The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) is considering a ‘pricing mechanism’ to accelerate international shipping’s transition away from greenhouse gases (ghg) and toward zero emissions, reports Ajot.
MEPC
The proposal came out of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) session that was held at IMO Headquarters in London from September 30th to October 4th.
On October 10th the IMO announced that the Marine Environment Protection Committee: “made progress on the development of mid-term measures aimed at cutting down greenhouse gas emissions to meet the ambitions set out in the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. These proposed regulations are scheduled for adoption in late 2025, building on previously adopted “short-term measures” for GHG reduction which focus on enhancing the energy efficiency of ships. The mid-term measures under discussion include:
- a technical element, i.e., a global marine fuel standard regulating the phased reduction of a marine fuel’s GHG intensity; and
- an economic element, i.e., a maritime GHG emissions pricing mechanism.”
Maersk Proposes Incentives
On August 27th, Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Moller-Maersk, urged the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to adopt measures that will incentivize ocean carriers to meet net zero carbon emissions for ships.
Clerc made his remarks to reporters during the naming ceremony of the green methanol-powered Alette Maersk at the Port of Los Angeles.
Ammonia Engine
Korea’s HHI Announces Successful Test of ‘Carbon-Free’ Ammonia Engine Highlighting the progress Clerc described is the announcement by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) that it “has successfully developed an ammonia dual-fuel (DF) engine, a carbon-free fuel technology, and has received type approval from seven major classification societies.”
Challenges for Ammonia Fuel
The deployment of ammonia as a fuel still has several hurdles to address according to two maritime experts contacted by AJOT.
They say ammonia has “the big advantage that it does not have a ‘C’ in its molecular formula. which means that if an engine can burn ammonia, it is automatically ‘carbon zero’.”
It is not easy to “burn” ammonia in a combustion engine and “may require substantial amounts of pilot oil so that byproducts of the combustion may be more harmful than the problem burning ammonia is trying to cure.”
IMO’s MEPC Highlights Progress
IMO said the Marine Environment Protection Committee made progress on some other issues:
- Energy efficiency of ships
- Designation of new Emission Control Areas
- Designation of new Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (sic)
- Ballast water management
- Addressing marine litter
- Air pollution prevention
- Underwater radiated noise from commercial shipping
- Pollution prevention and response
- Ship recycling
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Source: Ajot
