SUBSEA WHAT DOES GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATION MEAN FOR MARINE OPERATIONS?
A Look at the International Maritime Organization and the European Commission’s New Requirements BY GEORGE N. RAMÍREZ AND NICOLE STAROSIELSKI
T
he subsea cable industry spans nations, companies, and industries, which all come together in pursuit of a shared goal: establishing connectivity across the oceans. However, this global and sectoral reach means that the subsea industry will also face greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulation on many fronts. National governments may set policies and reporting requirements that affect manufacturers or cable landing station operations. Local and regional entities, ranging from the U.S. state of California to the European Commission, are also discussing GHG reduction efforts, and these may in turn impact the subsea cable permitting and development. Although the subsea cable industry has experience navigating a complicated regulatory landscape, GHG-related requirements will add a new layer to this complexity. In this column from the SubOptic Foundation’s Sustainable Subsea Networks research initiative, we describe one area where GHG regulation will directly impact the industry: marine operations. The cable industry’s marine operations encompass a wide variety of activities, from surveying the seafloor to cable installation to recovery at end-of-life. The industry’s vessels are subject to the regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Depending on where
companies operate in the world and the certifications they acquire, vessels are also subject to other regulations, including those of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Commission. As the IMO, the United States, and the European Union set their sights on climate change, marine operators will be affected. Vessel owners are already working on strategies to meet future sustainability targets. These include the use of shore power, which allows for vessels to transition to the onshore electrical grid while at port. Some companies are undertaking advanced
voyage optimization strategies that leverage artificial intelligence and the tidal power of the seas. Others are retrofitting ships with power assistance technologies. There are many companies that already track their CO2 emissions using the GHG Protocol. Some also disclose these emissions through the CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project) and commit to targets using the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi). This article covers some recent and upcoming GHG regulations of the IMO and the European Commission, and discusses how these may affect NOVEMBER 2023 | ISSUE 133 9