3 minute read
EGCSA
from CSI Summer 2021
by Maritime-AMC
WHY EGCS ARE A NECCESSITY
With covid-19 and rising CO2 levels as major news items and of real concern to humanity, it seems sensible and right to do what we can to contribute to mitigating these challenges.
After more than 60 years of ships operating on residual fuels with no reported negative implications to the sea lanes in which they have traded, many now have switched to IMO 2020 fuels.
There are various calculations that relate to the consequences of this change. The fact is that the well-to-wake CO2 emissions from the introduction of IMO 2020 fuels was forecast to increase global crude oil related CO2 emissions by as much as 500,000 tonnes per day.
Not all of that was down to the consumption of IMO 2020 fuels. Some was forecast to be as a consequence of a changing refinery production slate and increased crude consumption.
However, global economic activity has dropped dramatically as a result of covid-19 and the forecast number is now no longer applicable.
But the 4,500 ships fitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) have reduced CO2 emission by at least 10%, compared with the increase in well-to-wake CO2 emissions from ships burning IMO 2020-compliant fuels — a small but significant incremental contribution towards zero-fossil-sourced carbon emissions.
These scrubber-fitted ships are also emitting much lower levels of sulphur dioxide than their counterparts on the IMO prescribed fuels.
CURIOUS SITUATION
It is curious that the International Council for Clean Transportation (ICCT), in a recent report, is advocating the use of new IMO 2020 fuels with unknown emissions and impacts on the marine environment and human health. Instead, it is advocating a ban on residual fuels for which there are more than 60 years of experience with no reported harm to the marine environment.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that susceptibility to covid-19 increases with age and pre-existing health conditions. Age is an inevitability for which shielding and then vaccination may be a long term solution. Some pre-existing health conditions relate directly to a person’s environment. For example, being brought up and living in a busy port may result in much higher than the norm exposure to pollutants that can affect respiratory and other human systems.
These effects are complex and are still being researched and understood. What is beyond dispute is that the cleaner the air, the less likely air quality will impact on human health.
With combustion, no matter which fuel is used, there will be associated pollutants.
A study published in 2016 by a team led by Professor Ralf Zimmermann identified a stronger human tissue sensitivity to exposure to exhaust gases from IMO 2015 fuel combustion than from a residual fuel combustion.
Supporting cleaner air and reducing related health effects are a benefit that EGCS can provide. It is worrying that the ICCT in its quest to ban the use of residual fuel oil at sea totally ignores the real issues, where the facts speak for themselves.
Cleaning exhaust gases means less air pollution and no reported negative outcomes for the marine environment.
DONALD GREGORY, CENG, CMARENG, FIMAREST
Director of the Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association (EGCSA) Don has 14 years seagoing experience. He is a Past Chairman of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and previous Chair of the WG on IMO Guidelines for EGCS.
Current areas of focus include the development of new marine lubricants, shipboard remote monitoring, marine energy efficiency and measurement of marine exhaust gas emissions and the implementation of sustainable EGCS solutions for emissions compliance.
Don is a member of the ESSF Emissions to Air SG. He also sits on the CIMAC and ISO marine fuels WG and CIMAC lubricants WG.
