SCRAPPING Recycling activity continued in the first half of the year with 275 cargo vessels sold for scrap, up 40% and 33% compared to 2020 and 2019, respectively, according to information from VesselsValue — although incentivising operators remains an issue The vessels totalled 11.9m dwt with a total scrap value of more than $1bn. 131 tankers were scrapped, accounting for nearly half of all cargo vessels scrapped in H1 2021.

The increasing scrapping numbers are a direct result of exceptionally high scrapping rates, which rose and continue to rise throughout 2021, according to the company. The surge in scrapping prices is partly the result of increased steel prices and higher demand, in which the pandemic had a part to play. High earnings for the bulker and container segments meant that many owners preferred to keep ships operating rather than scrapping them, although tanker owners were more likely to take advantage of high scrapping prices, says the report.

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The number of tankers scrapped in the first half of 2021 rose four-fold compared to 2020 and 2019. The total number of tankers scrapped throughout 2020 and 2019 was 92 and 91 respectively.

Despite the high scrap prices, high earnings prevented many bulker owners from scrapping tonnage during the first half. Scrapping numbers have remained comparatively low for the first half 2021, down 13% from the same period in 2020.

Container scrapping numbers are down 78% from 2020 as the sector benefitted from high earnings. Some seven out of the 10 containerships scrapped this year were small feedermaxes, all 25 years or older.

As to the principal yards used, all were affected by issues such as covid-19 cases, yard lockdowns and lack of oxygen supply. During April, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan suffered due to rising covid-19 cases. India was particularly impacted as it saw another set of lockdown restrictions imposed.

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Notwithstanding the pandemic, scrapping prices and numbers continued to rise. Bangladesh took the lion’s share in the first half of 2021, scrapping 106 vessels, up 80% from the previous year’s figures.

India and Pakistan scrapped 53 and 51 vessels respectively, down from the latter half of 2020.

The mobile offshore drilling market was also feeling the pain with a number of operators having to go through Chapter 11, some of them for the second time in five years.

Much will depend on the attractiveness of keeping ships trading during the second half, against the need to comply with new environmental regulations, an aging fleet and the lure of high scrap prices.

Also, going forward there will need to be consideration given to whether, as the industry seeks to decarbonise, whether the methods used to dispose of ships do themselves meet green requirements.

Yards have often come under the spotlight in terms of their policies with regard to scrapping, not least in dealing with the re-cycling of ecounfriendly materials. Ship breaking can negatively impact the local environment and workers in yards often have to carry out the task in hazardous conditions.

With disposal of vessels attracting greater attention from the authorities, owners and operators may face legal action going forward if they are found to be at fault in selling on a ship at the end of its life to a ship breaker who does not dispose of it correctly.

This should encourage operators to go for greener ship options and many may avoid this approach while existing tonnage that does not tick the environmental boxes is still available for use.

Operators are being advised to carry out due diligence on yards ahead of deciding to dispose of their ships and regulators are likely to look back at the paper trail when deciding whether to bring proceedings against different players in the chain leading to the disposal of a vessel. Regulators will be looking back at the process to ensure a breach of procedures have not occurred at any stage.

RECYCLING

STRIKE ACTION

Activities at the Alang ship recycling yard in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India, have been affected by strikes in recent weeks, with transporters working with ship breakers taking industrial action over loading and transport charges.

Commenting on the situation Ramesh Mendpara, vice-president of Alang Ship Recycling Association, says: “We have been forced to shut all ship recycling-related activities over the past fortnight due to the transporters’ strike. There are no takers for scrap.

Ship recycling units are unable to fulfil pending orders of steel and other material extracted from broken ships.”

In the wake of increasing fuel prices, transporters demanded a hike in transport charges by at least 10%. They also demanded that loading charges of Rs 100 per tonne, which are borne by transporters, be waived.

More than 50% of scrap is purchased by nearly 100 re-rolling mills in Sihor town, around 65km from the Alang yard. Traditionally, transport charges are borne by scrap purchasers. Hence, ship breakers have involved officebearers of re-rolling mill associations to sort out the issues with transporters.

Gujarat ship recycling has been going through many challenges due to the pandemic, with closures of recycling units, partly due to a shortage of oxygen, which is used to cut heavy metals during the shipbuilding process.

There has also been shortage of workers due to the pandemic. More than 15,000 workers are employed at Alang directly and more than 50,000 are getting indirect employment in post-ship recycling activities.

RECYCLING TRANSPARENCY

Crowley Maritime Corporation recently joined the team of shipowners and operators who have been disclosing ship recycling policies, practices and process through the Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative (SRTI).

Headquartered in Florida and operating more than 160 commercial and public-sector vessels globally, including container ships, tank vessels, tugboats and barges, Crowley becomes the first U.S.-owned and operated shipping company to make its approach to ship recycling public through the SRTI. “Crowley’s ambition is to be the most sustainable and innovative maritime and logistics solutions provider in the Americas by 2025.

Making that vision a reality requires us as ship operators to embrace the sustainability of the total life cycle of a vessel,” said Crowley’s Nico De Golia, Director of Global Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship. “We are proud to join the SRTI in promoting transparency in ship recycling policies, practice and processes to promote more responsible life-cycle management of vessels.”

“Ship recycling is a material issue for all shipowners – whether they own a vessel at the beginning or end of life, and regardless of geography, size, or type of vessel. Ensuring responsible, transparent recycling is a shared responsibility for the industry, and we are glad to welcome Crowley Maritime Corporation, which brings a unique perspective as a shipowner with a largely U.S.Jones Act compliant fleet,” said Andrew Stephens, Executive Director of the SRTI. “We look forward to working with Crowley and other signatories to enable ship recycling transparency everywhere.”

Crowley joins industry peers in disclosing data against five topics: ship recycling policies and standards; selling owned vessels for further trading; ship recycling contracts; ship recycling documentation; and policy and standard implementation.

For more information about the data disclosed by shipowners, read the SRTI’s recent progress report.

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ALTERNATIVE FUELS WEBINAR

Methanol as a commercially and technically viable marine fuel is gaining greater traction over other ????? alternative bunkers, as attendees at the recent Alternative Fuels webinar discussed

IS METHANOL THE WAY FORWARD?

Greg Dolan CEO, Methanol Institute

Speaking at the recent Maritime AMCorganised Alternative Fuels virtual webinar, Greg Dolan, CEO of the Methanol Institute, a trade body whose shipowner members include Maersk, Stena Bulk, MSC, MOL and Oldendorff Carriers, predicts that methanol production costs will fall to become more competitively priced than traditional diesel bunker and other alternative fuels.

Dolan suggested that the move to methanol would also help shipowners avoid the proposed carbon tax on diesel, which could be between US$250 and $450/t of CO2.

“There’s a call by many, including the world’s largest shippers, for a carbon tax on diesel fuels. That would dramatically change the pricing picture for marine fuels and the only available alternative fuel options today are advanced biofuels, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol,” he said.

As a transitional fuel, methanol is supported by the International Maritime Organization in its recent adoption of safe

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handling guidelines under the IGF Code for low flashpoint fuels.

“This has been an important milestone in the growth of methanol as a marine fuel,” Dolan said. “And while LNG paved the way for methanol, methanol adoption can be a model for ammonia and hydrogen in the future.”

According to Dolan, methanol production increased last year to 100Mmt, doubling production in a decade. He said production could reach 500Mmt by 2050, as predicted in a joint Methanol Institute/International Renewable Energy Agency report released earlier this year.

Commenting on those shipowners that have already announced plans to include methanol within their fuel pool, Dolan told attendees at the webinar that first movers, such as Maersk, understand “there is little time left to wait on potential solutions that might fulfil 100% of their 2050 goals. They know we don’t have 30 years to wait.”

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ALTERNATIVE FUELS WEBINAR

Methanol-fuelled newbuilds like the Taranaki Sun and Stena Germanica can cost less than a LNG-burning ship

Maersk announced in March that its first methanol-burning vessel will launch in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule. The company also mooted an order for twelve 15,000TEU methanolfuelled containerships.

Another methanol advocate is Proman Stena Bulk. The joint venture between shipowner Stena Bulk and methanol producer Proman is planning to build six 50,000dwt tankers with methanol dual-fuel engines for delivery in 2023.

A further three vessels owned solely

by Proman, scheduled for delivery in 2022 and 2023, will be traded globally for shipping chemicals and clean petroleum products.

Anita Gajadhar, managing director Proman Marketing, Logistics and Shipping, said: “For us, methanol is a proven fuel capable of meeting the shipping industry’s carbon reduction targets. When you look at the longterm pricing, it is competitive when compared to alternatives, such as marine gasoil. It is easy to bunker, it is safe to bunker, and it is widely available as bunker in 122 ports.”

Gajadhar claimed that methanol is currently being traded at a price lower than LNG in some ports, and is less to bunker than biofuel, currently traded at US$1,200/t or more.

“Methanol is actually going to be a little bit cheaper than some of the biofuels that are available in the market today. In terms of capex, it is also a lot cheaper to modify .

“For us, methanol is a proven fuel capable of meeting the shipping industry’s carbon reduction targets”

vessels for methanol than it is for LNG,” she said.

Methanol-fuelled newbuilds also cost less than a LNG-burning ship, according to engine builders MAN Energy Solutions and Wärtsilä.

Kjeld Aabo, director new technologies two-stroke promotion, MAN Energy Solutions, told attendees that a 54,300m3 capacity product tanker running a methanol-fuelled engine would add about 10% to the newbuild price. The same vessel running on LNG would cost 22% more than a conventional HFO-burning ship.

The engine builder, which first unveiled and tested a methanol dual-fuel engine in 2016 and has a current orderbook of 23 ME-LGIM engines, said methanol combustion emits 8% less CO2 than an HFO Tier II engine.

Sulpur oxide emissions are reduced by 97% and nitrous oxide up to 60%.

And since the methanol molecule contains no carbon-carbon bonds, it does not produce particulate matter or soot when burned, resulting in smokeless operation “I really believe there will be a big market for methanol in the future and the technology on the engine side is there,” said Aabo.

Toni Stojcevski, general manager, project sales and development, Wärtsilä, agreed, but warned: “If we are going to be compliant in 2050, with a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, then we need to prepare and start executing today.”

While Wärtsilä introduced a methanol engine in in 2013, Stojcevski revealed that the engine builder expects to have an ammonia-fuelled engine operating next year and a pure hydrogen engine in 2025. The company also plans to launch a new methanolburning engine based on its proven W32 series in late 2023. This will be available for newbuilds and retrofit.

Closing the webinar, Dolan said: “Methanol engines are available. The fuel is available. The infrastructure is there and it’s affordable. We can act now.”

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EVENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS 2021 Clean Shipping International (CSI) recognises and addresses the need for current and detailed information about environmental compliance and sustainability, offered in a compact and readily digestible format.

The CSI Events programme highlights current issues, as well as flagging up the over-the-horizon matters that will have to be addressed by shipping with a series of Environmental Compliance webinars. The programme also offers more detailed learning through similarly focused short courses and seminars.

CSI Events is ideally positioned to provide shipping with all the information it needs to achieve environmental compliance and sustainability. CSI also publishes Clean Shipping International magazine, the maritime industry’s only periodical solely focused on sustainable shipping – supporting the efforts of the Clean Shipping Alliance 2020 (CSA 2020), Zero Emission Ship Technology Association (ZESTAs), Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association (EGCSA), The Methanol Institute (MI) and all trade associations and membership bodies promoting sustainable shipping.

To discuss participation in any of the CSI webinars, short courses or seminars – whether as a speaker, sponsor or delegate – please contact Simon Gutteridge T: +33 (0)321 477219 M: +44 (0)7733 242750 E: director@maritimeamc.com W: csi-newsonline.com

CSI ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE WEBINAR SERIES CSI Environmental Compliance Webinars are offered in a format where industry experts highlight issues of immediate and current concern to shipping, bringing participants up to date with the latest thinking through a combination of presentations and panels.

WATER AND SHIPS: UPDATE ON BIOFOULING AND BALLAST WATER Tuesday 12 October WATER AND SHIPS: DEALING WITH BLACK AND GREY WATER Tuesday 26 October WATER AND SHIPS: PREVENTING OILY WATER LEAKAGE Thursday 18 November DECARBONISATION Is IMO on the right path?

Thursday 2 December

SHORT COURSES AND SEMINARS

Monday 4 – Friday 8 October

SHIP RECYCLING OPERATIONS Monday 8 – 12 November LNG INSTALLATION AND OPERATION Monday 8 – Friday 12 November BIOFOULING AND BALLAST WATER SEMINAR Dates to be confirmed

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

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LAST WORD

LAST WORD NEWS, VIEWS AND MORE FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE

ASK THE EXPERTS

There was a select gathering on board HQS Wellington in London recently to launch the Maritime Professional Council of the UK (MPC), which aims to ensure that policy makers are aware of the range of expertise and considered opinions the maritime industry can provide.

Shipping is going through huge technological changes and the industry’s professional bodies say their expertise needs to be utilised more fully when policy decisions are made in this vital sector.

For generations, professional organisations have provided a key source of expertise helping to maintain the right standards across industrial sectors. In the maritime sector this is often not the case, meaning regulators and employers are missing out on the years of experience that leading professionals can bring to the table.

The MPC will aim to get industry expertise on display to provide informed advice on the many policy decisions that need to be made. Let us hope that the new council will be successful in getting the message across to government, preferably in advance of decisions that need to be made on maritime issues, including the green debate.

SEAFARERS’ SACRIFICES

This year’s Merchant Navy day also provided an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices the industry has made in the past — it was the 80th anniversary of the first Arctic Convoys — and deprivations suffered by those at sea. This topic is, of course, relevant today given the dire situation faced by many seafarers in recent times because of the pandemic, irrespective of where they come from.

The pandemic has resulted in a number of initiatives by individual companies and governments to address the difficulties faced by seafarers through the pandemic, not least the problem of getting vaccinated against coronavirus.

Let us hope that people will remember the sacrifices of the past, as well as those happening every day of the week.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Energy transition to meet global greenhouse gas targets is also a hot topics and class society DNV recently launched its Maritime Forecast to 2050, which aims to offer a decarbonisation stairway model to help owners and operators along the way to sustainable practices.

The 80-page report helps an industry facing the dual challenge of increasingly stringent climate change targets and regulations coupled with uncertainty over future fuel choices, technology, and supply.

According to DNV Maritime chief executive Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen: “Choosing the right fuel today for operations tomorrow is a daunting task that all owners must face up to. The business environment is changing in line with the natural one, leading not just to increased regulatory requirements, but also to new cargo-owner and consumer expectations, and more rigorous demands from capital investors and institutions.

“A misstep today in newbuild fuel strategies can have damaging consequences for businesses and assets in the future.

So owners need practical, expert advice and smart solutions to ensure vessels stay competitive, compliant and commercially attractive over their lifetimes.

This is where the Maritime Forecast to 2050 can help turn strategic uncertainty into confident decision-making.”

You have been told.

WINDS OF CHANGE

Windship Technology has announced its patented triple-wing rig has received “Approval in Principle” status from shipping classification society DNV. Each wing has trailing edge flaps that allow for optimisation of the motive force produced for a variety of incident wind angles and, crucially, allow the rigs to produce the highest power density of any current wind-powered solution. With three rigs set, they can produce all the power required to sail an 80,000DWT ship on the main long transoceanic routes.

Impressive stuff.

C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Autumn 2021

BULK TERMINALS RIGA 2021 THE ONLY EVENT AIMED AT THE ENTIRE BULK TERMINALS INDUSTRY The Annual Conference of the Association of Bulk Terminal Operators (ABTO)

18-22 OCTOBER 2021

Sponsors

ONLINE 12:00-15:00 GMT

KEY SPEAKERS INCLUDE

FOCUSING on the concerns lk of operators, Bu ONLINE Terminals 2021 e sessions will consist of fiv - Friday from Monday 18 22 October, each three hours long

» GUNDARS ĀBOLS, Latvian Railway Expert, Latvijas Dzelzceļš » PROFESSOR MIKE BRADLEY, Director, The Wolfson Centre for Bulk Solids Handling Technology » BASIL M. KARATZAS, CEO, Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co » RICHARD MORTON, Secretary General, International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA) » GARRY O’MALLEY, Operations Director, Teesworks » FRANK ROBERTSON, Vice President Operations, Logistec » PETER SAND, Chief Shipping Analyst, BIMCO » BEN VAN SCHERPENZEEL, Chairman, International Task Force Port Call Optimization

SESSIONS WILL COVER

Bulk markets The impact of covid-19 Streamlining and increasing the profitability of operations Development opportunities Driving efficiency through technology, digitalisation and automation Keeping abreast of increasing environmental regulation Improving safety and security Transhipment, rail and transport connectivity

F R E E to AT T E N D

Register now

Host Port

Supporting Organisations Media Partners Official magazine of Association of Bulk Terminal Operators (ABTO)

For more details and to register, visit: bulkterminals.org/events.html

WÄRTSILÄ EXHAUST TREATMENT: FLEXIBLE, FUTURE-PROOFED INNOVATION WWW.WARTSILA.COM/MARINE/BUILD/EXHAUST-TREATMENT