Marine

http://www.epa.gov/oms/regs/nonroad/marine/ci/420f10041.htm

The Proposed U.S. Caribbean ECA

The area of the proposed U.S. Caribbean ECA includes waters adjacent to coasts of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The northern and southern boundaries of the proposed area would extend roughly 50 nautical miles (nm) and 40 nm, respectively, from the territorial sea baseline of the main island of Puerto Rico. The western edge of the proposed area would generally run north-south, about half way between the Puerto Rican island of Mona and the west coast of the main island. The eastern edge of the proposed area would generally run north-south, but extend eastward through the area between the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands and also eastward through the area between Saint Croix and Anguilla and Saint Kitts. The proposed ECA is bounded such that it does not extend into marine areas subject to the sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction of any state other than the United States.

http://www.epa.gov/oms/oceanvessels.htm

North American Emission Control Area

On March 26, 2010, the IMO officially designated waters off North American coasts as an area in which stringent international emission standards will apply to ships. These standards will dramatically reduce air pollution from ships and deliver substantial air quality and public health benefits that extend hundreds of miles inland.

In 2020, EPA expects emissions from ships operating in the designated area to be reduced by 320,000 tons for NOx, 90,000 tons for PM2.5, and 920,000 tons for SOx, which is 23 percent, 74 percent, and 86 percent, respectively, below predicted levels in 2020 absent the ECA.

In practice, implementation of the ECA means that ships entering the designated area would need to use compliant fuel for the duration of their voyage that is within that area, including time in port as well as voyages whose routes pass through the area without calling on a port.  The quality of fuel that complies with the ECA standard will change over time. From the effective date in 2012 until 2015, fuel used by all vessels operating in designated areas cannot exceed 1.0 percent sulfur (10,000 ppm). Beginning in 2015, fuel used by vessels operating in these areas cannot exceed 0.1 percent sulfur (1,000 ppm).  Beginning in 2016, NOx afte rtreatment requirements become applicable

http://www.epa.gov/oms/regs/nonroad/marine/ci/420f10015.htm

The area of the North American ECA includes waters adjacent to the Pacific coast, the Atlantic/Gulf coast and the eight main Hawaiian Islands.¹ (footnote). It extends up to 200 nautical miles from coasts of the United States, Canada and the French territories, except that it does not extend into marine areas subject to the sovereignty or jurisdiction of other States.

NZHERALD  8TH MARCH 2011

Photo / Hawke’s Bay Today

Maersk Line ships will switch to low-sulphur fuel when in New Zealand ports to cut pollution in cities.

The shipping line says the switch lowers sulphur oxide levels in their exhaust gases by more than 80 per cent.

Maersk’s New Zealand managing director, Julian Bevis, said marine fuels were higher in sulphur content that those used on land and while the industry as a whole was examining ways to reduce total emissions, switching to low-sulphur fuels in port was a way of improving the environmental performance of the fleet and improving air quality in and around New Zealand’s ports.

The company has already begun similar initiatives in Hong Kong, Europe and several North American ports.

South China Morning Post — 6 Dec. 2010

Edward Rossiter (“Whiff of change in fuel switch?”, December 2) is right to praise those shipping companies that have decided to burn low-sulphur fuel at berth in Hong Kong. However, I believe he is wrong in thinking that a European company led the change. The then Hong Kong-based China Navigation Company, which is owned by John Swire and Sons and had been operating out of Hong Kong since Noah was a boy, switched to low-sulphur fuel not only at berth in Hong Kong but throughout the Pearl River Delta region, from January 26, 2008. At the time, they invited other shipping lines to follow their example, and we should all be delighted that this is now happening.

I do not seek to belittle Maersk, whose environmental initiatives are impressive in scope and global in scale, but it was a local company which showed the way in Hong Kong. It is also encouraging to note that the majority of companies that have signed the charter are based in East Asia. Let’s hope the rest of the global shipping community will soon catch up.

Most tugs, ferries and other forms of local craft already burn low-sulphur marine gas oil. It is the heavy bunker fuel on ocean-going vessels that is the major pollutant, and it is this that is now being significantly reduced, thanks to a handful of major shipping lines.

Finally, I have been blaming the acrid smell which lurks above Stonecutters Bridge on the new sewage treatment plant located near the PLA Navy base and Government Dockyard.

LLOYDS LIST 6 DEC 2010

Orient Overseas Container Line is pushing for Hong Kong to become Asia’s first emission control area.

The push is on for tighter ship emissions rules in Hong Kong.

The company also says the government should offer subsidies to shipping companies to help meet their environmental obligations.

OOCL director of corporate planning Stephen Ng says Hong Kong should make it mandatory for all players to abide by emissions rules and not rely on current voluntary standards.

“We need a level playing field,” he said.

Mr Ng accused the territory’s government of inaction.

“As far as Hong Kong is concerned, what we want to see is involvement from the government,” he said.

“The government needs to be in collaboration with the mainland.

“Hong Kong cannot do it alone.”

He was “not seeing active participation” on the issue by the territory’s political leaders, he said.

Mr Ng said cooperation with the central government in Beijing, or at the very least with the provincial government in neighbouring Guangdong province, was required if a framework of standards were to make sense.

He also said the government should consider subsidising the scheme.

“We get a break in terms of ports charges,” Mr Ng said.

The Hong Kong Government had a similar subsidy program in place for power companies, he added.

Earlier this year, members of the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association, including OOCL, agreed to a set of voluntary clean fuel initiatives aimed at reducing air pollution caused by emissions from ships.

16 Oct. 2010

Hong Kong – A dozen of the world’s largest container shipping lines have

agreed to switch voluntarily to low sulphur fuel while at port in Hong Kong,

a media report said Saturday.

The fuel is more expensive, but emits less sulphur oxide gases, which cause

acid rain and contribute to particulate pollution.

The firms have also urged the Hong Kong government to make the

less-polluting fuel compulsory, the South China Morning Post reported.

Currently, the maximum sulphur level worldwide in marine diesel is set at

4.5 per cent by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and set to

drop to 0.5 per cent by 2020.

But 13 member firms of the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association have agreed

to switch to fuel with levels of only 0.5 to 1 per cent sulphur while their

ships are berthed at Kwai Chung port, starting January 1.

They said that the initiative, under the association’s Fair Winds Charter,

aims to improve air quality in Hong Kong, especially as the port is located

in the heart of the city.

The voluntary initiative is to cost each company an estimated 500,000 to 1

million US dollars per year.

The participating firms include Denmark-based AP Moeller-Maersk A/S, the

world’s largest shipping company, Hong Kong’s leader Orient Overseas

(International) Ltd, Singapore’s APL Co Pte Ltd, Evergreen Marine Corp from

Taiwan, the French group CMA CGM SA and German carrier Hapag-Lloyd AG.

The 13 companies involved account for 60 per cent of ship traffic in Hong

Kong, the world’s third-busiest port by container.

‘Nowhere else in the world is the shipping industry putting pressure on

government to legislate over emissions,’ Veronica Booth, a researcher with

the public policy think tank Civic Exchange, said.

Booth said the improved air quality would benefit people working and living

in Kwai Chung and adjacent districts of Hong Kong.

Shipping companies operating in many North American and European ports are

already subject to agreements or regulations requiring them to make the

extra investment in low-sulphur fuel.

Ships in Hong Kong, or other South-East Asian shipping hubs Singapore,

Taiwan or Japan are currently exempt from any obligations above and beyond

the IMO guidelines, and are still allowed to run on the cheaper,

4.5-per-cent-sulphur fuel.

South China Morning Post — 11 Oct. 2010

South China Morning Post — 1 Oct. 2010