Fortnightly maritime news for the industry and PortXL community
How the coronavirus pandemic has given shipping clarity
Covid-19 has perhaps had one benefit. It has allowed us to take a step back and assess what we need to do – and how to do it. We need to decarbonise our entire operations (with the transition from analogue to digital a key cog in achieving that goal), while also simultaneously adapting to new market economics as we have always done.
With Degassing Ban Looming in Netherlands Rotterdam Tests Technologies
With the increasing focusing on environmental impact and all forms of emissions, the practice known as degassing is coming under scrutiny. The Netherlands is moving to ban the practice focusing on ships in transit. The concerns focus on the potential for the release of harmful gasses with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the process known in the industry as degassing.
IMO Head Urges Governments to Resolve Crew Change Crisis
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim is urging governments to take swift action to resolve the crew change crisis that has left several hundred thousand seafarers stranded at sea and unable to be repatriated despite the expiry of their contracts.
‘Cheaper, safer and longer-lasting than lithium-ion’: zinc battery wins giga-scale orders
A novel low-cost zinc-based battery that offers up to ten hours of storage is to be deployed at scale in the US after New Jersey-based Eos Energy Storage announced deals to deploy 1.5GWh of its non-flammable technology. The cost of storage has not been revealed, but Eos declared in 2017 that its technology was 30-40% cheaper than lithium-ion.
DNV GL and COSCO to develop smart ships with onshore data centre
DNV GL will build an intelligent shore-based ship data management center to help COSCO Shipping Group’s (COSCO) digital transformation and develop smart ships. The Chinese carrier said it expects to “greatly improve” the safety and compliance of key business processes and indicators, such as navigation and cargo transportation. Furthermore, the initiative will also assist its drive to cut emissions and fuel consumption, while making improving vessel maintenance.
Maritime cleantech beats the market?
Some cleantech brands are beating the stock indexes by a significant margin, despite still being slowed bown by the pandemic induced market decline. The largest increase over the last three years from this small portfolio is VOW, formerly Scanship ( +1088%), which sells water cleaning and other systems into the cruise ship and aquaculture markets, but through recent acquisitions has expanded into land based services, notably as it develops a pyrolysis solution.
Estonia’s first hybrid ferry starts service
The ship’s batteries allow from now on partial travel on electricity, which reduces the amount of diesel used and minimizes air pollution. Specifically, the batteries are expected to reduce the vessel’s diesel consumption by 20%, thus also cutting CO2 emissions by 1,600 tons per year. In addition to emissions, underwater noise and vibration levels are also reduced.
