To assist shipping companies prepare for implementation of the UN IMO global sulphur cap for ships’ fuel oil, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has produced – free of charge – some comprehensive guidance on implementation planning, to help ensure compliance across the shipping industry with this regulatory game changer. The free ICS guidance has been prepared for the vast majority of ships that will comply after 1 January 2020 using fuel oils with a sulphur content of 0.50% m/m or less. ICS Secretary General, Guy Platten, explained: “Shipping companies ...

FUELSAVE, the Germany-based manufacturer of the unique fuel saving additive FS Marine+, has applied to become a partner of the CO2 Challenge, the initiative set up by US conglomerate Cargill, entrepreneurial cooperative group Rainmaking and classification society DNV GL. The CO2 Challenge aims to partner with start-ups and technology companies with systems capable of reducing a vessel’s CO2 emissions in line with international climate strategies and targets. Since the initiative was launched in June 2018, it has received some 70 applicants from 20 different countries. FUELSAVE co-founder and President Marc ...

The technology group Wärtsilä will provide an integrated cargo handling and fuel gas system for two new gas carrier vessels for Exmar, the Belgium-based fleet owner. The ships, which will transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), are being built at HHIC-Philippines (Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Philippines) in Subic Bay. The design of these ships focuses on high efficiency and a more sustainable operational profile. In achieving this, these 80,000m³ Very Large Gas Carriers will be the first vessels capable of running on LPG. This valuable order with Wärtsilä was booked ...

ABS was selected by FueLNG Pte Ltd to class Singapore’s first LNG bunker barge. The vessel is scheduled to begin construction in January 2019. “This project is an important milestone for the region and is a key component of Singapore’s strategy to become the world’s largest bunkering port,” said ABS Vice President Global Gas Solutions, Patrick Janssens. “LNG as fuel has become an increasingly popular option for many shipowners looking to comply with environmental requirements and gain new operational efficiencies. Projects like this are critical to help expand the LNG ...

Genoil Inc. ( GNOLF ), the publicly traded clean technology engineering company for the energy industry, announced today that it has commenced testing Pemex oil by initiating the passing through of the oil through the upgrader to convert heavy oil into light de-sulphured oil. Its Hydroconversion Upgrader (GHU®) could save the shipping industry billions of dollars a year in unnecessary bunker fuel costs. Demand for low sulphur fuel will increase significantly in 2020 when the sulphur content of marine fuel is reduced from the current 3.5% to 0.5%, with shipowners ...

The technology group Wärtsilä is to supply a newly updated propulsion control system as well as its advanced alarm and control system, the Nacos PCS/MCS Platinum, for Maersk Tankers’ six 110 DWT LR2 newbuildings. The order with Wärtsilä was booked in the first quarter of 2018. The Wärtsilä Nacos Platinum automation package is a fully integrated system designed to optimise main engine propulsion efficiency to deliver fuel savings and lower operational costs. The energy saving features include power management, and logic for cargo overview and remote control. The updated system ...

The world of bunkers is heading for rapid and fundamental changes and not just because of the 0.50% sulphur cap in 2020. While IMO and stakeholders are working hard to deal with this unprecedented global fuel specification change, discussions have moved on to just how soon we should phase out the use of fossil fuels altogether. By the time you read this, the key outcomes of the 72nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee will have been well publicised, but not necessarily well understood. Misunderstandings have been rife with ...

Safe Bulkers, Inc. (the Company) (NYSE: SB), an international provider of marine drybulk transportation services, announced today that it has agreed with Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., (Cosco), a detailed schedule within 2019 for the installation of Alfa Laval PureSOx scrubbers in about half of the Company’s fleet mainly in medium size vessels, Kamsarmax to Post-Panamax class. More specifically the Company will install scrubbers in five Kamsarmax class vessels, in thirteen Post-Panamax class vessels and in the recently acquired Cape-size class vessel while it maintains an option for an ...

DNV GL – Maritime has released its second Maritime Forecast to 2050, part of a suite of Energy Transition Outlook (ETO) reports launched today in London. The Forecast provides an independent forecast of the maritime energy future and examines how the energy transition will affect the shipping industry. “The energy transition is undeniable,” says Remi Eriksen, Group President and CEO of DNV GL. “Last year, more gigawatts of renewable energy were added than those from fossil fuels and this is reflected in where lenders are putting their money.” Following on ...

Star Bulk Carriers Corp., a global shipping company focusing on the transportation of dry bulk cargoes announced today that it intends to equip its entire fleet with Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (“scrubbers”) before the January 1, 2020 implementation date of the new IMO sulfur emission cap regulation. Star Bulk expects average cost, including installation, to be below $2.0 million per vessel. The Company has secured debt financing with an average margin of below 3.0% to cover up to approximately 70% of such cost and expects the remaining amount to be ...

American shipping company, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, has returned very positive reports on its LNG-powered containerships, ‘Isla Bella’ and ‘Perla del Caribe’ as they approach the third anniversary of commencing operations. The 3,100-teu sister ships serve the route between Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico and are notable for being propelled by the first ME-GI dual-fuel engines produced by MAN Energy Solutions. Tim Nolan, President and CEO of TOTE noted “The relationship between MAN and TOTE has been strong with excellent collaboration from the top level all the way ...

At the SMM trade fair in Hamburg, DNV GL signed partnership agreements with WinGD, VAF Instruments and Viswa Lab to work together to improve the performance of vessels. All three partners will connect to DNV GL’s ECO Insight, the most widely used fleet performance solution in the shipping industry. “We are very much looking forward to cooperating with innovative companies like WinGD, VAF Instruments, and Viswa Lab,” says Torsten Büssow, DNV GL’s global head for fleet performance management. “We want to offer an integrated solution for fleet performance that provides ...

Sembcorp Marine has won its biggest green technology retrofits contract to date, awarded by Maran Tankers for the installation of marine scrubbers and ballast water management systems on 13 of the Greek owner’s vessels. Under the contract, four suezmax tankers will be fitted with marine scrubbers and ballast water management systems between the third quarter of 2018 and the fourth quarter of 2019, while a further nine Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) will have marine scrubbers installed between May 2019 and February 2020. The installation of 13 marine scrubbers and ...

PortLiner and H2-Industries build the first all-electric inland vessels based on LOHC power storage technology. This will allow freight traffic on rivers and canals to be emission-free and sustainable in the future. On the occasion of Hamburg’s international maritime trade fair SMM, PortLiner and H2-Industries have announced the development and construction of all-electric inland vessels based on innovative LOHC energy storage technology (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier). The Dutch company PortLiner will use H2-Industries’ high performance LOHC technology on inland ships in Europe as its exclusive partner. Harmful emissions related to ...

It is rare that a fuel specification change could disrupt the oil value chain, but the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) planned change to bunker fuel regulation may do just that. The IMO, the United Nations’ body responsible for the safety and environmental performance of the shipping sector, has ruled that from 1 January 2020, marine sector emissions in international waters be slashed. To comply, the marine sector will have to reduce the sulphur emissions by over 80%, which can be achieved by switching to lower sulphur fuels. The current maximum ...