A dedicated Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) working group explores the field of energy efficiency regulations, reports Engine.
Improving energy efficiency of the global fleet
A study conducted by Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) assessed the impact of IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), Energy Efficiency Existing Ships Index (EEXI) and Carbon Intensity Index (CII) regulations on reducing maritime emissions and improving energy efficiency of the global fleet.
According to MMMCZCS, implementation of the EEDI norm has been slow, but it encourages the adoption of energy-efficient technical measures.
The EEDI is a performance-based measure that sets a minimum energy efficiency standard for all new vessels. It was enforced in 2013, and now forms a part of the international regulatory framework designed to reduce emissions from ships. The measure was implemented in a phased manner, with Phase 1 beginning in 2015 and Phase 2 beginning in 2020.
Classification society Bureau Veritas explained that during the two phases, the EEDI norm required a reduction of 10-20% in carbon intensity. Phase 3, which commenced in 2022 called for a minimum of 30-50% carbon intensity reduction for all new builds.
However, the MMMCZCS study noted that introduction of dual-fuel vessels during the Phase 2 complicated the evaluation of energy efficiency improvements as vessels could obtain better EEDI ratings by using conversion factor for the fuels they could consume. By doing this, however, vessels would miss the opportunity to improve their energy efficiency.
The report highlighted that “the EEXI has leveled the reduction of available power onboard across vessel ages in the fleet and aligned older vessels with the EEDI-compliant vessels.” This would limit the ability of vessels to speed up under favourable commercial conditions or to catch up on schedules due to port delays.
Need to strengthen CII measure
Finally, on CII, MMMCZCS noted that the “current form of regulations presents a risk that vessels will be able to increase their absolute CO2 emissions while improving or maintaining a given CII rating.” This can be done by “sailing longer routes or by lowering speeds and vessel utilization.”
The study also called for a more “inclusive and holistic” representation of the shipping industry in the annual efficiency ratio (AER) used to calculate the CII.
The CII rating, enacted this year, measures a ship’s environmental performance. It is expressed in grams of CO2 emitted per mt of cargo and nautical mile. It is rated every year from A to E (A being the highest). A higher CII rating indicates that the vessel is more environmentally friendly.
The zero-carbon shipping organisation also called for greater clarity on the implications of meeting or failing to meet CII compliance.
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Source: ENGINE
