Liquefied CO2 ocean transport plays a key role in carbon dioxide capture utilization and storage (CCUS) value chains as a means of effectively connecting collection sites with storage or usage sites. CCUS is drawing attention as a technology to collect and store CO2 or use it effectively, and a step toward realizing a low-carbon society. According to a report by the International Energy Authority (IEA), CCUS targets a 15% reduction in cumulative CO2 emissions by 2070. This is expected to contribute to a reduction of about 6.9 billion tons per year when carbon neutrality is achieved.

Larvik Shipping is one of very few companies in the world qualified to operate liquified CO2 vessels for food grade CO2 used mainly by hospitals, breweries and the food industry. The company has operated industrial liquefied CO2 vessels in Europe for over 30 years and has a strong track record in safe transport of liquefied CO2 and extensive cargo-handling know-how. Operation of liquified CO2 vessels for food grade CO2 will be a continued focus for Larvik Shipping going forward.

MOL will soon enter the liquefied CO2 ocean transport business, which is positioned for significant growth in step with the increasing adoption of CCUS. MOL will contribute to further expansion of the business by combining its accumulated expertise and technological capabilities in safe operation with Larvik Shipping’s knowledge and solid experience. Both companies will discuss the adoption of larger ships with an eye toward expanding both upstream and downstream and in the CCUS value chain.

Source: marinelink

The maritime shipping industry has set ambitious decarbonization targets over the next decade. Shrinking the shipping industry’s carbon footprint is going to take a range of innovative solutions and technologies — from simple solutions like more efficient route planning to more advanced options, such as hull design.

Biofouling presents a major threat to the industry’s progress toward decarbonization targets. Biofouling is the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals on wet surfaces that have a mechanical function, causing structural or other functional deficiencies. Maritime shipping and logistics companies face challenges in vessel marine performance related to macrofouling — the attachment of larger organisms such as barnacles, soft corals, and seaweed.

[Read more: What is Biofouling and How Can We Stop It?]  

Here’s how biofouling is affecting the shipping industry and what marine logistics companies can do to prevent and combat biofouling.

How biofouling impacts vessel efficiency

Biofouling happens in two stages: microfouling and macrofouling. In macrofouling, heavier organisms such as barnacles and small coral colonies adhere to the submerged hull of a ship. These organisms can weigh up to 10 tons, significantly increasing the vessel’s drag.

“The costs of these hull-fouling stowaways are substantial: According to one study, the U.S. shipping industry spends more than $36 billion each year in added fuel costs to overcome the drag induced by clinging marine life or for anti-fouling paint that prevents that life from hitching a ride in the first place,” reported Science Magazine. “And that figure doesn’t include the cost to regularly scrape a hull smooth, which costs approximately $4.50 for every square foot of hull surface.”

Even minor microfouling can decrease vessel efficiency by 10 – 16%; macrofouling and result in loss of 86% of a vessel’s cruising speed, contributing to delays across the marine shipping industry.

These losses are only expected to increase due to climate change. A recent study found that warmer water creates the conditions for even more intense macrofouling. The median-projected scenario of a 3.5°C increase in water temperature causes marine organisms to grow twice as fast as they do at today’s surface temperatures. Not only did organisms grow more quickly — but they also formed a thicker layer.

Biofouling is expensive no matter how you measure it: in terms of time, energy (e.g., fuel), and actual dollars. Plus, cleaning and other antifouling measures are regular expenses that add up over time.

What is antifouling?

The IMO defines antifouling as “a coating, paint, surface treatment, surface or device that is used on a ship to control or prevent attachment of unwanted organisms”. Basically, antifouling is a measure that reduces the impact of biofouling on vessel efficiency.

Historically, ships used compounds like arsenic and lime to protect the hull of a ship against biofouling. Over time, however, those compounds leach into the water and can destroy marine ecosystems. The IMO now regulates the types of antifouling paint, compounds and methods that the shipping industry can use to prevent biofouling safely.

It’s also worth noting that antifouling differs from “fouling-release” tactics: “Fouling-release describes the force required to remove an organism that is already attached to a surface. These two terms have been used interchangeably in the literature; however they are truly different phenomena,” explained Science Direct.

As the demand for antifouling and fouling-release strategies grows, here are some of the most effective measures currently in use today.

6 Ways to combat biofouling to improve vessel efficiency

There are a number of preventative measures and fouling-release tactics that can help combat biofouling.

Preventative measures include:

1. Using an electrolytic system: This system passes a current between two anodes usually made of copper and aluminum. The current produces copper ions that prevent marine organisms from settling on the hull, as well as prevents the surface from corroding, as rough surfaces are more susceptible to biofouling.
2. Chemical dosing: This measure is used specifically for a ship’s piping method. It involves using an antifouling chemical such as ferrous chloride to coat the pipework with a protective layer that prevents corrosion.
3. Using an ultrasonic system: One of the most effective antifouling measures, this method uses high-frequency electrical impulses to prevent marine growth from attaching to piping systems.
4. Electro-chlorination: A mechanism on the ship uses chlorine to produce sodium hypochlorite, which is then used to prevent fouling. This method is slightly more risky than others and must be tested as chlorine can damage marine ecosystems.

These tactics often require machinery on board: for smaller vessels, these preventative measures may not be cost-effective or efficient. As a result, some ships use antifouling paint to try to prevent biofouling. These coatings work in a few different ways. Some repel organisms from the hull; others make the surface slippery so that organisms have trouble sticking. Hydrophobic foul-release coatings make it easier to clean organisms from the hull of a ship.

There are a number of boat hull cleaning practices to remove marine organisms off the hull of the boat while the boat is still in the water. “Conventional hull cleaning is conducted by divers using rotating-brush carts, or using ROVs equipped with rotating brushes or waterjets,” explained one expert. “Alternatively, preventive maintenance approaches have also been suggested, such as hull grooming on US Navy vessels, consisting of frequent and gentle wiping of the hull and continuous prevention methods, such as aeration or ultrasound transducers.”

Ancillary technology like Sofar Ocean’s Wayfinder platform provides data that can help schedule antifouling maintenance to improve vessel efficiency before macrofouling becomes a big problem.  By combining the most accurate weather data from the Sofar network with custom vessel performance curves, Wayfinder is able to predict when a vessel might be underperforming due to fouling of the prop or hull. Marine logistics companies can use this information to schedule the appropriate cleaning — optimizing operational efficiency, improving vessel maintenance, and limiting unnecessary delays caused by biofouling.

Combatting the impact of biofouling on vessel efficiency takes a multi-pronged approach that starts with data. Vessel-specific performance models can provide the feedback shipping companies need to understand the causes and effects of decreasing vessel performance. From there, the appropriate combination of antifouling and fouling-release tactics can be used to remove marine organisms safely.

Source: sofarocean

During February, there were zero new detentions of foreign flagged vessels in a UK port.

1. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping, and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.
2. The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as THETIS. This allows the ships with a high risk rating and poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.
3. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. When a ship is found to be not in compliance with applicable convention requirements, a deficiency may be raised. If any of their deficiencies are so serious, they have to be rectified before departure, then the ship will be detained.
4. All deficiencies should be rectified before departure.
5. When applicable, the list includes those passenger craft prevented from operating under the provisions of the EU Directive on a system of inspections for the safe operation of Ro-Ro passenger ships and high-speed passenger craft in regular service and amending directive 2009/16/EC and repealing Council Directive 1999/35/EC (Directive EU 2017/2110).

Notes on the list of detentions:

• Full details of the ship:
  The accompanying detention list shows ship’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number which is unchanging throughout the ship’s life and uniquely identifies it. It also shows the ship’s name and flag state at the time of its inspection.
• Company:
  The company shown in the vessel’s Safety Management Certificate (SMC) or if there is no SMC, then the party otherwise believed to be responsible for the safety of the ship at the time of inspection.
• Classification society:
  The list shows the classification society responsible for classing the ship only.
• Recognised organisation:
  Responsible for conducting the statutory surveys: and issuing statutory certificates on behalf of the flag state.
• White (WL), grey (GL) and black lists (BL) are issued by the Paris MoU on 01 July each year and shows the performance of flag state.
• Deficiencies:
  The deficiencies listed are the ones which were detainable.

Source: miragenews

Source: thedigitalship

SINGAPORE/MANILA: The Philippines Coast Guard has banned a North Korean freighter from leaving port until safety deficiencies, found during a security and safety inspection of the vessel, are rectified, officials said on Friday.

The inspection was ordered by the Coast Guard headquarters in Manila after the vessel was included on a list of 31 ships covered by harsher sanctions on North Korea that were approved by the United Nations over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
The 6,830 deadweight ton general cargo ship Jin Teng was one of the first sanctioned North Korean ships to enter a foreign port since the tightened sanctions were passed unanimously by the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
Three Coast Guard officials, accompanied by a dogs trained to detect explosives, searched the ship and checked crew documents on Thursday after the ship docked at Subic Bay, a former US naval base and now commercial port, a coast guard commander told Reuters.
Nothing suspicious was found on the ship or its 21 North Korean crew, although several minor safety problems including issues with firefighting and electrical equipment meant the ship could not leave port until they were fixed, the commander said.
“Our headquarters directed that as this vessel was on the (UN) list then it should be inspected thoroughly,” said the commander, who declined to give his name because he was not authorized to the media.
The ship, which is registered in Sierra Leone, was continuing to unload its cargo of palm kernel, he added. If a ship is designated by the UN, its owners would find it difficult to get the vessel insured, refuelled or even call at foreign ports, industry experts said.
“I doubt that anyone will touch the ships as far as international insurers go and they may be prevented from trading to most places as a result,” said one shipping lawyer.
But a second lawyer said ships such as the Jin Teng might be able to continue some trade because, although the UN Security Council voted to impose tougher sanctions, it would be up to individual member countries to pass legislation to enforce them.

Source: arabnews

The Myth: Workers get exposed to asbestos during the ship recycling process, which results in chronic occupational health impacts. Disposed asbestos on beaches contaminates the surrounding environment.

The Reality:

Asbestos is primarily found as an insulation material in the form of laggings on the steam pipes and exhaust pipes of the main engine, aux engines, and boilers on older vessels. Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) are found in flange joints and gaskets of different pipelines. From 1st January 2011, the new installation of materials that contain asbestos is prohibited on all ships. IMO and EUSRR made it mandatory to have an Inventory of Hazardous Material (IHM) onboard vessels. End-of-Life ships are delivered to the recycling facilities with the IHM Part I, II, and III. The places where asbestos and ACM are present are marked and identified as per the ship-specific Ship Recycling Plan (SRP) and Part I of IHM. Where there is a doubt regarding the presence of asbestos, a fresh sample is taken and tested in certified laboratories to confirm the presence of asbestos. The workers use adequate PPE, which comprises helmets, safety glasses, masks, hand gloves, safety shoes, boiler suits, and disposable overalls while removing and packaging asbestos. While handling asbestos to avoid dispersion in the air, an enclosed area is created. The area is barricaded with warning signposts to prevent unauthorized access. Asbestos is made wet before and during the removal process to suppress it. Pipe joints or machinery gaskets containing ACM are removed in such a way that ACM are not disturbed.