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IMO Adopts Plan for Addressing Marine Plastic

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The IMO has pledged to address the significant problem posed by plastics to the marine environment, with the adoption of an action plan which aims to enhance existing regulations and introduce new supporting measures to reduce marine plastic litter from ships.

The plan was adopted on October 26 by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).

Dumping plastics into the sea is already prohibited under MARPOL regulations, which also oblige governments to ensure adequate port reception facilities to receive ship waste. Under the London Convention and Protocol on the dumping of wastes at sea, only permitted materials can be dumped and this waste – such as from dredging – has to be fully assessed to ensure it does not contain harmful materials like plastics.

However, studies demonstrate that despite the existing regulatory framework to prevent marine plastic litter from ships, discharges into the sea continue to occur. Recognizing that more needs to be done, IMO Member States agreed on actions to be completed by 2025, which relate to all ships, including fishing vessels. 

Specific identified measures include:

•     a proposed study on marine plastic litter from ships;
•     looking into the availability and adequacy of port reception facilities;
•     consideration of making marking of fishing gear mandatory, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO);
•     promoting the reporting of the loss of fishing gear;
•     facilitating the delivery of retrieved fishing gear to shore facilities;
•     reviewing provisions related to the training of fishing vessel personnel and familiarization of seafarers to ensure awareness of the impact of marine plastic litter;
•     consideration of the establishment of a compulsory mechanism to declare loss of containers at sea and identify number of losses;
•     enhancing public awareness; and
•     strengthening international cooperation, in particular FAO and UN Environment.

The details will be further considered by MEPC 74. The action plan supports IMO’s commitment to meeting the targets set in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 14: “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.”

The IMO will continue to work with UN partners including: the FAO through the Joint FAO/IMO Ad Hoc Working Group on illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing and related matters; the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP); the UN Environment-managed Global Partnership on Marine Litter; the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea and the United Nations Environment Assembly.

Source:maritime-executive

Simec Atlantis eyes MeyGen boost

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Tidal power developer Simec Atlantis Energy will expand its MeyGen project, adding at least two of its new tidal turbines to the 6MW array, off the Scottish coast.

The new turbines will be able to generate up to 2MW more, using more powerful generators and larger rotor diameters to achieve cost reductions.

The turbines will use a new subsea connection hub and share a single export cable, further reducing project infrastructure costs by removing the requirement for a dedicated export cable for each turbine, the company said.

Simec Atlantis Energy is targeting first power generation through the new subsea connection in late 2019, subject to consents and funding.

The proposed works, known as Project Stroma, will benefit from a €16.8m revenue support package under the European Commission’s NER300 programme. The MeyGen extension also aims to  make extensive use of the Scottish supply chain.

Simec Atlantis Energy chief executive Tim Cornelius said: “Project Stroma will be an important enabler for the subsequent extension of the MeyGen site by a further 80MW, and ultimately to the full site capacity of 400MW.”

“Nearby sites in the Pentland Firth offer significant further growth potential as part of the UK’s total potential of 8500MW. Worldwide, tidal stream represents a 99,000MW development opportunity for clean, secure and predictable energy at a cost competitive with other forms of green energy.”

Simec Atlantis Energy has also entered a joint venture with Development Agency for Normandy, the regional agency for economic development in the Normandy region of France, and regional investment fund Normandie Participations, to develop a tidal energy project in Raz Blanchard, Normandie.

Simec Atlantis Energy will hold the majority stake in Normandie Hydrolienne, which has been established with the intention of harnessing up to 2GW of power from the Alderney Race, the eight-mile strait that runs between Alderney and La Hague, France. 

The JV is also targeting more than 1GW from adjacent concessions under the control of the States of Alderney.

Combined, Normandie Hydrolienne has the potential to provide more power than the Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station in Somerset, England and at a lower cost, said Simec Atlantis Energy.

The project developer will prepare an application for consent to build a multi-hundred-megawatt tidal energy project in Raz Blanchard, working closely with ADEME and all relevant government ministries to obtain all necessary approvals.

The 2MW horizontal axis turbines will be built in France.

Cornelius said: “Raz Blanchard is sitting on a huge amount of renewable, predictable energy and we wish to bring our project development, financing and power production expertise to help the region of Normandie create jobs and attract a substantial amount of investment into the region.”

Source:renews

Floatgen wired for action

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UK outfit Hydro Group and French partner Wenex Equipements have wrapped up cabling support work on the 2MW Floatgen floating offshore wind project off the coast of France.

Entreprise Travaux Publics de l’Ouest led a contract, assisted by Hydro Group and Wenex Equipements as sub-contractors, to make and install the array cabling infrastructure, 19km from the town of Le Croisic on the French Atlantic coast.

The wind turbine is the first operational unit of a floating foundation concept patented by Ideol, built in concrete by Bouygues Travaux Publics.

Hydro Group chief executive Douglas Whyte said: “Hydro Group identified the need to provide a long-lasting, secure solution suited to Atlantic seawater conditions using tried-and-tested methods to ensure maximum reliability.”

“A 24kV variant of our 36kV hydro renewable connector connects the device cable to the export cable, permitting three subsea three-phase electrical cables to be mated without compromising the circuit. In addition, a custom-built stainless steel PDH allowed flexible in-line connections without compromising reliability or ease of operation.”

He added: “The PDH’s modular design reduces carbon footprint and the dual water ingress protection along with the anti-corrosion properties of our technology will provide reliable sealing with a 20-year operational lifespan.”

Wenex Equipement director general Benoit d'Alançon said: “The successful completion of the SEM-REV project is of great importance to our Franco-Scottish collaboration.”

“By working together, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of our technical partnership and created a solid foundation for future success.”

From its factory in Scotland, Hydro Group develops the complete subsea electrical and optical interconnect package.

Source:renews

Are the maritime industries ready to embrace smart shipping?

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A packed audience of nearly 200 heard strong opinions as to whether or not the maritime industry is ready to embrace smart shipping at a parliamentary-style debate held on the opening day of the Seatrade Maritime Middle East event in Dubai on Monday.

Debating the question were two teams of leading industry figures, one led by Precious Shipping md Khalid Hashim and the other by René Kofod-Olsen, ceo of Topaz Energy and Marine.

Hashim argued that the industry was not ready because necessary regulations governing the use of new technologies such as autonomous ships, AI and the cyber-risks involved all remained some way off. In addition, a recent reader survey by Seatrade Maritime News confirmed that less than 10% of shipping companies are currently making any significant use of big data, he added

Supporting him was Ali Shehab Ahmad, deputy ceo of Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), who suggested that unlimited broadband at sea was still too “costly”, and that service providers should “do more” by way of incentives for ship operators to install new technology.

And Capt. David Stockley, coo at Oman Ship Management Company, lamented that many newbuildings already come with overly complex technology that is unreliable and entails expensive service contracts.

Leading the other team, Kofod-Olsen countered by saying that shipping’s use of big data and analytics was already bringing multiple benefits such as route and fuel optimisation, predictive maintenance, more efficient fleet management, and improved crew welfare. Smart shipping as defined as digitalisation of the industry is already here, and expected by everyone in the office and onboard ship, he declared.

Oskar Levander, senior vice president for Concepts & innovation at Rolls-Royce Marine, described smart shipping as a “very wide toolbox with something in it for everyone.” One highly advanced application is the remotely controlled, autonomous vessel, the first demonstration of which may be imminent, he hinted.

And Drew Brandy, senior vice-president of Market Strategy at Inmarsat Maritime, drew the parallel with smart phones, stating simply “connectivity is the reality of the modern shipping industry”.

After interventions from the floor a vote among the audience was taken. The result proved incredibly close, with Kofod-Olsen’s team arguing that the industry was ready to embrace smart shipping coming out winner… by a single vote.

“We are split,” concluded debate moderator Jasamin Fichte of law firm Fichte & Co. The debate had underlined that smart shipping represents “a good way forward”, she said, and while doubts remain over whether the industry is ready, “I think we’re on the right way.”

Source:seatrade-maritime

Autonomous Ships “Not Far Off”

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Mining companies must forge new ties with partners from customers to governments as they pursue innovation and compete for talent with technology giants, Rio Tinto's chief executive said in a speech to be delivered on Tuesday.

The mining industry has recovered from the deep commodity crash of 2015-16, but faces headwinds from U.S.-China trade tensions, which have dented the copper price, and is struggling to win investor trust.

In a copy of a speech to be delivered at a conference in Melbourne on Tuesday, CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques said pushing the industry forward calls for "a brand new spirit of partnership".

"New forms of partnering won't be just about governments, society and communities. It will also be about partnerships with customers, suppliers and even, competitors," he will say.

He flagged in the speech Rio's ties with Apple – with which, together with Alcoa, it announced a partnership to make emissions-free aluminium in May – as "an example of competitors working together to advance the future".

Partnerships could also help companies secure breakthroughs such as self-steering ships to transport materials, Jacques said, adding the technology may not be far off.

Rio Tinto is already using massive driverless trains to transport iron ore in the Pilbara region of Australia, which it says can deliver efficiencies as well as improving safety. The project has however been years in the making and suffered delays.

Jacques said mining had an image problem as "one of the least trusted on the planet". As digitalisation takes hold, it needs to compete with technology giants, as well as other miners, to win talent.

Investor trust was eroded during the commodity boom years when miners overspent on projects that may never deliver shareholder returns.

Institutional investors, which focus on environmental, social and governance issues, have also been made cautious by the exposure of miners to fossil fuel and by corruption allegations.

Rio Tinto has previously pushed the idea that partnerships can enhance rather than dilute value and could help to fend off a rising tide of resource nationalism as some governments seek a bigger share of profits from mining.

"If a community or government wants a bigger share of the pie, they may need to be willing to take on more of the risk," Jacques said, according to the copy of the speech.

"As an industry, perhaps, it is time to think about a different business model – where we provide mining as a service and let other people finance projects that need billions in upfront investment before the benefits can be shared." 

Source;marinelink

Nestlé, Tesco to tackle ghost gear problem in the ocean

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During the 'Our Ocean 2018' conference in Bali, Nestlé and Tesco joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) to address the 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear, also known as ghost gear, ending up in the oceans every year.

The Global Ghost Gear Initiative is dedicated to tackling the problem of ghost fishing gear worldwide. Ghost gear is abandoned, lost and discarded fishing nets, lines and traps which can persist in the environment for up to 600 years.

GGGI also announced a raft of commitments to tackle ghost gear at scale:

  • The GGGI will support 30 projects addressing ghost gear in 15 countries by 2025 where the need is the greatest;
  • The GGGI is pledging to double the financial commitment from its members, supporting organisations and governments to USD $2 million in 2019 to ensure the effective scaling of projects aimed at addressing and preventing the problem of ghost gear, especially in developing countries;
  • The GGGI will also work with three market leading certifications schemes, all 13 GGGI signatory countries and UN FAO to implement best practice management of fishing gear by 2021 including the uptake of the recently adopted UN FAO Guidelines for the Marking of Fishing Gear.

Overall, the GGGI aspires to establish baselines and contribute to achieve a net reduction of ghost gear in the oceans on an annual basis by 2030.

An estimated 5 to 30% of the decline in some fish stocks can be attributed to ‘ghost gear.’ When lost, this gear can cause suffering for marine animals that can get caught in it. Seven out of ten entanglements involve plastic ghost gear.

The GGGI  has 91-members organisations. From January 2019 onwards, Ocean Conservancy (OC) will become the GGGI’s new lead partner organisation.

Source:safety4sea

BUREAU VERITAS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF INSPEC-BV.COM B2B E-COMMERCE SITE

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 With continued growth in online marketplaces, more and more people are encountering the joys, and challenges, of quality sourcing. Their desire is clear; a fast, simple and flexible solution to help them reduce shipment delays and product returns. To support clients in quality sourcing, Bureau Veritas has unveiled an ecommerce platform for its quality management services, InSpec by BV.

"Through InSpec by BV you can verify production readiness as well as in-line and post production quality, to significantly mitigate the risks of shipment delays and customer disappointment. Reports indicate that about 25% of all returns are due to poor quality; this can be a make or break metric for most traders.  Product inspections performed by Bureau Veritas’ specialist teams allow buyers anywhere in the world to be reassured that what they ordered is what they will receive. We represent our buyers in the global factory with a simple goal – to make quality sourcing simple and assured" stated Oliver Butler, President of Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services.

The ecommerce platform is launching with product inspection services; one of the most critical services for buyers who need to verify what they ordered is what is being produced. It additionally houses an insight center with industry developments covering quality, regulations and recalls. 

Moín Container Terminal receives first vessel

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APM Terminals’ Moín Container Terminal (MCT) in Costa Rica has been granted permission by the National Council of Concessions (CNC) to start commercial operations at its first deep-sea berth. This is a key step for the terminal, which is on schedule to be fully operational in February 2019.

The permit, which is subject to meeting all safety and service requirements, will enable the transfer of all commercial container ships currently serviced at Puerto Limón and Puerto Moín to the MCT. This will take place once APM Terminals delivers the dock´s first phase, which includes two berths and 40 hectares of artificial island due in February 2019.

National Council of Concessions Authorization
“The authorization from CNC to start receiving commercial vessels, represents a significant step change in maritime cargo handling logistics in Costa Rica and a huge leap towards improving national competitiveness,” said Kenneth Waugh, Managing Director of APM Terminals Moín.

Since the completion of the mega-port’s equipment installation, APM Terminals’ personnel has carried out rigorous training with test ships in order to guarantee safe and efficient operations. As part of the training, a group of operators has also traveled to APM Terminals operations in Brazil, Colombia, Egypt and Morocco to gain first-hand experience of best practices for efficient high-volume terminals.

The first ship to arrive at the Moín Container Terminal on 27 October was CAP BEATRICE, followed next week by Hamburg Süd’s Polar México containership, with a Nominal Capacity of 3,947 TEU, arriving from Panama. 70% of the cargo loaded onto the ship will consist of bananas and pineapples, from both Del Monte and Fyffes companies, destined for Northern Europe.

Direct international connections
“Thanks to the Moín Container Terminal, we will no longer be a port for small boats that require merchandise to be transferred to reach their final destination, but a port that is able to receive today’s largest container ships with direct connections and reliable intermodal links to key markets,” Waugh explained.

According to the most recent data from the World Economic Forum, Costa Rica ranks today in the 109 out of 140 countries in the global port infrastructure index. However, projections suggest that once the MCT starts operations, Costa Rica will become Latin America’s port leader.

Starting with this weekly service, the number of ships served will be increased gradually until February 2019, when the project will be completed and the TCM will be officially inaugurated.

Source:APM Terminals

BOEM all ears at South Fork

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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is holding three public meetings next month as part of an environmental review of Deepwater Wind's proposed 90MW South Fork offshore wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island.

BOEM is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement is response to Deepwater's plans for an up to 15-turbine project, offshore substation and export cable to East Hampton in New York state.

The first meeting on 5 November will be at the American Legion Post 419 in Amagansett.

Two days later the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology East facility in New Bedford will host the second event, with the third at Narragansett Community Center a day later.

All three meetings will be from 5pm to 8pm local time.

A public comment period is also open until 19 November as part of the process, BOEM said.

Source:renews

IMO 2020 – Exploring the option of SOx scrubbers

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There are four possible methods of compliance:

1.use VLSFO (very low Sulphur oil) or blends;
2,use distillates or MGO;
3,use LNG or other alternative fuels; or
4,install EGCS (exhaust gas cleaning systems) and continue using HSFO.

Prior to selection of a compliance option shipowners should undertake a proper assessment of the risks involved and should not only consider the cost element but also any other operational and safety issues. For example, in the case of compliant fuels some of the safety issues that need to be considered would be fuel oil stability, compatibility, combustionability, leakage and exposing fractures in pipes which are not apparent when using thicker HFO, whereas some of the operational issues are heating requirements, tank segregation, change in cylinder oil, changing certain engine parts and lower power output. Shipowners who have decided to use compliant fuels or distillates may wish to refer to the provisional guidance document prepared by International Chamber of Shipping. The use of scrubbers also carry certain uncertainties and owners would need to do a thorough risk assessment to understand the challenges they and their crew members are likely to face if this option is selected. Further information can be found in the OCIMF’s Guide for implementation of Sulphur Oxide Exhaust Gas cleaning systems and other sources of information such as advisories of classification societies.

In this Insight article we will look at the last of the four available options: SOx scrubbers.

Recent reports indicate a surge in the number of vessels having scrubbers installed. The demand is such that some major manufactures are reporting long lead times for the installation of new scrubber units and shipowners are having to turn to other suppliers to ensure compliance by 1 January 2020.

Selecting a scrubber system

Whether SOx scrubbers are an attractive option or not depends on the price difference between high sulphur and low sulphur fuel oil.

Annex 1 of MEPC.259(68) outlines the IMO’s requirements for complying with MARPOL Annex VI, regulations 14. Approval for the use of scrubbers can be based on either Scheme A or Scheme B. Scheme A involves installing a product with certified parameters and emission checks whilst Scheme B requires continuous measurements of emissions to demonstrate compliance.

Various factors need to be taken into consideration before selecting the most suitable scrubber system for a vessel. The installation and operating costs, structural compatibility including the space available for the system, the vessel’s trading pattern, alkalinity of the water, and any requirements for additional substances such as caustic soda or magnesium oxide will determine the system which is most appropriate for the vessel.

There are four types of scrubber systems:

(a) open loop,

(b) fresh water closed loop,

(c) hybrid, or

(d) dry units.

The open loop system uses sea water. Among the limitations of this system, is the need to position the overboard discharge well away from the sea chests, as well as strict domestic wash water discharge regulations and operations in fresh and brackish waters. The closed loop system uses fresh water which requires dosing to scrub and the system requires a separate tank for collecting any residual waste. There could also be logistical problems in obtaining supplies of items such as caustic soda (an alkali) and arranging for the discharge of waste from the collection tank. A hybrid system, which offers maximum flexibility, is a combination of the open and closed loop.

Once the decision has been made which of the above systems to fit, shipowners must decide whether to fit a multi-inlet tower, which will handle the exhausts from all engines, or a single line tower, which will handle the exhaust from only one engine. Irrespective of the system selected, scrubbers require a lot of space. It will be necessary for the vessel to go into dry-dock to undertake certain tasks whereas for other tasks in-service installation can be carried out. Depending on the complexity of the scrubber system to be installed, it may be necessary to modify the funnel, engine casing and engine room.

Key operation and safety concerns

Owners or their managers may need to carry out an assessment of the vessel’s current power and any additional power needed because the available power must be sufficient to run the various scrubber related installations such as feed water and circulation pumps, dosing units, exhaust fans and monitoring equipment. In addition, there must be sufficient power to counter the back pressure produced by the scrubber unit, which may be considerable, thereby, in theory, marginally increasing GHG emissions. Also, it must be verified that the back pressure limits are not exceeded else the NOx emissions may be adversely affected.

Wash water from scrubbers is highly corrosive and acidic, and the effects are aggravated by high temperatures of exhaust gasses. To tackle this, the industry has improved the materials and coatings for scrubber towers, internal piping, valves and the waste storage tanks. However, little can be done to improve the resistance to corrosion in the overboard distance piece which is located between the scrubber overboard discharge valve and ship shell plating, besides increased wall thickness, special coatings and ascertaining the condition of the distance piece through regular thickness measurements (which may be required by certain Classification societies too). Should the overboard distance piece require repairs, then underwater works can be carried out without affecting the vessel’s schedule.

Another issue of some concern is the fact that vessels with open loop scrubbers may not be able to trade freely as some ports or states may prohibit the discharge of wash water in spite of the discharge meeting international standards (IMO resolution MEPC.259(68)). There are currently only a handful of states with strict scrubber wash water discharge regulations in place but other states could introduce similar rules in the future. Hybrid or closed loop systems may therefore appear to be better options for vessels trading in these areas. One issue which may then arise is where to discharge the contents of the holding tank as many states do not yet have shore reception facilities in place for this type of waste, or where these are available, they may come at a cost.

Scrubbers, being a mechanical device, can break down or malfunction for a variety of reasons. For example, vessels can experience problems associated with loss of sea water supply or poor inflow due to clogged sea chests, mechanical failure of pumps, pipe leakages, all of which may lead to the scrubber system shutting down. Should this happen, owners would need to notify both the flag and port states immediately. This will be perceived as a temporary non-compliance and the vessel would not be in immediate breach of the regulations, and provisions of MARPOL Annex VI regulation 3.1.2 would apply. The vessel would, however, be expected to change over to compliant fuel immediately, but if this is not available, the vessel must carry out repairs at next port or use bunker compliant fuel. The Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association (EGCSA) has produced a useful diagram detailing the interaction with the port state in such situations.

Difficulty in repairing scrubber units whilst the vessel is located in remote regions should be anticipated. Due diligence and preparedness would require owners and managers to revisit their critical spares list, and in consultation with the manufacturer, add those items which are most likely to break down, including the continuous emissions monitoring system. It is worth mentioning that when selecting scrubber supplier after sales service is an important element. In that regard, manufacturer’s service networks, market reputation and financial standing should form part of the selection process. Similar kind of due diligence would have to be exercised in selection of CEMS (Continuous Emission Monitoring System) supplier too.

It is important that the crew is given training in not only operating the scrubber unit, handling sensitive control and monitoring systems and carrying out maintenance, but also safe handling of the chemicals used and scrubber waste. Safety Management procedures may have to be updated accordingly.

Conclusion

Despite the high capital expenditure involved, scrubbers seem to be the favoured solution for many owners as this does away with the uncertainties involved in obtaining compliant fuel. We havein certain cases, seen that charterers would be willing to share the initial investment costs to secure a better long term charter deal.

Whichever route an owner selects on the road to compliance with IMO 2020, the final selection should only be made following a proper study and full knowledge of the pros and cons of each option. This can be achieved through dialogue with manufacturers, technical experts, charterers, bunker suppliers, and classification societies.

Source:hellenicshippingnews

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