Hong Kong and Taiwan are to align their emission regulations with the Chinese Emission Control Area (ECA) requirements and implement a local 0.5 per cent sulphur cap from January 1, 2019, according to marine insurer Gard. Hong Kong currently enforces a Fuel at Berth Regulation that permits ships to burn no more than 0.5 per...
VPO Global recently hosted a panel discussion on preparing for and transitioning into 2020. Led by Mr Niels Bjørn L. Mortensen, Private Consultant, Master Mariner & Naval Architect, the panel discussed what should be done now to ensure a smooth transition in 2020 and how to overcome present challenges. In this week’s spotlight, VPO looks...
The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) has proposed a ban on scrubbers and regulated use of fuel with a sulphur content of no more than 0.1 per cent in Nærøyfjord, Aurlandsfjord, Geirangerfjord, Sunnylvsfjord and Tafjord. The ban on scrubbers would include both open and closed-loop systems, and hybrid scrubbers. This would mean that ships using heavy...
With the IMO 2020 sulphur cap entering into force in less than 15 months’ time, Dr Kirsi Tikka, executive vice president and senior maritime advisor, ABS has called upon the industry to proactively commit to preparing for the sulphur cap and urges for consistent enforcement of agreed measures to provide a level playing field for...
Shipping companies are wasting time and money and minimising their operational efficiency by paying for navigational data that is not actually used, according to Paul Stanley, CEO of maritime technology company, Global Navigation Solutions (GNS). One solution that promises to help reduce wasted navigational data is the GNS Voyager FLEET INSIGHT (VFI) solution that was...
Maritime technology start-up We4Sea has received certification from Verifavia for its IMO Data Collection System (DCS) and EU Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) emissions monitoring solution. The company’s non-capex fuel monitoring solution collects large quantities of operational data from a ship, including position, draft, speed and heading. The data is sent to shore and combined...
The decision to invest in scrubbers for 2020 compliance should have been made yesterday, Stine Mundal, project manager approval at DNV GL Maritime told listeners of a webinar hosted by the classification society this week. Ms Mundal stated that she is not sure if scrubbers are a long-term answer to reducing shipping’s emissions but acknowledged...
BIMCO and a group of industry partners have set out to create an internationally recognised standard in response to growing concerns over the impact of hull biofouling on the marine environment. The group consists of eight different organisations, including paint manufacturers, shipowners and cleaning companies, with the aim to take a holistic approach to establishing...
The IMO’s 0.5 per cent sulphur cap will enter into force in 15 months’ time. One option for compliance is the use of marine scrubbers with heavy sulphur fuel oil (HSFO). VPO Global spoke with various industry members about the current scrubber market and the adoption of the technology for 2020 compliance. What is the...
Fuel surcharges that are being introduced to pass the cost of 2020 compliance to the customer could be reduced by making use of technologies that optimise fuel consumption, claims FuelSave. Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company are two companies that announced earlier this year that they are implementing emergency bunker surcharges to combat the increasing price...
The availability of 0.5 per cent low sulphur fuel has been a concern for many shipping companies. In the last few months, the concern has shifted from whether there will be enough compliant fuel available to whether there will be stable and compatible fuel to bunker. VPO Global spoke with Christos Chryssakis, Senior Researcher, DNV...
Weather, including currents, waves, wind, and swell has been found to affect the performance of a vessel by between 50 and 80 per cent and cost thousands of US Dollar in additional fuel consumption. Routing a vessel based on predicted current and weather conditions is about improving the fuel efficiency, keeping to the sailing schedule,...