Stricter limits around NOx emissions are set to enter into force in the new year for all newbuild ships destined to sail in Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Emissions Control Areas (ECAs) that are constructed after January 1, 2015.
Therefore, in preparation for this regulatory gear change and for the release of a brand new industry guide “The Ship Operator’s Guide To NOx Reduction”, Fathom Maritime Intelligence has reviewed all of the NOx emissions-related happenings from 2015 and picked our top five.
It is Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention) sets mandatory limits for the NOx emissions of marine diesel engines by setting stages of compliance through Tiers I, II and III which permit different levels of NOx emissions based on the ship’s construction date (or the installation date of additional or non-identical replacement engines) and the engine’s rated speed. Compared to Tier I limits, Tier III represents an 80% reduction.
1. Engine Manufacturers Geared Up To Support Ship Owners With Tier III NOx Compliance
Caterpillar Marine is now offering Cat C280 medium-speed diesel engines for compliance with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 and International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III standards. The C280 engines are available in eight, 12 and 16-cylinder models spanning a power range from 2,300 ˗ 5,060 kW as main engines – conventional and diesel electric – and also as auxiliary generator sets. Compared to earlier units, they consume less fuel, reduce emissions and have lower through-life owning and operating costs.
MAN Diesel & Turbo also launched their Tier III-friendly, high-speed engine the MAN 175D in China in November.
Originally launched in Europe towards the end of 2014, MAN Diesel & Turbo representatives at the Chinese exhibition confirmed that it was local requests for a large, high-speed engines that made it imperative for the company to launch this particular engine in China.
The MAN 175D scores highly in terms of eco-friendliness. Its compact and modular exhaust-gas after-treatment system uses the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) method and is based on the MAN Ad Blue® technology that has undergone many thousands of hours of testing. The engine therefore already satisfies the strict IMO Tier III environmental standards before it hits the market.
2. Rising NOx Emissions Were Linked To Shipping
An article published in Environmental Research Letters has revealed NOx emissions from shipping are on the rise.
From 2005 to 2012 K Folkert Boersma, Geert Vinken and Jean Tournadre looked at rapid short-term variations of NOx emissions over European seas using data from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite. Observing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) tropospheric columns, Boersma et al were able to distinguish pollution sources over land and identify direct ship emissions over sea. For instance, increased emissions in the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea were recognised. A filter technique enabled exclusion of emissions at sea which may have been influenced by an outflow of land pollution.
Boersma et al found that NOx emissions originating from ship exhaust gas have varied over the years and attributed the oscillations to the global economic crisis, pollution control legislation on land and changing industry tactics. Between 2005 and 2008, NOx emissions rose by more than 15%, correlating with a surge in world trade. However, post-2008 the global recession led to a downturn in economic activity, and combined with slow steaming where ships decreased their speed by more than 30%, a 45% drop in average ship NOx emissions was evident.
Despite these peaks and troughs, the study revealed that the past decade has seen an overall increase in shipping related NOx emissions. In 2005, one in nine NOx molecules emitted in total could be attributed to the shipping sector, whereas in 2012 this had risen to one in seven. Boersma et al suggest this could be because ships have previously used slow steaming as a method for economic advantage and have therefore not focussed upon the environmental benefits or combined it with additional emissions reducing technology.
A comparison to land-based NOx sources showed that between 2005 and 2012, Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution decreased by 4% due to national and European emission control policies. Over Spain, Great Britain and Italy, land-based NOx emissions dropped, whereas over European seas they increased significantly. Boersma et al suggest shipping emissions are increasingly contributing to all NOx emissions, more so than those emissions from land-based sources, possibly due to larger ships, in particular in the Mediterranean, and longer residence times due to slow steaming.
The results of the study led the authors to suggest that additional measures for ships are necessary to reduce pollutant emissions across Europe and to achieve the same emissions reduction rates as the road and energy producing sectors.
3. An Emulsified Fuels Manufacturer Teamed Up With A Classification Society For Emulsified Fuel Verification & Commercial Deployment
SulNOx Fuel Fusions Plc. (SulNOx), a global producer and supplier of fuel emulsion technology, and classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) signed an agreement that will see LR provide verification, testing, technical support and consultancy services throughout the process of SulNOxEco Fuels’ commercial deployment.
Following the agreement with SulNOx, LR will provide a stringent technical assessment of SulNOxEco Fuels, verifying its operational suitability for users of hydrocarbon fuels and providing recommendations on the most effective application of the technology to secure optimum fuel and environmental savings.
To increase uptake of the technology, LR will also work with SulNOx to secure a 3rd party commercial ship on which sea trials of the fuel emulsion will be undertaken. The LR accredited results will aim to foster confidence in the safety, performance and anti-pollution benefits of SulNOxEco Fuels.
The engagement with LR comes weeks after SulNOx signed a two-year agreement with the University of Cambridge’s Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology department to gain detailed scientific knowledge of SulNOxEco Fuels.
4. The World’s First Low Pressure EGR Is Installed
The world’s first low pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, developed under ClassNK’s Joint R&D for Industry Program, was installed on a low-speed two-stroke engine bulk carrier.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Engine Co., Ltd. (MHI-MME) and Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha Ltd. installed the EGR on a 34,000DWT bulk carrier owned by Shikishima Kisen K.K. The EGR system is designed to meet IMO requirements regarding NOx Tier III regulations, which requires ships built on or after 1 January 2016 to significantly reduce their NOx emissions while sailing in NOx ECAs.
The low pressure EGR system works by supressing the formation of NOx by recirculating part of the exhaust gas back to the engine cylinder. The low pressure EGR recirculates exhaust gas between the two low pressure points – the exhaust system tailpipe and the turbocharger inlet. This causes the peak cylinder temperature to be lowered, making it more difficult for NOx to form. This method provides an alternative to urea dosing which reduces the NOx to nitrogen and water vapour.
During sea trials, the system successfully operated on the low-speed marine diesel two-stroke engine. Following the sea trial and performance testing, the system will now undergo verification tests in commercial voyages. These tests will be long-term and for example establish the availability of caustic soda and the sludge disposal handling process.
5. Fathom Launched “The Ship Operator’s Guide to NOx Reduction”
This month Fathom Maritime Intelligence published a brand new technical guide thatoffers ship owners and operators comprehensive guidance and practical tools to support investment decisions for and practical implementation of NOx emission reduction and abatement technologies.
The Ship Operator’s Guide to NOx Reduction provides regulatory insight, detailed information for all NOx reduction technologies and fuel options in addition to an in depth practical guide to Selective Catalytic Reduction systems. This in depth guide is also accompanied by the only independent review of all SCR systems available to the marine market.
The Ship Operator’s Guide to NOx Reduction can be purchased fromwww.fathommaritimeintelligence.com/store
