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November 2008
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CONS.A.R. ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM
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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
November 20th 2008 - Ship design needs to focus on fuel economy
An executive board member of the classification society Germanischer Lloyd, said some designs currently on order would be obsolescent in an era of high fuel prices. If we assume the age of cheap fuel was over and that bunker prices were likely to be historically high for the life of a newbuild then a complete rethink of ship specifications was necessary. That could include modifications to the hull form, propellers and engine design. Germanischer Lloyd has suggested a scenario in which bunker fuel could cost $2,000 per metric tonne (pmt) by 2036.
Bunker prices reached record highs in July with low sulphur residual fuel touching $780 pmt in Rotterdam. Prices have since tumbled to around $280.
Bunkerworld
November 19th 2008 - Impact of emission limits on bunker fuel
A new study that plans to examine the impact that new shipping emission legislation will have on marine fuels is currently underway. The study will forecast the demand, type and quality of bunker required for the next 20 years. Emissions limits recently agreed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will change bunker fuel qualities and indeed the type of fuel consumed by the regional and global shipping industries. Both refining and shipping companies are puzzling over their role and the costs for meeting new ship emissions requirements. The study will reflect this through a 13-region analysis and it is due to be completed in the second quarter of 2009.
Bunkerworld
November 18th 2008 - US EPA Delivers environmental progress report
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made a report detailing its progress during 2008. The report highlighted efforts to cut ship-generated emissions.
In March 2008, the EPA issued mew emission standards in an effort to cut pollution from marine diesel engines by up to 90%. The benefits of the new standards will begin immediately. EPA estimates that by 2030 the regulations will have helped to prevent 1,400 premature deaths and 120,000 lost workdays nationwide.
Bunkerworld
November 13th 2008 - New hull paint can improve fuel efficiency
Marine coating specialist Nippon Paint Marine Coatings Co. is marketing a newly developed hull paint that helps reduce ship drag and improve fuel efficiency.
Some existing ship hull paints can reduce surface irregularities to around 150 microns, enhancing fuel efficiency by about 4% through lowering the vessel's resistance in the water. The new paint works by reducing hull surface irregularities to just 100 microns, leading to an added 8% reduction in drag resistance.
Nippon Paint Marine said the idea for this new paint was inspired by dolphins and tuna, which swim with low drag thanks to the mucous layer coating their bodies. The new hull paint contains a proprietary polymer compound that turns into a gel when it comes in contact with water. A hull covered with this paint has less drag because the surface develops a gel coat that tends to accumulate in any indentations, creating a smoother surface. The new paint, however, is three times more costly than the conventional paint. Nippon Paint Marine calculates that for a 95,000-tonne container ship the initial expense of using the five-year formulation can be recovered in terms of fuel savings in one year.
Bunkerworld
November 11th 2008 - COSCO ships to sail solar
Australian energy firm Solar Sailor has signed an agreement with China's biggest shipping firm COSCO to fit solar-powered sails on two of its ships in 2010.
COSCO Bulk Carrier will fit the aluminium solar-powered sails, measuring 30 metres long and covered with photovolatic panels, to a tanker ship and a bulker ship. The sails can harness the wind to cut fuel costs by 20-40% when the vessel is travelling at 18 knots, and use the sun to meet 5% of a ship's energy needs, according to Solar Sailor. Once fitted, the sails can pay for themselves in fuel savings within four years. The sails require no additional training to operate, and use a computer which is linked to a ship's existing navigation system, while sensors automatically angle the sails to pick up the wind.
Bunkerworld
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