Maritime News

Focus on reducing ships' carbon emissions

Ananda WEDAARACHCHI

Reducing shipping's carbon emissions is a key issue for the shipping industry, Chairman International Chamber of Shipping - ICS and President International Shipping Federation ISF Spyros M Polemis said.

He said the major task during the rest of this year will be to help ensure developing a global package to address maritime carbon emissions - CO2.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has decisively come to a global agreement on a progressive but nevertheless dramatic switch to low sulphur fuels for all ships. The sulphur content of fuel will be progressively reduced globally to 0.5 percent by 2020 and in sensitive coastal areas to 0.1 percent by 2015, he said. He also said that this agreement represents one of IMO's greatest achievements, delivering a practical solution. Shipping industry led by ICS is undertaking much fast paced work to develop global industry positions on potential solutions. It will be a tremendous challenge for IMO to develop meaningful proposals before the next major UN climate change summit in Copenhagen in December next year, he said. Various expert working groups have now been established to develop informed industry input on the net environmental benefits and very importantly - the commercial implecations of possible technical solutions.

These include the possibility of reducing ship speeds, the use of alternative fuels, and new energy sources such as solar, wind and fuel cells.

Hanjin board approves port lease

The board of directors of South Korea-based Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. approved a contract to lease an 88-acre, $300 million shipping container terminal in Jacksonville for 30 years.

The Jacksonville Port Authority board approved the same contract Nov. 3, and its only remaining detail is a Dec. 10 formal signing by both parties in Jacksonville.

The deal represents a year of negotiations, Jacksonville Port Authority Executive Director Rick Ferrin said. Work began in October 2007, when Hanjin and port officials signed a memorandum of understanding envisioning a 170-acre terminal that could handle 1 million cargo containers annually. The finalized deal has the Port Authority constructing an 88-acre facility, with capacity for 800,000 containers a year, on port-owned land at the Dames Point Marine Terminal.

Hanjin will make lease payments including debt service the port incurs for building and equipping the terminal, Ferrin said. Port officials plan to get funds from revenue bonds and loans from the Federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and Florida's State Infrastructure Bank, Ferrin said.

The terminal is expected to create more than 5,600 new jobs, the port announced.

"This kind of investment helps defy statistics and national trends in job growth," Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton said. "This puts us on path to be the third-largest port on the U.S. East Coast [in volume]."

Ferrin projects the facility's opening in late 2011. Jacksonville.com

Colombo Dockyard busy with major lay up repairs

Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) has been busy with specialised dredgers during the recent past, currently two international dredgers are undergoing repairs the yard. CDPLC's having a wide expertise in handling a spectrum of vessel types from tankers to dredgers to trawlers.

Since the inception in 1974 this marine engineering outfit has managed to grow from its humble beginnings to versatile player serving the nation/ international clients as she spearheads the frontiers of Sri Lankan Industrialisation.

Currently the shipyard is busy with extensive repairs to two dredgers, namely DCI Dredge VIII - owned by Dredging Corporation of India and Cutter Suction Dredger Kaveri - owned by International Seaport Dredging Ltd. India.

The work packages of both the dredgers are complicated, has stretched the yards production departments to capacity.

These sophisticated dredgers carry out all major repair work during the major lay-up repairs as any down time during their operational phase will be costly to the owners. Dredgers from various countries have been calling CDPLC for repairs, owing to the experience and the splendid facility at hand for the owners.

CDPLC was recently awarded the overall Gold at the 16th NCE awards ceremony. It is noteworthy that CDPLC that has recorded approximately an 18% year on year revenue growth and accounts for as much as 1% of Sri Lanka's annual exports. As one of Sri Lanka's largest foreign exchange earners, CDPLC achieved a domestic value addition of over Rs. 5 billion with an export portfolio of over 90% of its total revenue.

Colombo Dockyard operates within twenty five acres of land inside the Port of Colombo.

SCI Chennai makes maiden call at JCT

The Shipping Corporation of India Ltd., Mumbai (SCI) has inducted two brand new 4500 TEU capacity vessels to further strengthen Europe (ISE) Service.

Out of the two brand new vessels the first vessel "SCI Chennai" called Colombo recently at the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) on her maiden voyage and was phased into SCI's INDFEX Service.

Indfex is a service to Far East and SMILE service to gulf. SCI is an exclusive customer of JCT, SLPA and also have handled a volume of 90199TEUs at JCT last year - 2007. SCI Chennai, the vessel inducted to INDFEX service is 4400 TEUs in capacity.

To mark the occasion a plaque exchange was also held on board the vessel between the Chairman of SLPA Dr. Priyath Bandu Wickrama and the Ship's Captain.

The Managing Director of SLPA Capt. Nihal Keppetipola, Kamal Ratwatte of the Board of Directors of SLPA, Director (Operations) U. Bopitiya, Harbour Master Captain Ravi Jayawickrama, Deputy Chief Manager (Marketing and Business Development) Upul Jayatissa, Deputy Chief Operations Manager (Container Operations) Jayantha Perera, Operations Manager S.A.M. Dasanayake and Mr. Raph Anandappa - Executive Vice President, Prasanna Karunatilake -General Manager of Asha Agencies Ltd also attended the occasion.

Industry exploring alternative fuel sources

The Shipping industry is exploring a number of alternative fuel sources such as wind and solar power to meet ancillary requirements as lighting on board ships.

A spokesman of the shipping industry said that ship owners, ship builders and classification societies are involved in examining the alternative fuel sources. Fuel cells may be a possibility for new ships in the very long term, although they are currently too limited in range to offer a viable solution, he said. He said that even nuclear propulsion is technically possible, although support infrastructure costs would prove a serious drawback to its use in merchant ships. (AW)