Norwegian fertilizer manufacturer Yara has signed the world’s first cross-border CO2 transport and storage deal with Northern Lights, the Norwegian offshore carbon storage project. Both entities are based in Norway, but the transport will be cross-border, delivering liquefied CO2 by ship from a Yara plant in the Netherlands to the Northern Lights injection facility.

From early 2025, 800,000 tonnes of pure CO2 will be captured at the Yara Sluiskil plant in the Netherlands, then compressed, liquefied and transported to the Northern Lights well off the coast of Øygarden.

Northern Lights hopes that the first-of-a-kind contract will set a standard for other industrial emitters in Europe who want to look at offshore CO2 storage.

“Yara is our first commercial customer, filling our available capacity in Northern Lights. With this we are establishing a market for transport and storage of CO2. From early 2025 we will be shipping the first tonnes of CO2 from the Netherlands to Norway. This will demonstrate that CCS is a climate tool for Europe,” said Børre Jacobsen, the managing director of Northern Lights.

Northern Lights is the transport and storage part of Norway’s Longship project, which is 80 percent funded by the Norwegian government. As part of the funding agreement, Northern Lights has to develop a commercial business model and offer its service to the rest of Europe. The company is a JV, owned equally by Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies.

Yara produces two million tonnes of ammonia per year, making it one of the largest manufacturers in the world. Conventional ammonia is a carbon-intensive product made with natural gas, and Yara’s plant in Heroya is one of the largest point-source emitters in Norway; the company is planning an electrification project to transition to the plant to a zero-emissions future, eliminating about 800,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/yara-signs-landmark-deal-for-offshore-co2-storage

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Bulk carrier OS 35 collided with LNG tanker ADAM LNG on Aug 29, understood at around 2000 UTC, while leaving anchorage off Gibraltar Point. ADAM LNG was anchored at the time of collision, and didn’t suffer serious damages. Bulk carrier sustained hull breach somewhere in fore asection, she developed heavy fore tilt and slight stb list, water ingress couldn’t be put under control, so the ship wastaken to the other side of the peninsula and grounded at Catalan Bay, to avoid sinking. Both ships called Gibraltar most probably, for bunkering and/or supplies, OS #% was leaving bound for, reportedly, Netherlands.as of 0530 UTC Aug 30, OS 35 AIS was on, bulk carrier being in the same position with all 24 on board, while ADAM LNG remained at anchor.

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Container News container-news.com reported containers fall in Taipei Port, Taiwan, on Aug 27, during offloading of container ship EVER FOREVER. Accident is believed to be caused by crane operator mishandling of the crane. EVER FOREVER arrived from USA, she left Taipei on Aug 29, on Aug 30 she already arrived at port of destination, Xiamen China.

Source: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2022/39341/containers-fell-pier-crane-taipei-port/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau Gesellschaft (FSG) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Canada’s Oceanex Inc. that will see the two companies develop a highly efficient climate neutral ConRo (container RO/RO) vessel.

Oceanex Inc. provides intermodal transportation services to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the new ConRo design will be critical to its future vessel replacement planning for its current three-ship fleet.

The MoU was signed during a high level German trade mission to Canada in which FSG managing director Philipp Maracke participated at the invitation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It was co-signed by Maracke and Oceanex executive chairman Captain Sid Hynes in the presence of the German Federal Minister Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Dr. Robert Habeck and Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson.

Together, the partners intend to investigate the utilization of alternative fuels, such as ammonia, methanol, synthetic and biofuels as well as hydrogen, and the technologies based on them in relation to Oceanex’s Atlantic Canada operational area. The central approach of FSG is a comprehensive life-cycle analysis that links long-term economic and ecological perspectives already in the planning stage.

“As a shipyard, we have ambitious goals to become a major pillar of the energy transition. FSG has already positioned itself as an innovation leader for low-emission ship designs in the past,” says Maracke. “Building on our references and expertise, we want to be a driver when it comes to energy transition in shipping.”

“Our customers rely on Oceanex to provide competitive, reliable, and sustainable transportation services,” says Hynes. “Doing so with environmental leadership is top of mind, so building our fleet of vessels to ensure we’re leveraging the latest technologies and the most environmentally friendly fuel sources is critical for Oceanex. Partnering with FSG will allow us to do just that.”

Source: https://www.marinelog.com/shipbuilding/fsg-and-oceanex-ink-mou-on-climate-neutral-conro/

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Sperry Marine has partnered with Egersund, Norway-headquartered NAVTOR to launch Sperry Marine Navigation Charts and Voyage Planning.

Designed to optimize vessel safety and efficiency, the service provides an integrated e-navigation solution that reduces administration associated with chart updates and route planning and improves cyber security.

The service—the latest addition to the SperrySphere platform—leverages NAVTOR’s award-winning service, designed to reduce fuel costs, support compliance with environmental regulations and reduce workload for navigators by providing all critical voyage information in one integrated application.

The system analyzes the planned route and compares navigation data with the vessel’s water and air draft and other specifications to ensure full safety from berth to berth.

With databases and permits automatically distributed and updated seamlessly, the huge number of administration hours and the risk of human error during manual planning can be reduced.

The ENC chart service simplifies workflow for fleet managers and navigators and provides full control and accessibility over charts with Navtor’s NavTracker chart management and ordering tool. This enables shipowners to take advantage of a range of data subscription models, including PAYS (pay-as-you-sail), to meet each vessel’s specific needs.

The PAYS model enables shipowners to more accurately manage their purchases costs with no need to pay for unused charts.

Cyber security protocols are enforced by Sperry Marine’s Secure Maritime Gateway which uses multiple firewalls and a “demilitarized zone” as a staging post between front and back of bridge to ensure there is no direct connection between the navigation systems and the ship’s main IT network.

“We believe e-navigation is the future of shipping because we truly understand the problems of wasted time, unnecessary workload and lack of integration when using paper charts and manual voyage planning,” said NAVTOR managing director Tor Svanes. “This partnership with Sperry Marine will deliver an integrated solution, ensuring customers unlock the full potential of e-Navigation in a smart, safe and simple way.”

The Charts and Voyage Planning module is deployed and managed through the SperrySphere smart navigation platform. This is a one-stop-shop back-of-bridge digital platform which manages delivery of a wide variety of safety and voyage optimisation applications and a roadmap including remote support and diagnostics of navigation equipment.

“NAVTOR and Sperry Marine are global leaders in digital navigation solutions and by combining our expertise we can ensure that charts and routes can be securely and automatically updated using the Secure Maritime Gateway,” said James Collett, managing director, Sperry Marine. “We not only aim to improve the vessel’s cyber security performance; the SperrySphere will be the platform we use to deliver, smarter, safer digitally-enabled navigation to our customers.”

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


NYK Line, Nihon Shipyard (NSY), ClassNK, and IHI Corporation signed a joint research and development agreement for the commercialization of an ammonia floating storage and regasification barge (A-FSRB).

Specifically, the parties will work on the R&D of the world’s first barge equipped with a floating storage and regasification facility for ammonia.  A barge is a flat-bottomed vessel designed to carry heavy cargo mainly in inland waterways and ports. Almost all barges cannot navigate by themselves because they are not equipped with an engine; they must be towed or propelled by a tugboat.

Since ammonia does not emit carbon dioxide (CO2) when combusted, it is expected to be a next-generation fuel that contributes to global warming countermeasures.

In Japan, technological development is underway for ammonia fuel mixed combustion power generation at coal-fired power plants as an innovative next-generation thermal power generation technology that contributes to the reduction of CO2 emissions.

On the other hand, when using ammonia in existing thermal power plants, there are issues such as the problem of securing land for new onshore facilities including storage tanks and regasification facilities, and the large initial investment cost.

Advantages of A-FSRB

An A-FSRB is an offshore floating facility that can receive and store ammonia that has been transported via ship as a liquid, warm and regasify ammonia according to demand, and then send it to a pipeline onshore.

An A-FSRB offers the advantages of shorter construction time and lower costs in comparison to construction of onshore storage tanks and regasification plants. In fact, the A-FSRB is expected to speed up the adoption of ammonia fuel and contribute to its wider use as a lower-environmental-impact next-generation fuel.

In August 2020, NYK Line, Japan Marine United Corporation (which has a 49% share of NSY), and ClassNK started joint R&D of an A-FSRB. However, since the demand for fuel ammonia is expected to increase further in the future, the three parties have concluded a new joint R&D agreement with IHI, an ammonia-related equipment manufacturer.

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/nyk-going-forward-with-worlds-first-ammonia-storage-barge/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


VOC capture and utilization during loading of crude oil tankers is an important contribution to decarbonisation of shipping. Vaholmen has the solution for avoiding between 60-80% of the emissions during loading operation at offshore terminals, bringing the hydrocarbons back into the loop and realising its values.

The international community is rightfully focusing on decarbonisation of shipping, however with main emphasis on propulsion and less on the significant emissions from crude oil loading operations.

Vapor from oil cargoes releases millions of tons of CO2 equivalents – through the release of volatile organic compounds (VOC) – into the atmosphere. Between 60-80 % of these emissions are generated during loading of the crude oil cargoes.

Vaholmen
Representation Image

Norwegian authorities have set strict limitations to VOC emissions during loading of shuttle tankers at offshore oil fields since the turn of the century and efficient technology for on board treatment is developed and operated since. Most of this equipment is provided by Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.

When crude oil is loaded into VLCCs and other crude oil tankers at loading buoys or sea islands at distances from shore, the utilisation of onboard VOC capture and processing system is not economically feasible. Installing VOC capture system on loading buoys or sea islands is not very feasible as the capture and transportation of the VOC back to shore for utilization is technically challenging and very costly.

Plugging an emission leak
Vaholmen VOC Recovery AS has, in close cooperation with its partners American Bureau of Shipping, Ulstein Design & Solutions AS and Wärtsilä Gas Solutions AS, developed and patented a concept that addresses the challenges caused by offshore loading of crude oil tankers. The concept includes a VOC recovery plant installed on a dynamically positioned vessel.

The vessel – the Vaholmen Unit – will operate close to the loading tanker for capturing and processing the VOC generated on the tanker through a hose connected to the tanker’s vapour return manifold. The output from the process – the liquefied VOC– can be monetized through injection into a stream of relevant hydrocarbons like crude oil, as feedstock for powerplants, refineries or other as well as providing fuel for electrical power production on the Vaholmen Unit. The value of the captured hydrocarbons will normally exceed the costs of the operation of the Vaholmen Unit.

“As pollution is resources gone astray,” says CEO of Vaholmen VOC Recovery AS, Arve Andersson, ”the combination of two proven technologies into a new and innovative product allows capturing and utilization of values that otherwise are lost in a profitable way.”

Designing for optimal operation and utilisation of the VOC
“Ulstein has vast experience from developing and delivering ships and ship designs for more than 100 years. This ship design for Vaholmen has been developed in close cooperation with the parties involved in this project, and the design and systems onboard are configured to allow for optimal operation and utilisation of the VOC to achieve low operational cost.

Ulstein is continuously working to find ways to reduce the need for energy in operation and to find alternative energy sources. By contributing to this project, we aim to reduce emissions from operations, and this is a great motivation for us as ship designers,” says Lars Ståle Skoge, commercial director in Ulstein Design & Solutions AS.

“Wärtilä Gas Solutions is a leading provider of gas handling equipment both on ships and onshore. Since early 2000 we have delivered 15 VOC plants for shuttle tankers in the North Sea” says Hans Jakob Buvarp, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions’ General Manager Sales.

“ABS is excited to work with this elite group of companies on such an innovative project. The Vaholmen units will serve an important need in reducing emissions as the industry works to meet decarbonization and sustainability goals. We are proud to bring our decades-long experience to the table, supporting OSVs with a focus on safety and innovation, and this project is a perfect example of the future of these vessels – multi-functional, sustainable, and highly capable of adapting to new applications,” says Matt Tremblay, ABS Vice President, Global Offshore.”

On initiative from Norway and Canada, IMO is now in the process of taking up the issues related to VOC emissions from tankers through an upcoming revision of MARPOL Annex 6. Vaholmen has the solution for avoiding between 60-80 % of the emissions, bringing the hydrocarbons back into the loop and realizing its values.

Source: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/vaholmen-voc-recovery-as-developed-a-novel-concept-for-decarbonizing-shipping/

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


The UK’s Royal Navy is scrambling to determine the scope of the mechanical problem aboard its newest aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales after an embarrassing incident in which one of the two largest vessels of the fleet was forced to anchor off the south coast of England only hours after she received a grand sendoff on a “landmark mission.” Large crowds gathered on the holiday weekend in the UK to see the carrier off on one of her first missions as she continues to work toward full readiness, but hours later the Royal Navy issued a brief update saying she was anchoring while “investigations into an emerging mechanical issue,” were underway.

The Royal Navy issued a further update on its social media today, Monday, saying, “You might be aware of issues with HMS Prince of Wales since leaving her home port of Portsmouth on Saturday. We are in the process of moving her to a different anchorage which is better suited to allow for further inspection of the ship. Right now our focus is on the ship and our people; everyone is working hard to understand the problem and what can be done next.”

The carrier, which cost nearly $3.5 billion to build is a sister ship to HMS Queen Elizabeth, commissioned in December 2019. In trouble-plagued early operations, the carrier suffered minor flooding in May 2020 followed by a more significant fault in October 2020 that sent her back to the shipyard for major repairs. It is reported that she spent only 20 days at sea in all of 2020 but by October 2021, the Royal Navy declared that she was fully operational and would be fully ready for frontline deployment by 2023.

Serving as a command ship for NATO, HMS Prince of Wales was setting off on a nearly four-month long mission that is scheduled to take her to the United States and then the Caribbean on what the Royal Navy said is a “landmark mission to shape the future of stealth jet and drone operations.” With her task force, they declared HMS Prince of Wales is “ready to push the boundaries of uncrewed technology and the tactics used by the UK’s two new Queen Elizabeth-class carriers.”

 

 

The departure had been scheduled for Friday, but was delayed for 24 hours due to an unspecified “technical issue.” Reports are suggesting that she might be having a problem with her starboard propeller shaft. The Royal Navy has declined to comment but reports suggest that she was being moved to a more sheltered area to facilitate divers carrying out an unspecified underwater inspection.

There was great fanfare as she set off on Saturday at the head of a task force. The 65,000-ton warship is initially deploying alongside frigate HMS Richmond, tanker RFA Tideforce and an air group of helicopters and drones before F-35B stealth fighters were scheduled to join the deployment once the ship arrives in North America. Operating with the Americans, she was to be incorporating the F-35B jets along with uncrewed systems, which they said will “define Royal Navy aviation of the future.”

“Taking the HMS Prince of Wales task group across the Atlantic for the rest of this year will not only push the boundaries of UK carrier operations, but will reinforce our close working relationship with our closest ally,” said Commanding Officer, Captain Richard Hewitt during the sendoff ceremonies. “From operating the F35 Lightnings and drones to hosting the Atlantic Future Forum, none of this would be possible without the efforts of the amazing sailors on board, many of which are on their first deployment with the Royal Navy.”

There are rumors that the 932-foot-long carrier may be forced to enter dry dock for repairs. She was scheduled for the North America exercise while her sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth is due to deploy in the Mediterranean.
Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/royal-navy-s-hms-prince-of-wales-has-mechanical-issue-after-departure

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has inaugurated a new multipurpose terminal, Terminal Kijing, at the Port of Pontianak, West Kalimantan on August 9 to support expansion of existing capacity, which has reached peak capacity.  The new terminal has a capacity to handle 5,000 twenty-foot TEU of containerized cargo, with a throughput of 200,000 TEU, and eight million tons of general bulk and breakbulk commodities.

To develop Terminal Kijing, state-owned port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) spent around IDR2.9. trillion (US$194 million) and six years of construction, which started in 2013.  Pelindo faced many obstacles and progress was stalled several times until 2016 when the central government stepped in to give the project a boost by designating it a national strategic project.  This status cleared all bureaucracy.

This situation reflected the reality that a state-run port does not have full control of the port development program.  The government retains a big portion of authority in the hands of the Ministry of Transport with the power to allocate budget and give endorsement.  However, this policy triggers an asymmetrical business practice among state-run ports and private port operators.

By virtue of Shipping Law No. 17/2008, the port business is opened to both public and public sectors.  Nonetheless, the private sector has more support from the government than state-owned port companies.

For example, private port operators do not pay dividend to the state, only income tax and concession fee.  Pelindo, on the other hand, has to financially support the state.  Moreover, Pelindo’s financial performance is subject to scrutiny by the Audit Board or BPK (Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan), the national supreme auditing institution.  The private port operators are not subject to this scrutiny.

Unlike counterparts from other countries, Indonesian state-owned port companies do not enjoy any advantages, preference or special treatment from the government.  In fact, the government often hampers the growth of the state-run ports.

For example, the government’s poor handling of the development of Patimban Port in Subang, West Java.  The Ministry of Transport claimed Patimban Port is complementary to the Port of Tanjung Priok, Indonesia’s busiest port, which is located not far away.

However, the facilities at both ports are similar with the same container and car terminals.  When the Patimban Port was officially launched in December 2020 by Jokowi, the ministry was reportedly deviating car carriers from Tanjung Priok to Patimban.  Some responded positively but many, especially big car carriers, still called at Tanjung Priok.

The Patimban Port is financed partly by the Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which funded IDR14.17 trillion of the IDR17.16 trillion needed for the first phase of the construction, which included the building of car, container and multipurpose quays, vehicle and box yards and other supporting facilities.  JICA has a 49 percent stake in the port.

PT Pelabuhan Patimban Internasional (PPI), the port operator, handed over the operation of the car terminal to Toyota Tsusho for a two-year contract, and reportedly the contract to operate the container terminal is given to a company majority-owned by Chairul Tanjung, an Indonesian businessman and former cabinet minister.  It seemed that PPI has morphed into a landlord instead, which may be in breach of the agreement it has with the Ministry of Transport.

Another similar story involved the Tanjung Carat project in South Sumatra, which was located close to the existing Boom Baru Port operated by Pelindo.  Pelindo, again, has to compete with Tanjung Carat Port.

The Terminal Kijing project has shown that port development by the Ministry of Transport and state-owned companies tended to favor small facilities scattered across the archipelago.  Consequently, they attracted less interest from main line operators and limited cargo flow from the hinterland.

The government should give Pelindo, the biggest national port operator, the authority and freedom it deserves to develop ports.  Pelindo, whose work can trigger great impact in the country, is to be hailed for its tenacity amidst unfavorable business climate.  So, next time, if Pelindo wants to develop a port, the government should give it permission to construct it adjacent to the Strait of Malacca with giant capacity and modern technology. Hopefully.

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


I’m standing at the edge of the Greenland ice sheet, mesmerized by a mind-blowing scene of natural destruction. A milewide section of glacier front has fractured and is collapsing into the ocean, calving an immense iceberg.

Seracs, giant columns of ice the height of three-story houses, are being tossed around like dice. And the previously submerged portion of this immense block of glacier ice just breached the ocean – a frothing maelstrom flinging ice cubes of several tons high into the air. The resulting tsunami inundates all in its path as it radiates from the glacier’s calving front.

Fortunately, I’m watching from a clifftop a couple of miles away. But even here, I can feel the seismic shocks through the ground. Despite the spectacle, I’m keenly aware that this spells yet more unwelcome news for the world’s low-lying coastlines.

As a field glaciologist, I’ve worked on ice sheets for more than 30 years. In that time, I have witnessed some gobsmacking changes. The past few years in particular have been unnerving for the sheer rate and magnitude of change underway. My revered textbooks taught me that ice sheets respond over millennial time scales, but that’s not what we’re seeing today.

study published Aug. 29, 2022, demonstrates – for the first time – that Greenland’s ice sheet is now so out of balance with prevailing Arctic climate that it no longer can sustain its current size. It is irreversibly committed to retreat by at least 59,000 square kilometers (22,780 square miles), an area considerably larger than Denmark, Greenland’s protectorate state.

Even if all the greenhouse gas emissions driving global warming ceased today, we find that Greenland’s ice loss under current temperatures will raise global sea level by at least 10.8 inches (27.4 centimeters). That’s more than current models forecast, and it’s a highly conservative estimate. If every year were like 2012, when Greenland experienced a heat wave, that irreversible commitment to sea level rise would triple. That’s an ominous portent given that these are climate conditions we have already seen, not a hypothetical future scenario.

Our study takes a completely new approach – it is based on observations and glaciological theory rather than sophisticated numerical models. The current generation of coupled climate and ice sheet models used to forecast future sea level rise fail to capture the emerging processes that we see amplifying Greenland’s ice loss.

How Greenland got to this point

The Greenland ice sheet is a massive, frozen reservoir that resembles an inverted pudding bowl. The ice is in constant flux, flowing from the interior – where it is over 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) thick, cold and snowy – to its edges, where the ice melts or calves bergs.

In all, the ice sheet locks up enough fresh water to raise global sea level by 24 feet (7.4 meters).

Greenland’s terrestrial ice has existed for about 2.6 million years and has expanded and contracted with two dozen or so “ice age” cycles lasting 70,000 or 100,000 years, punctuated by around 10,000-year warm interglacials. Each glacial is driven by shifts in Earth’s orbit that modulate how much solar radiation reaches the Earth’s surface. These variations are then reinforced by snow reflectivity, or albedo; atmospheric greenhouse gases; and ocean circulation that redistributes that heat around the planet.

We are currently enjoying an interglacial period – the Holocene. For the past 6,000 years Greenland, like the rest of the planet, has benefited from a mild and stable climate with an ice sheet in equilibrium – until recently. Since 1990, as the atmosphere and ocean have warmed under rapidly increasing greenhouse gas emissions, Greenland’s mass balance has gone into the red. Ice losses due to enhanced melt, rain, ice flow and calving now far exceed the net gain from snow accumulation.

Greenland’s ice mass loss measured by NASA’s Grace satellites.

What does the future hold?

The critical questions are, how fast is Greenland losing its ice, and what does it mean for future sea level rise?

Greenland’s ice loss has been contributing about 0.04 inches (1 millimeter) per year to global sea level rise over the past decade.

This net loss is split between surface melt and dynamic processes that accelerate outlet glacier flow and are greatly exacerbated by atmospheric and oceanic warming, respectively. Though complex in its manifestation, the concept is simple: Ice sheets don’t like warm weather or baths, and the heat is on.

Meltwater lakes feed rivers that snake across the ice sheet – until they encounter a moulin. Alun Hubbard

What the future will bring is trickier to answer.

The models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predict a sea level rise contribution from Greenland of around 4 inches (10 centimeters) by 2100, with a worst-case scenario of 6 inches (15 centimeters).

But that prediction is at odds with what field scientists are witnessing from the ice sheet itself.

According to our findings, Greenland will lose at least 3.3 percent of its ice, over 100 trillion metric tons. This loss is already committed – ice that must melt and calve icebergs to reestablish Greenland’s balance with prevailing climate.

We’re observing many emerging processes that the models don’t account for that increase the ice sheet’s vulnerability. For example:

– Increased rain is accelerating surface melt and ice flow.

– Large tracts of the ice surface are undergoing bio-albedo darkening, which accelerates surface melt, as well as the impact of snow melting and refreezing at the surface. These darker surfaces absorb more solar radiation, driving yet more melt.

In August 2021, rain fell at the Greenland ice sheet summit for the first time on record. Weather stations across Greenland captured rapid ice melt. European Space Agency

– Warm, subtropical-originating ocean currents are intruding into Greenland’s fjords and rapidly eroding outlet glaciers, undercutting and destabilizing their calving fronts.

– Supraglacial lakes and river networks are draining into fractures and moulins, bringing with them vast quantities of latent heat. This “cryo-hydraulic warming” within and at the base of the ice sheet softens and thaws the bed, thereby accelerating interior ice flow down to the margins.

The issue with models

Part of the problem is that the models used for forecasting are mathematical abstractions that include only processes that are fully understood, quantifiable and deemed important.

Models reduce reality to a set of equations that are solved repeatedly on banks of very fast computers. Anyone into cutting-edge engineering – including me – knows the intrinsic value of models for experimentation and testing of ideas. But they are no substitute for reality and observation. It is apparent that current model forecasts of global sea level rise underestimate its actual threat over the 21st century. Developers are making constant improvements, but it’s tricky, and there’s a dawning realization that the complex models used for long-term sea level forecasting are not fit for purpose.

Author Alun Hubbard’s science camp in the melt zone of the Greenland ice sheet. Alun Hubbard

There are also “unknown unknowns” – those processes and feedbacks that we don’t yet realize and that models can never anticipate. They can be understood only by direct observations and literally drilling into the ice.

That’s why, rather than using models, we base our study on proven glaciological theory constrained by two decades of actual measurements from weather stations, satellites and ice geophysics.

It’s not too late

It’s an understatement that the societal stakes are high, and the risk is tragically real going forward. The consequences of catastrophic coastal flooding as sea level rises are still unimaginable to the majority of the billion or so people who live in low-lying coastal zones of the planet.

Personally, I remain hopeful that we can get on track. I don’t believe we’ve passed any doom-laden tipping point that irreversibly floods the planet’s coastlines. Of what I understand of the ice sheet and the insight our new study brings, it’s not too late to act.

But fossil fuels and emissions must be curtailed now, because time is short and the water rises – faster than forecast.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/greenland-ice-sheet-will-contribute-one-foot-to-sea-level-rise

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


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