LONDON, Oct 21, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Shipowners say they are trying to cut
their heavy-polluting industry’s impact on the environment by using cleaner
energy — but some have stalled over limiting the speed of ships.
Led by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the industry is
considering several options to replace so-called heavy fuel oil that propels
over 60,000 vessels, including tankers, used in the global transportation of
goods.
Last week, the IOM met in London to discuss options with other industry
players.
“The IMO’s ambition can only be realised with the development and
application of technological innovation and the introduction of alternative
fuels, which means low- or zero-carbon fuels should be made available soon,”
said its secretary general Kitack Lim.
French companies are driving the development of new ships that can run on
less-polluting liquefied natural gas, but that does require suitable storage
facilities and engines.
The new technology is gaining support from energy majors, such as Royal
Dutch Shell.
“Maritime transport is very polluting and yet is the last sector not to
have been regulated,” Faig Abbasov of Belgian NGO Transport and Environment
told AFP.
Maritime transport accounts for 2.3 percent of CO2 emissions, according to
Armateurs de France representing shipping companies. This compares with 2.0
percent for air transport, according to the International Civil Aviation
Organization.
The IMO has in the meantime decided that from next year sulphur content in
heavy fuel oil will be cut to 0.5 percent from 3.5 percent.
This is expected to be achieved by the use of “scrubbers”, or exhaust
cleaning systems fitted to ships, that reduce the amount of sulphur emitted
into the environment.
– Reduce the speed –
Meanwhile, a large section of the French maritime sector recently voted to
limit pollution by reducing ships’ speed, a move supported by President
Emmanuel Macron.
The ecological benefit is exponential: a tanker that lowers its speed from
12 to 11 knots (22.2 to 20.4 kilometres per hour) reduces its fuel
consumption by 18 percent.
The reduction reaches 30 percent if it travels at only 10 knots, according
to the French Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition.
“Reducing vessel speed is one of the options on the table, but it’s not the
only one,” said Hiroyuki Yamada, director of the marine division within the
IMO.
“This measure is pushed by some shipowners but not by all,” he added.
“Our role is to put in place effective measures that can provide more
flexibility.”
Shipowners are yet to be convinced, however.
“It’s first and foremost a question of investment,” said Philippe Renaud at
CMA CGM Group.
“If we reduce speed, we will need more ships.”
And to add “a longer journey increases storage time and results in
additional cost for customers”, he noted.
The issue of reducing speeds will feature at the 75th session of the Marine
Environment Protection Committee between November 11-15.
The French maritime sector is hoping for a possible vote in favour of the
measure in 2020, for implementation by 2023.
“The shipping industry is going to change, because we have to address
climate change,” said Edmund Hughes, head of air pollution and energy
efficiency at the IMO insisted last week.
“We have to phase out CO2 emissions as soon as possible,” he insisted.