Cons.A.R. - Italian Shipowner's Research Consortium

Name of the project:
ECOMOS

Duration:
Start: 01/11/2007
End: 31/10/2010

ECOMOS project, started in 1st November 2007, has a total duration of three years and will concern about the basic research for an integrated abatement system for the impact on the environment of the pollutant emissions (SOx, NOx, PM) from ships.

The project has been divided into four main lines of research:
- RB1: Methodological approach to the reckoning and abatement of noxious gaseous emissions from ships trading the Motorways of the Sea (MoS)
- RB2: Technological solutions to measure and reduce the noxious gaseous emissions and minimise the polluting side effects of abatement processes.
- RB3: Abatement process control with optimisation, and code for the design of low emission plants
- RB4: A try-out on the experimental diesel engine, for demonstration and real data analysis for the proposed options assessment.

CONS.A.R. participates to the project developing activities best oriented to the deepening of possibilities offered by innovative abatement systems for the reduction of the pollutant emissions which could be able to fulfil the scheduled limits concerning the environment impact, in view of an acceptable containment level of the ship propulsion system's efficiency.
Activities where the CONS.A.R.'s participation is expected principally concern about the development of the following basic research:

RB1: Methodological approach to the reckoning and abatement of noxious gaseous emissions from ships trading the Motorways of the Sea (MoS)

RB4: A try-out on the experimental diesel engine, for demonstration and real data analysis for the proposed options assessment.

During the first year of the project, CONS.A.R. made a survey among the shipping companies working in the Motorways of the Sea with the main scope o fan identification of the state of the art concerning the plants currently installed onboard ships and the fuel type used according to the different operative conditions. Together with this activity, CONS.A.R. also performed an analysis of the time spent by ships in the different operative conditions in order to provide a reference for the forthcoming design of the abatement system that would be the most appropriate for the specific requirements of this ship category.
CONS.A.R. also performed a legislative research concerning the laws actually in use and about the next ones in International, European and National field, keeping into consideration the latest developments referred to the updating of the MARPOL annex VI and the last decrees issued in European and National field. CONS.A.R. also proposed that periodical six-monthly bulletins will be issued with all the news in regulations: the first periodic report, issued in December 2008, contains the resolutions approved during the MEPC 58 held in October 2008 and concerning the amendments to the MARPOL Annex VI which regards the pollutant emissions from ships.
CONS.A.R. was also involved in the development of the task 1.3 concerning the measurement systems for the direct and indirect emissions: for this activity, CONS.A.R. contributed for what regards the search of regulatory constraints to the pollutant emissions measurement and to the definition of assessment criteria for those emissions according to the various operative profiles.

Cons.a.r. is appointed to carry out a cost / benefit analysis of technologies designed and developed during the ECOMOS project as a solution for the abatement/ reduction of pollutant emissions from marine engines (especially those produced by engines installed on ships using Motorways of the Sea): the purpose of the report is to compare the various technologies with their advantages and disadvantages related to economic, technical and operational conditions helping experts to make the best possible choice in relation to their needs. As a result of project delays, it was not possible, in the time spent so far, to have available the data required for the above-mentioned analysis and the preparation of the final report of the project. When inputs from other partners and from the ongoing trials will be available, Cons.a.r. will finish the job started.

The project has reached the end of its third year of activities. Under the 18-month extension granted by the Ministry, the project activities will expire on July 2nd, 2012.
On November 19th, 2010, at the headquarters of the CNR ISSIA in Genoa, the meeting of project partners was held during which the stock of the situation was done and were set deadlines for the next activities to be performed .

CNR Genoa
CETENA
Cons.A.R. - Italian Shipowners Research Consortium
Genoa University
National Interuniversity Consortium "Chemistry for the Environment" (INCA)