The recent update on the IMO’s MEPC is that IMO has not adopted to a proposal to regulate greenhouse gases. However, IMO approved that all ships over 5000 GT have to report fuel consumption to their flag states respectively. Such reporting on fuel consumption is indirectly relating to the CO2 emitted.
The flag state will determine whether the data has been reported in accordance with the requirements and if so, it will issue a Statement of Compliance to the ship. Flag states will be required to transfer this data to an IMO Ship Fuel Consumption Database.
IMO’s 69th Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 69) has drafted mandatory requirements for ships to record and report their fuel consumption. It is a decision “that sends a clear and positive signal about the Organization’s continuing commitment to climate change mitigation,” the organisation’s secretariat said in a statement today (22 April). The draft requirements will be put forward for adoption at MEPC 70 in October this year and could enter into force as part of Marpol in 2018.
The mandatory data collection system is intended to be the first in a three-step process in which analysis of the data collected would provide the basis for an objective, transparent and inclusive policy debate in the MEPC, IMO’s secretariat explained. “This would allow a decision to be made on whether any further measures are needed to enhance energy efficiency and address greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. If so, proposed policy options would then be considered,” it said.
With this being announced, do not be surprised to see more proposals from different organizations popping up and IMO through MEPC approves it to ensure that shipping becomes greener and sustainable.
Reporting fuel consumption and computing emission is just a tip of the iceberg. With this, the ships will start to report fuel consumption down the line. The Flag states or the port state may question on the increase in fuel consumption or discrepancies between the fuel consumption between the sister ships. Thus, looking forward, the accountability for fuel consumption and emissions are definitely getting stringent.
What Ship Owners/Managers can do?
The dry bulk shipping tumbled to the floor during the first quarter of 2016, however, it is on the rising trend as of today. Bunker fuel prices are at rock bottom that the ship owners/managers can make hay while the sun really shines. Wouldn’t it be the right time to invest in such technologies to measure/monitor emissions and devise a path to make the ships energy efficient?
Thus, all a ship requires is an ‘Energy- Efficiency’ management tool like Viswa Lab’s VEEMS (Viswa Energy Efficiency Monitoring System).
VEEMS – Viswa Energy Efficiency Management System – is specifically designed by Viswa Lab R&D team – which can measure/monitor your vessel’s energy efficiency, benchmark against sister ships for performance and EEOI – making SEEMP work practically than mere a table top practice.
While the charterers prefer more energy efficient ships to carry cargo, the ship managers are posed with a challenge to prove a ship’s performance and energy efficiency. Thus, a simple tool was required to measure a ship’s overall efficiency and performance. Identifying this critical need and to help ship owners and managers, Viswa Lab has come out with the state-of-the-art reliable, cost-effective, energy efficiency management system, called VEEMS.
Industry’s Reaction over the IMO – MEPCs outcome:
“It has been very encouraging to see states which had previously found it difficult to reach a binding agreement on climate change measures bring the spirit of the Paris Agreement to IMO this week. The unanimous agreement to take forward a mandatory data collection system for ships’ fuel consumption is a significant step. It will provide a solid basis on which to consider, armed with information, whether further measures may be required in future to mitigate GHG emissions from shipping,” Mr. Lim said.
“We believe that IMO Member States have agreed on an acceptable compromise between governments primarily interested in data on fuel consumption and CO2 and those that wish to collect additional information,” said International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Secretary General Peter Hinchliffe.
Apart from every day’s noon report, a typical ship could have other reports which could be really a painstaking process. The ship’s crew has to spend considerable time to create such reports to meet different requirements. VEEMS is the critical piece of the puzzle to complete the jig-saw. If all the ships are being installed with VEEMS, the reporting will become so easy that reports can be generated with a mouse-click.
Viswa Lab proudly says that with more regulations and requirements popping in, VEEMS would be the cost-effective way to address all the requirements. Further, Viswa Lab states that “VEEMS – is designed by a team of R&D scientists who were senior mariners and they know the problems being faced onboard”. VEEMS – exactly offers what is essential eliminating all fancy gimmicks to beat around the bush.
To know more about the VEEMS system – you can write to: customerhelp@viswalab.com
Source and image credit: IMO
