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The introduction of sulphur limits in emissions control areas (ECA) off the coastal waters of the US and Canada will require significant adjustments from the entire maritime industry, according to Germanischer Lloyd (GL).

GL's North American Committee, which met at the Houstonian Hotel Delta in Houston, Texas recently, examined the implications of these and other current topics and challenges for the industry. The committee, which celebrated its inauguration in 2010, is made up of representatives from Canadian and American ship owners and operators, ship yards, maritime consultants, and other industry stakeholders, alongside delegates from GL.

Ryan Bishop, GL’s new Area Manager for North America, introduced the topics of the day and followed up with a detailed examination of the GL’s activities in the region. He looked at some of the key topics for GL in the area, especially the use of LNG as a ship fuel, which was increasingly of interest to ship owners in light of the implementation of the ECA zone.

Bishop pointed out that LNG was an area where GL has considerable experience, having undertaken a number of projects over recent years, including research on bunkering technologies and port logistics, cost studies for container vessels, overseeing the first conversion of a vessel in service and approval in principle of new designs.

David Greening of Seaspan, one of the world’s largest independent containership companies, set out his firm’s response to the challenge of rising bunker prices and a tighter regulatory environment. Seaspan was investing in highly efficient designs for new vessels, while undertaking a system to improve operational energy use, including draft and trim optimization, and using vessel-based monitoring to track Key performance indicators, he said.

Kristinn Aspelund, of GL partner firm Marorka, examined some of the software systems available to owners and operators to boost efficiency and cut fuel use. The GL ShipManager system controls the technical and administrative processes between a fleet and onshore management. It simplifies operational planning processes; automates the administration of the ship and supports safety and quality processes. New advanced technical management systems, including GL HullManager and GL MachineryManager support and can be integrated into strategic fleet management, while new products, such as GL EmissionManager, make use of already collected data to track emissions and facilitate environmental improvements and certification.

Captain Jim Whitehead, Commander, USCG Sector Houston-Galveston, looked at the enforcement of the new ECA regulations in the Americas. Adopted by the IMO at the 62nd meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), the ECA zone areas will strictly limit the sulphur content of fuel for vessels operating in coastal waters.

Captain Whitehead noted there were some exceptions to the regulations, but the exemption for testing of emissions reduction technology required approval from both the flag administration and the U.S. Government. Proper record keeping was essential, he said, with vessels using low sulphur fuel to comply with Annex VI required to retain bunker delivery notes and fuel samples.

GL's Josh Aslanian looked at how shipowners could prepare for operation in ECA zones from the perspective of the classification society.

Image: Germanischer Lloyd's (GL) North American Committee.