International Maritime Organization News

Vitol Invests in Coal-to-oil Venture as Shipping Fuel Rules Loom

Energy trader Vitol and coal miner Peabody Energy are partnering with start-up Arq to turn coal waste into a low-sulphur oil product that could be an alternative fuel for shippers as new U.N. pollution rules loom, the companies said in a statement.Global oil and shipping companies are looking at any and all options to avoid becoming a casualty of the major market dislocations that the new standards will create when they come into effect in 2020.The U.N. International Maritime Organization (IMO) will ban ships using fuel with a sulphur content higher than 0.5 percent…

China's Stricter Ship Emissions Rules a Boon for IMO 2020 Compliance

Tighter rules on shipping emissions around China's coastlines from the start of next year is a clear sign the world's No.

Mauritius Signs Jeddah Amendment on Illicit Maritime Activity

Mauritius has become the 15th signatory to the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct – the instrument developed and adopted by countries in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden that has been a key factor in repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships operating in that region.The Amendment significantly broadened the scope of the Djibouti Code when it was adopted at a high-level meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in January 2017.It covers measures for suppressing a range of illicit activities…

IMO Training to Cut Emissions in Malaysian Ports

Malaysian maritime officials are touring the Port of Bintulu on Borneo island as part of an International Maritime Organization (IMO)  training package helping countries to reduce emissions in ports.Thirty participants from authorities and ports across Malaysia are taking part in the event (24-26 July), with the aim of gaining improved expertise on assessing emissions in ports and devising strategies to address those emissions.The result – better air quality for local populations…

SMM Launches with High-Profile Guest Speakers

At today’s opening press conference of the international maritime trade fair in Hamburg, political and business leaders discussed current challenges facing the shipping industry. The focus of the debate was on the 0.5 percent sulphur limit for ship fuels which will take effect on January 1,  2020, and the industry's goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping in half by the year 2050. Roughly 2,300 exhibitors and the extensive conference program accompanying the trade fair will deliver answers to the industry's complex questions. Roughly 50,000 visitors are expected to attend.

IMO: Cargo Safety Matters

The classification of certain potentially hazardous cargoes is on the agenda of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers (CCC 5, 10-14 September).The Sub-Committee will consider a newly identified phenomenon which affects some bauxite cargoes, known as dynamic separation, which can cause instability of the cargo and ship.Also up for discussion is carriage of ammonium-nitrate based fertilizer. Potential problems have been…

IMO Training for Reducing Emissions in Ports

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s work to promote better understanding of - and steps to reduce - emissions in ports has reached Georgia, at a workshop for regional participants from Georgia, Ukraine and Turkey.The event, in Batumi (10-12 September) focused on how to undertake emissions inventories and calculate emissions, including  GHGs and air pollutants. Participants were also introduced to strategies to address emissions from different sources – such as from seagoing vessels…

C-Job Researching Ammonia as Marine Fuel

C-Job Naval Architects based in the Netherlands announced it has joined the Ammonia Energy Association, strengthening its commitment to research ammonia as a renewable fuel for the maritime industry.With the International Maritime Organization announcing its plans to reduce and eventually fully eliminate ship emissions, it is of the utmost importance that the global maritime industry looks into renewable fuels. C-Job said it has identified Hydrogen Based Renewables (HBR) as the best solution and sees ammonia (NH3) as a high potential.Niels de Vries…

Somalian Maritime Administration to be Fully Operational Soon

Somalia’s Department of Maritime Administration is planned to become fully operational by the end of the year, enabling the country to discharge its flag, port and coastal responsibilities effectively in line with International Maritime Organization (IMO) instruments.Somalian Government officials met at an IMO-sponsored workshop, held in Kigali, Rwanda (27-31 August) and agreed that the newly-established department, part of the Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport, should be restructured by 31 December 2018.The next steps…

Maersk to Install Scrubbers on Select Vessels Ahead of 2020

A.P. Moller-Maersk, the world's biggest container shipping group, will add devices to reduce harmful exhaust emissions to some of its ships ahead of new global fuel regulations starting in 2020.To combat air pollution, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations' shipping agency, has set global regulations to cap the sulphur content in marine fuels, known as bunkers, at 0.5 percent down from 3.5 percent now.Shipowners could meet the new regulations by installing sulphur-stripping exhaust cleaning systems…

IMO Supports Spill Preparedness in Northwest Pacific

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is supporting regional cooperation on oil and hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) spills in the Northwest Pacific region.IMO’s Roel Hoenders is taking part in meetings of the Marine Environmental Emergency Preparedness and Response Regional Activity Centre (MERRAC) taking place in Incheon, Republic of Korea (17-20 July).The Centre was originally established by IMO and UNEP to create effective cooperative measures to spill response under…

Gunvor Halts Refinery Upgrade for New Shipping Fuels

Global energy trader Gunvor Group has put on hold plans to upgrade its Rotterdam refinery that intended to make the plant more competitive ahead of new global rules on shipping fuel quality, it said on Tuesday, citing market conditions.Global oil and shipping companies are looking at options to cope with the new standards that come into effect in 2020.The U.N. International Maritime Organization (IMO) will ban ships using fuel with a sulphur content higher than 0.5 percent, compared to 3.5 percent now…

Carnival Corp Meets CO2 Reduction Goal

Carnival Corporation, the world's largest leisure travel company, released its eighth annual sustainability report, announcing that in 2017 the company achieved its 25 percent carbon reduction goal three years ahead of schedule and is on track with its nine other 2020 sustainability goals.Looking to the future, the company continues to chart its sustainability journey, using the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to identify new environmental management…

Jamaica Passes Bill to Manage Ballast Water Carried By Ships

The House of Representatives passed the Ballast Water Management Bill, which is aimed at protecting Jamaica’s marine environment, said Jamaica Information Service, a government agency. The legislation seeks to implement measures to prevent ships entering Jamaica’s waters from introducing foreign aquatic species and diseases into the country. The Minister of Transport and Mining, Robert Montague, said the Bill is in keeping with commitments under the Ballast Water Management Convention, of which Jamaica is a signatory.

More Ships Adding Scrubbers ahead of 2020

An increase in the number of ships adding cleaning systems to their smokestacks will mean vessels will continue to burn a sizable amount of fuel oil once new sulphur regulations for the fuel go into effect, Vienna-based consultancy JBC Energy said on Tuesday.Ships installed with exhaust gas cleaning systems, known as scrubbers, are expected to burn 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) of high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) in 2020 when the new rules from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) start…

Managing the Switch to Low Sulphur Fuels

There is less than 18 months to go until the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) global 0.5 per cent sulphur cap comes into force. From the 1st of January 2020, the marine landscape will dramatically change and many questions still remain unanswered. Vessel operators will need to take extra care in the face of this uncertainty as there are a number of issues that will likely require managing when the revised sulphur cap arrives. Amongst these issues comes the increased likelihood of compatibility problems…

Zaitoun Green Shipping Forms Consortium for New Maritime Model

Dubai  based  Zaitoun Green Shipping has initiated, together with world leading  companies  in  smart  technology  and  solutions,  a consortium to collaborate  on  radically  improving  performance  of  container ships and forming a new business model for this market.The consortium consists of the top international industry key players such as MacGregor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment, Wärtsilä, Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd, Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT), WIN GD, CargoTech and Carinafour.

New Fuel Rules Push Shipowners to Go Green with LNG

Tough new rules on marine fuel are forcing shipowners to explore liquefied natural gas as a cleaner alternative and ports such as Gibraltar are preparing to offer upgraded refueling facilities in the shipping industry's biggest shake-up in decades.From 2020, International Maritime Organization rules will ban ships from using fuels with a sulphur content above 0.5 percent, compared with 3.5 percent now, unless they are equipped to clean up sulphur emissions. This will be enforced…

Maritime Welfare Training: More Important than Ever

The shipping industry is facing unprecedented change. With topics such as new environmental regulations and the opportunities and challenges of digitalisation dominating the conversation, seafarers’ welfare has tended to be overlooked.This trend is slowly changing as the industry continues to recognize the need to professionalize its approach to maritime welfare, but there is a long way to go. True, that there are model owners and operators within the industry who uphold the highest standards of welfare for their crew…

Port Management and Efficiency Training in France

High-level officials and decision-makers from maritime and port authorities around the world are undergoing intense training in port management and operational efficiency at the annual Advanced Course on Port Operations and Management based in Le Havre, France (10 September to 12 October).The opening of the course coincided with Le Havre's celebration of World Maritime Day and its theme: International Maritime Organization (IMO) 70 Our heritage – better shipping for a better future.IMO's Chris Trelawny delivered the opening address and lectured on the role of IMO…

Maersk, Vopak to Launch 2020 Fuel Bunkering in Rotterdam

A.P. Moller - Maersk and Royal Vopak, an independent tank storage operator active in the heart of Rotterdam’s bunker environment, have agreed to this first joint initiative which will cater for circa 20% of Maersk global demand, enabling A.P. Moller - Maersk to deliver approximately 2.3mt per year.As an anchor tenant in the modified facilities this agreement will enable Maersk, as well as any other interested third parties, to supply vessels trading with and inside Europe with compliant fuel.

The Global 0.50% Sulfur Cap: 30 months and counting down …

Industry frets about the coming deadline. Shipping desperately wants to be ready, but will global shore-based infrastructure and refining capacity match the demand that is sure to come? And … are regulators listening to industry’s concerns?In early June, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a public workshop in Washington to help the agencies prepare for the January 1, 2020 deadline for worldwide implementation of very low sulfur marine…

Shipping Industry Heads for Climate Protection

At gmec, the global maritime environmental congress (gmec) during SMM in Hamburg, high-profile business and science experts discussed how the global shipping industry can achieve the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) environmental goals while continuing to provide its services at competitive prices.“We are at the beginning of a new chapter in the history of shipping,” said Tian-Bing Huang, Deputy Director - Marine Environment Division at the IMO, in his opening keynote.There is no question that the shipping sector is facing huge challenges…

Focus on African Ports and Hinterland Connectivity

When a ship comes into port it may be the end of a voyage, but just the beginning of a range of administrative tasks that need to be completed.The port is unlikely to be the final destination for the cargo – which will need to be unloaded and forwarded in a variety of ways. This requires logistics and infrastructure that connects the port to other inland places and regions – known as ‘hinterland connectivity’. This was the issue under the spotlight at the first regional conference of The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) in Abuja…

IMO Workshop on Secure Shipping in Asia

Shipping forms the backbone of world trade, transporting around 80% of global trade by volume. No other method of mass transportation is as cost-effective or fuel-efficient.Each day, around 50,000 merchant ships deliver the things people need and want – from food, to clothes, fuel, raw materials, electronics, medication and more. The security of maritime trade is therefore paramount to people all over the world.One way in which International Maritime Organization (IMO) supports maritime security is through targeted workshops supporting countries to implement IMO measures.

MOL Blue Ocean Environmental Bonds will be Japan's 1st Green Bonds

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced a plan to issue green bonds (its 20th and 21st series unsecured corporate bonds) through a public offering in Japan's domestic market. It also announced the acquisition of a second opinion from a third-party institute.Japan's 1st Green Bonds are aimed at individual investors. Green bonds are used to raise funds for businesses aimed at protecting and improving the environment.MOL established the MOL Group Environmental Vision 2030 in April 2017…