Proctor in Admiralty

Environmental Shipping for Earth Day

According to a press release in the Journal of Commerce, Japanese container carrier, NYK Line has released an initial design for its NYK Super Eco Ship 2030, an energy-efficient ship expected to emit far fewer CO2 emissions than current vessel design.

The design was created by Monohakobi Technology Institute Co., Ltd. (MTI), a wholly owned NYK subsidiary focused on technological advances in shipping and logistics, together with Garroni Progetti s.r.l, an Italian designer of ships, and Elomatic Marine, a Finnish marine-technology consultant. The Japanese word "Monohakobi" means the carriage of goods.

The press release, well timed for Earth Day, advises that:

NYK Super Eco Ship 2030 will make use of progressive technologies that have the potential of being realized by 2030. The power needed to propel the ship can be lessened by decreasing the weight of the hull and reducing water friction. Propulsion power can be increased through use of LNG-based fuel cells, solar cells, and wind power, all of which will lead to a reduction of CO2 by 69 percent per container carried.

 Comparison of NYK Super Eco-ship 2030 with a conventional 8,000 TEU container vessel is provided below.

|-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------|

| | Conventional Vessel | NYK Super Eco-ship 2030 |

|-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------|

| Length Overall | 338 meters | 353 meters |

|-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------|

| Breadth | 45.8 meters | 54.6 meters |

|-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------|

| Draft | 13.0 meters | 11.5 meters |

|-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------|

| Main power|Diesel Engine (C heavy oil) | Battery (LNG) |

| (Fuel) | 64 megawatts | 40 megawatts |

|-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------|

| Natural power | None | Solar: 1–2 megawatts |

| | | Wind: 1–3 megawatts |

|-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------|

| CO2 emissions* | 195 g/TEU-miles | 62 g/TEU-miles |

|-----------------+----------------------------+----------------------------|

*TEU-mile: Unit for the carriage of one TEU a distance of one mile

MTI is working on many other significant projects including R&D projects for new lashing and twist-lock systems and development of a ballast water treatment system.

NYK’s design is the latest in a move by shipping companies to promote their commitment to environmental protection.  Other examples include the E/S Orcelle and CMA CGM’s Eco Containers.

The E/S Orcelle is auto carrier Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s visionary concept car carrier with a "zero emissions" capability which carries no ballast water on board.   The E/S Orcelle, unveiled in 2005 was promoted as viable by 2025 and uses only renewable energy sources, including the sun, wind and waves as well as fuel cell technology, to meet all its propulsion and onboard power requirements. 

French container carrier CMA CGM, has developed a fleet of environmentally sensitive shipping containers dubbed Eco-Containers which include bamboo flooring, reducing the use of rare tropical wood species, while improving technical performance.  CMA CGM has also deployed low energy reefer container (specialized containers for perishable goods, requiring energy and refrigerant gases), to reduce fuel consumption and Light Steel containers, manufactured from an extremely strong high tensile steel which reduces the weight of these containers by 1200 pounds and thus consumes less fuel, further reducing emissions.

These are all very worthwhile projects and hopefully we will see more development coming from some of the other shipping lines around the world.

Technology solutions to reducing emissions from vessels

Emissions of Carbon dioxide and other pollutants from vessels has gained increased attention in both the US and around the world over the past few years.  In January, 21 countries agreed to promote reduction in such emissions as a means to control global warming as part of the successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. In March, the US and Canada made a joint request to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to require vessels to use low-sulfur fuel or technology to reduce emissions within 200 nautical miles of the US and Canadian coastline. Of course, back in October, the IMO unanimously adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex VI which mandated a progressive reduction in sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxide emissions from ships initially from the current level of 4.5% to 3.5% and then progressively down to .5% by January 2020.

Now, technology may play in important role in reducing these pollutants.  According to an article today in Hellenic Shipping News:

Just a few kilometres from one of the busiest ports in the world, a Singapore firm says it has the answer that can help the shipping industry clean up its act. Ecospec says it has invented and tested a patented method that removes planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides; sulphur dioxide, which causes acid rain; and soot from ship exhausts.

The process, which uses very alkaline sea water sprayed into the exhaust funnel to scrub out the gases and soot, has already been tested on a tanker and earned the backing of the American Bureau of Shipping.

The company claims to have received 60 inquiries from shipping companies since announcing the development of this product.  We will continue to follow the development and implementation of this technology on-board ships.

Port Security - Installation of Radiation Monitors

US  Customs and  Border Protection issued a press release advising that the Port of Honolulu has installed a Radiation Portal Monitor to screen vehicles and cargo departing from Pier 1 for radiation.  Use of radiation monitors is part of an ongoing effort to detect and prevent the transportation of  nuclear devices, dirty bombs and other items that could be used in terrorist attacks.

 

Technology finds monster waves beyond estimates of computer models

Researchers aboard the RRS DISCOVERY experienced waves of up to 95 feet in height - the biggest waves ever recorded.  The scientists believe these waves are created by resonance where a storm builds energy into waves over the hours rather than by strong winds which are traditionally thought of the source for large waves.  You can read more about the findings of British National Oceanographic Center researchers aboard the RRS DISCOVERY here.

From an industry perspective, design of vessels able to withstand large waves may need to be reconsidered in the future   As a final note, waves of up to 95 feet give new meaning to so called heavy weather or force majure defenses.  It will be interesting to see the impact of this data on the maritime industry.

Video Cameras at the Port of Oakland

More on the Port Security Front:

The Port of Oakland is using funds from a $2.4 mil. Federal grant to outfit its cranes with 60 video cameras to be monitored 24 hours per day as part of its security plan. 

See this article in the Alameda Times-Star for more details.

120 year old schooner technologically savvy

According to a press release from earlier today,  Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the New York Department of Environmental Protection announced a joint project to measure water conditions in New York Harbor.

According to the press release:

The Seaport Museum's 1885 schooner The Pioneer, which celebrated its 120th anniversary this month, now carries the latest technology in the form of a computerized water monitoring system as part of the Urban Ocean Observatory at Stevens. In partnership with the New York Department of Environmental Protection, the system measures water temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen in New York Harbor from The Pioneer as it conducts its public sails. The data is fed via a wireless network to computers at Stevens' Center for Maritime Systems (CMS) in Hoboken. Data collected includes water temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen.

The public can sail on the Pioneer as well as on the schooner Lettie G. Howard, built in 1893 and on the wooden tug W. O. Decker.  Check out the Seaport Museum website for more details.

 

Electronic Notice of Arrival/Departure

Thanks to Dennis Bryant at Holland & Knight for advising that the United States Coast Guard National Vessel Movement Center (NVMC) reports that the final version of its electronic Notice of Arrival/Departure (e-NOA/D) is available.  According to Bryant, electronic submission of the NOA fulfills the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) requirement and that caution must be exercised in completing and submitting NOA/D to avoid inadvertent errors and unintended duplications.

This should be of great assistance to Masters and to shore side agents involved in filing and updating NOAs.  As is widely known in the maritime community, the USCG is now strictly enforcing the NOA requirements, the violation of which carries a maximum penalty of $32,500 per occurrence.

 

Jacksonville Port Installs Radiation Monitors

Ten radiation monitors have been installed at the Jacksonville Port Authority in Florida by US Customs to scan all imported shipping containers for nuclear weapons and dirty bombs prior to leaving the port.
Link: First Coast News | Local News.

Report on Staten Island Ferry accident released

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has posted its marine accident report concerning the allision of the  Staten Island Ferry Andrew J. Barberi with a maintenance pier at the Staten Island Ferry terminal on October 15, 2003.  Fifteen crewmembers and an estimated 1,500 passengers were on board. Ten passengers died in the accident and 70 were injured. An eleventh passenger died 2 months later as a result of injuries sustained in the accident.

The NTSB found that the probable cause of this accident was the assistant captain’s unexplained incapacitation and the failure of the New York City Department of Transportation to implement and oversee safe, effective operating procedures for its ferries. Contributing to the cause of the accident was the failure of the captain to exercise his command responsibility over the vessel by ensuring the safety of its operations.

The Board noted that the Staten Island ferries lacked common technological innovations that are common in use today and that the Global Maritime and Transportation School (GMATS) has recommended that the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) aquire and install such devices,  including: ARPA, AIS and electronic chart display and information systems.

NYCDOT engaged GMATS following the incident.   The NTSB report notes that the NYCDOT was following the GMATS  recommendations and had purchased and installed some of the systems in February, 2005.

Unexplained maritime technology?

From the new maritime industries desk:

Offshore supply vessels used as platforms for parabolic antennae to track satellites or the space shuttle or even for watching the Red Sox (who would waste time doing that?).