WORLD NEWS

How quickly the industry has been responding to the need for change to tackle environmental issues is just one topic on the agenda in recent months

TAKING DIRECT

ACTION

Speaking at the UK Chamber of Shipping annual dinner recently, Chamber

President John Denholm called on the

International Maritime Organization (IMO) to take more decisive action to cut emissions from the international shipping industry.

“I acknowledge the progress that IMO has made in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the industry through technical measures, but the game has changed. It is no longer about mitigating emissions – it is about eliminating them and eliminating them by 2050.

“If we are to achieve this, we need that market-based measure to drive the change and we need it now as the ships we build in 2030 are going to be part of the fleet in 2050,” Denholm told the audience, which included the IMO secretary general Kitack Lim.

“Secretary General, in recent months you have talked about what needs to happen and I urge you now to show bravery and leadership and convince everyone of the urgency – and give us the market-based measure that will drive the change. A market based measure is not about raising revenue – it is about driving change and if the system adopted takes money out of the equation, it is simply going to mean that the cost of the change is going to be greater.

“I therefore urge the industry and member states to put aside self interest and help the IMO find a solution that they can implement that will drive the change to net zero.”

Denholm also urged UK Shipping Minister Robert Courts not to be tempted to adopt regional measures to help cut emissions. “Because of the lack of progress at IMO, member nations are now losing faith in IMO’s ability to put in place a global measure and are planning to implement their own measures.

“Minister, I know it must be tempting to follow the route that Europe is taking to establish a regional Emission Trading Scheme as the money this would raise would help reduce the budget deficit.

“It all sounds terribly simple: tax half the emissions of a ship arriving in the UK – but the devil is in the detail. A container ship will only discharge part of its cargo in the UK and this cargo will have been loaded at multiple ports along the way.

“Please don’t be tempted! It is not simple. A plethora of regional marketbased measures would put a terrible burden on our industry, depress trade and would inevitably be inequitable.

“Instead we ask you to campaign against nations setting up regional or national market based measures.”

NUCLEAR OPTION

Core Power, which produces advanced nuclear energy technology for ocean transportation, has released a special report on the massproduction of zero-carbon fuels for shipping, using advanced nuclear technologies offshore.

The production of green ammonia is a key component of the decarbonisation plans for international shipping. While the largest 17,000 ships are unlikely to find economic value in using hydrogen-derived green fuels, a very significant portion of the world fleet may find green ammonia to be a viable pathway to zero-emissions.

The decarbonisation of other difficult-to-abate sectors, such as chemical and steel manufacture as well as aviation, will also require the manufacture of a substantial amount of these green e-fuels.

“Our concept design is for an offshore facility partnering advanced nuclear power with an offshore ammonia production facility, which will create green ammonia from abundant seawater and air. No emissions would come from the plant,” says Rory Megginson, Core Power’s director of analytics.

Core Power modelling shows that with current technology, it is possible to produce one million tonnes of ammonia per year using 1.2GW of electric power, on each floating production platform, reducing to 0.9GW by 2050. This is the equivalent of 440,000 tonnes of very low sulphur fuel oil (VLFSO) and it would allow the decarbonisation of a considerable number of vessels.

The flexible nature of these systems will mean it will also be possible to provide a mixture of electricity, hydrogen, and ammonia for other applications, including chemical manufacturing and aviation.

Dr Megginson says: “The production of green ammonia at sea using advanced nuclear power would be superior to both production from renewables and non-marine atomic systems because atomic power has the highest capacity factor of any power generation method – whereas intermittent renewables, notably wind and solar, have the lowest. This reliability and dispatchability makes advanced atomic the ideal power source for e-fuel production.”

Moving the reactors to sea will allow for a substantial reduction in costs due to the lack of a need for expensive civil engineering, as well as opening the possibility of shipyard construction.

The production of Molten Salt Reactor technology is modular by design rather than the historical “first of a kind reactor” that has kept nuclear generation prices elevated up until now.

“Our concept design is for an offshore facility partnering advanced nuclear power with an offshore ammonia production facility, which will create green ammonia from abundant seawater and air”

GREENER TANKER

Swedish tanker operator Terntank and the Port of Gothenburg have welcomed Tern Island, a tanker that emits no greenhouse gases or carbon particulates during port operations.

Tern Island is equipped with a new electric power supply hybrid system, including a battery pack, on-shore power supply and a DC-link system, which is reported to be able to reduce its auxiliary energy consumption during port operations by -99%.

The shore power connection has been developed together with the Port of Gothenburg – the first port in the world that can connect tankers to electricity.

Furthermore, Tern Island is 100% biofuel compatible. The main engine, boiler and auxiliary engine are designed to reduce the environmental impact and perform safe operations running on biofuels. By combining the optimised hull and rudder design with dual fuel capability, when utilising 30% biogas – in comparison with a same-sized conventional vessel – Tern Island reduces emission of CO2 by -70% and almost eliminated the emissions of sulphur oxide (-99%), of particle emission, (-99%) and nitrogen oxide (-97%).

Designed by Terntank and Kongsberg Maritime at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, Yangzhou, the vessel is the first of a series of two 15,000DWT chemical and product tankers in the Terntank Hybrid Solution series. The vessel combines a dual-fuel powered engine that uses LBG or LNG, which means that it is able to operate on completely fossilfree fuel.

Tern Island‘s hybrid solution does not only enable performance on fossilfree port operations, but also enables peak shaving to reduce the emissions even further. The battery packs also provides an energy reserve for power generation, limiting unnecessary parallel running of generators and provides a blackout prevention function that keeps the electrical network alive.

The shore power supply is part of Gothenburg’s Energy Port initiative, which is the first of its kind in the world. When complete, it will enable a reduction in carbon emissions from

vessels in the port by 1,800 tonnes per year.

The port of Gävle in Sweden is also finalising its shore power connection in June 2022 and Port of Porvoo is in the planning stage, making the potential of shore power related CO2 emission savings even greater.

TRANSPARENT TRANSPORT

Port of Rotterdam Authority and BigMile are developing a digital platform to identify transport-related emissions in the port.

Data, including from AIS, a system that registers all vessel movements, is combined with a TNO calculation model, enabling a precise calculation of transport sector emissions.

The platform also provides insight into emissions at a business location, for example, and should also provide companies with more details on carbon and other emission levels in their total transport chain.

The emission platform is helping the Port Authority and business community make choices on route to a carbonneutral port.

So far, this concerns a pilot project to calculate seagoing and inland vessel movements in Rotterdam. Road and rail transport will be added at a later stage. The goal for the coming six months is to include emissions from supply chains on route to and leaving the port of Rotterdam in order to clarify transport emissions from door to door. The digital platform and knowledge gained are scheduled to be shared with shipping companies and terminals in the second half of 2022.

The platform is already proving useful in providing insight into such things as vessel emission levels when berthed at the quay; information that is useful in developing shore power projects. When berthed at the quay, vessels then switch off their generators and connect to shore power. The BigMile platform can clarify how much air pollution shore power connections prevent.

“With millions of transport movements, we are the largest port in Europe. This means that our activities can have a huge impact on making logistics more sustainable,” says Nico van Dooren, who is responsible for the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s energy transition programme.

The Port Authority is working on a series of related projects to make industry and logistics more sustainable, from determining optimal connections via the most sustainable modality to the production of alternative fuels in Rotterdam and promoting fast and efficient port call handling.

With BigMile, the Port of Rotterdam Authority is taking a step towards using sound data to manage this reduction strategy. BigMile has developed a calculation and analysis platform to help shippers and logistics service providers optimise and report on the multi-modal transport-related carbon emissions of their transport.

The SaaS platform, which already has over 200 users, enables shippers and logistics service providers to comply with the imminent carbon reporting requirements and impending carbon taxes.

“In the first project phase, we are focusing on area emissions in the port of Rotterdam area, from 60km offshore to the Brienenoordbrug. We are literally ‘charting’ sea-going and inland shipping’s actual emissions based on vessel and vehicle movements,” explains Wouter Nering Bögel, BigMile project manager.

“These analyses enable us to use hard data to anticipate concrete improvement opportunities, and we are better able to assess the impact of measures in advance,” adds van Dooren.

“The aim is to enable companies to manage carbon emission reduction in both the port and the entire supply chain that runs via Rotterdam.”

TIME MANAGEMENT

Marcura subsidiary PortLog, the world’s first port time management platform, has announced a landmark deal to provide its solution to the entire fleet of Pacific Basin, one of the world’s leading owners and operators of modern handysize and supramax dry bulk ships.

The PortLog platform will be utilised across all of Pacific Basin’s more than 260 owned and chartered vessels, which make more than 5,000 port calls every year in around 600 ports across 100 countries. This will enable the company to dramatically reduce the risks and costs associated with time spent in ports, as well as driving operational, cost and environmental efficiencies within the port environment and “last mile” of the supply chain.

PortLog is a single platform and digital solution combining standardised Statement of Fact (SoF) data with AIS, weather and berth-level restriction data, which will enable Pacific Basin to measure and analyse its vessels’ turnaround times in ports, and deliver insights into costs, berth-level restrictions and productivity.

Using PortLog, Pacific Basin will be able to estimate ports costs (including potential discounts and tariffs), reduce risks and identify opportunities related to port stays by predicting port time and delays at a terminal level, having up-to-date information on real-time terminal restrictions, weather and rain impact as well as port holidays.

Through adopting PortLog’s knowledge management infrastructure, the “Learning Loop”, Pacific Basin will have the capability to share key insights at terminal level across the company and its entire fleet, starting with the more than 1,400 Marcura observations available in the platform from day one.

Much progress has been made within the shipping industry to increase operational efficiencies within seaborne trade through vessel optimisation, digitalisation and clean technologies. However, there is a significant latent efficiency within ports where vessels will spend as much as 40% of their time, incurring large costs, unplanned downtime and an increase in unnecessary and avoidable emissions.

Commenting on the development, Kristian Helt, chartering director, Pacific Basin, says: “The shipping industry is rapidly transforming, becoming increasingly complex and rightly focusing on how it can reduce emissions and meet International Maritime Organization decarbonisation regulations.

“We embrace the challenge of decarbonisation and have integrated sustainability into our business and strategy. We are investing in digitalisation and state-of-the-art systems and digital solutions that are needed to drive greater operational and cost efficiencies and reduce our environmental impact.

“In conjunction with this, harnessing data to provide real insight and intelligence enables better decision making. Utilising an advanced platform like PortLog is representative of our strategy and commitment to such investments and to delivering a more optimised and efficient freight service in our customers’ supply chain. This enhances our competitive advantage, provides more value for our customers and supports the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.”

Jens Poulsen, Group CEO, Marcura, says: “There are a host of tools within the market available to help ship owners and operators optimise and drive efficiencies while at sea. It is now clear that the opportunity for tramp shipping to further improve efficiencies and reduce costs and emissions now lies within the port environment; with PortLog we are helping companies solve this crucial last piece of the voyage optimisation puzzle.”

INTRODUCING ACCELLERON

ABB has announced that its Turbocharging division (PA), which provides heavy duty turbocharging for diesel and gas engines, has unveiled its new brand name – Accelleron.

Accelleron provides turbocharging technologies and optimisation solutions for 0.5 to 80+ MW engines, helping to provide sustainable and reliable power to the marine, energy, rail, and off-highway sectors. With an installed base of approximately 180,000 turbochargers and a network of more than 100 service stations worldwide, its innovative technologies and digital solutions give its customers the power to move further.

Turbochargers enable significant improvements in efficiency, increasing engine output by up to 300 percent and thereby energy efficiency by up to 10 percent. Conventional engines would be up to four times their size without a turbocharger.

Under ideal conditions, ABB’s turbochargers offer a further 2% improvement compared to the industry benchmark, amounting to $1m in lifetime savings for a large container vessel.

ABB’s turbochargers reduce fuel consumption and hence CO2 emissions by an average of 405,000 tons per annumfor the shipping industry alone, while also playing a crucial role in balancing power for national grids, power extensions in emerging economies and microgrids as well as back-up power for critical infrastructure, for example data centres.

PURETEQ: STATE-OF-THEART SCRUBBER MAKER

PureteQ designs, delivers and commissions built-to-fit maritime scrubber systems for shipowners who want to save money on fuel by continuing the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO). Recently, we have seen the price span between compliant fuel and HFO increase to almost historic levels and interest for scrubber systems seems to be increasing with the growing price span.

All PureteQ scrubbers comes with state-of-the-art intuitive control systems, including full real-time remote accessibility. This feature allows detailed trouble-shooting assistance to crews without physical attendance.

PURETEQ: patent granted for combined carbon capture and power to x technology

AGREEMENTS FOR ALL

Servicing hundreds of scrubber systems of almost all brands, we have gained extensive knowledge of most systems. We have learned to rectify any issue by combining our technical know-how with handson-experience. We often co-exist with the original maker during the warranty periods.

PureteQ offers service agreements without bindings and without

WORLDWIDE SERVICE

It is our mission to provide uninterrupted service, anywhere and at any time. We already assist hundreds of vessels remotely with trouble shooting, and advice on operation and maintenance, as well as optimisation. We also dispatch expert marine engineers from our nearest office to anywhere in the world, for on-site assistance.

To further enhance our physical presence globally, we are pleased to announce the recent opening of our Singaporean subsidiary. This is yet another PureteQ Service Point in Asia, with a limited stocked warehouse, and will provide for even speedier delivery of spare parts and full service of all client vessels calling at Singapore.

Our new colleagues there will, of course, be of our usual well-known high standards and, prior to attending your vessels, they will attend the PureteQ Academy and perform onboard training to ensure high quality to a fair price from day one.

We continue to offer cost-efficient 24/7 remote on-line support/guidance to ship crews from our certified marine engineers. You will always talk to a certified service engineer when you call PureteQ.

The modular training programme remains very popular among crews, officers and onshore personnel. The training is done virtually or, if needed, with on-board presence as part of the annual service visit. All training modules offer share-point-based questionnaires and tutorials to ease the understanding of the training and, when exams are passed, training certificates are automatically issued by PureteQ.

The control system is based on the well-known and well-proven software from PureteQ, which allows full remote control in real time

prepayment – you only pay for the services that you need and this will be at a fair price. As an integral part of this agreement, we offer a 24/7 service desk manned by professional marine engineers, who have undergone a comprehensive training in all components of a scrubber systems, including sensors. In other words, we offer you an unparalleled “one-stop-shop” for scrubbers and associated equipment.

Clients are in safe hands when they enter a PureteQ / PureServ service agreement. We have the tools, the manpower and the skillset to make a difference. Furthermore, we supply some of the most advanced and easyto-use software in the business. We can even replace software (and some hardware) on other brand scrubbers if needed.

We are also offering clients cloudbased software for environmental performance reporting and optimisation of scrubbers across the fleet. It features the measuring of MARPOL compliance, operational performance (impact on specific fuel oil consumption) as well as environmental performance reporting, such as sulphur, CO2 and, later, particulate matter reductions. The software is a perfect match to new International Maritime Organization regulations on Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index and Canada Customs Invoice, when well-to-wake principles apply. This software will allow for cross ship / fleet learning for crews, hence reducing costs.

The service agreement itself is an umbrella agreement that has several options tailored to match your needs. Shipowners may at any time add or exclude the options and include or exclude ships from the agreement – all it takes is an e-mail describing the changes, which, shortly after receipt, will be confirmed and executed.

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

EXCITING DEVELOPMENT

In 2018, the PureteQ Group (PureteQ and ESTECH) began a research programme into carbon capture technology, and we are pleased to announce that we have recently been granted the patent on a technology that combines carbon capture from exhaust gas with power to X. The solution is a unique combination of carbon capture and parallel production of hydrogen.

Tests carried out at our pilot plant at a Danish wastewater treatment plant indicate that approximately 80% of the green energy utilised for carbon capture is stored in hydrogen. CO2 and hydrogen are building blocks for fuels and other products. The technology has the potential to become the most energy-efficient carbon capture and storage technology on the market for small and medium-sized industries.

The technology is based on the PureteQ’s exhaust gas purification technology with patented hydrodynamic fluid distribution, as well as on the existing and proven digital platform for other in-house technologies. The Group has thus been able to accelerate the product development process. The hydrodynamic fluid distribution ensures optimal conditions for the gas/ fluid reaction, resulting in a smaller reaction chamber/scrubber.

As of December 2021, PureteQ/ ESTECH has been granted funding via the Danish Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program (EUDP) for scaling of the pilot plant of 10 to 40 times the existing size.

The pilot plant continues to operate, while a larger, fully functional plant is being planned for commissioning during 2022 and 2023. The first full sized commercial CCCH₂ plant is expected in 2023/2024.

PureteQ Group pilot plant for combined Carbon Capture and parallel production of hydrogen (CCCH2 technology) For more information, contact: Anders Skibdal, CEO Tel: + 45 4017 1400 Email: anders@pureteq.com

Michael Mouritzen, Sales Tel: +45 4014 4481 mim@pureteq.com pureteq.com