Modelling the effects of emission control areas on shipping company operations and environmental consequences

In this study,two integrated game models are developed to explore the possible economic and environmental consequences of Emission control areas(ECA)regulations.Moreover,the analytical solutions compared with a benchmark case are derived.We find that vessel speed and SO_(2)emissions will decrease under the ECA regulations.However,shipping company’s level of competition has no effect on the equivalent speed.The equivalent freight volume to be reduced or increased is determined by the additional operational cost per voyage due to ECA regulations.Numerical study and sensitivity analysis reveal that the vessel speed and SO_(2)emission reduction are very sensitive to the inventory costs of intransit cargo.Furthermore,if low-sulphur marine gas oil is used throughout the voyage,the SO_(2)emission reduction may be greater than 80%,with a low impact on the shipping company’s profit.Thus,considering the environmental effects,much stricter limits can be set in the future.

The Study on Cost of Application of International Emission Control Areas for China

In order to control the air pollution caused by ships and improve ambient air quality,China set up three domestic emission control areas(DECAs)in 2015 in the Pearl River Delta,the Yangtze River Delta and Bohai Rim(Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei)waters.In order to meet the emission requirements established at the 70th meeting of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee(MEPC),China intends to apply for the establishment of three international Emission Control Area(ECA)in 2030 for these DECAs.This paper discusses existing technologies to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides(NOx)and sulphur oxides(SOx),and examines the abatement costs for the shipping industry in the year 2030 to comply with this action.Based on an examination of the literature and data collected for this study,four traditional alternatives,low-sulphur fuel,sulphur scrubbers/exhaust gas cleaning systems(EGCS),selective catalytic reduction(SCR),and exhaust gas recirculation,are analyzed.The analysis finds that switching to low-sulphur fuel is the best technical solution for SOx emission reduction,and the installation of SCR is the best technology for reducing nitrogen.In addition to traditional emission reduction technologies,the use of shore power facilities and liquefied natural gas(LNG),two alternatives welcomed by China’s green shipping industry,are also considered in this paper.The expected average abatement cost of these alternatives in the year 2030 are USD 2.866 billion,0.324 billion,1.071 billion,0.402 billion,0.232 billion and 0.34 billion,respectively.

The Impact of Optimizing Trim on Reducing Fuel Consumption

The shipping industry is one of the biggest industries throughout the ages. Maritime transport plays a vital role in world economy; whereas competition between maritime companies is fierce [1], at the same time agreements of co-operation have taken different forms including alliances and mergers between companies to increase their market share. But competitions still stand despite all alliances even in same market. This intense competition drives companies to attain high level of competitiveness, by monitoring ship＇s operating performance and operating cost, emphasis on improving performance and reduce cost. On other hand new environmental regulations come to light, expansion of ECA （emission control areas）, which lead to significant higher fuel cost when using low sulfur fuel. Since the fuel cost is the largest portion of the operating cost of the vessel, a saving in fuel usage can result in considerable saving in operational costs. Furthermore, fuel saving has environmental benefits in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of trim optimization which considers one of the easiest and cheapest methods for ship performance optimization and fuel consumption reduction trim optimization.

The Introduction of Biofuels in Marine Sector

Sulphur and emissions related limits which are imposed on marine fuels drive the maritime industry to look on alternative fuels. The maximum sulphur content of the fuel has already decreased in the ECAs SOx （Sulphur Emission Control Areas） from 1.5% to 1% from 1 July, 2010, and to 0.1% from 1 January, 2015. Globally, the highest permitted sulphur content of fuel will be reduced, as from 1 January, 2020 to 0.5%. Increasing demand of low sulphur fuel is anticipated, leading to a substantial mitigation of marine fuels from residual to distillate ones. Biodiesel or else FAME （Fatty Acid Methyl Esters） and mixtures of it with conventional petroleum fuels, constitute alternative energy source for the maritime industry. The International Standard EN （European Norme） ISO （International Organization for Standardization） 8217 specifies the requirements of petroleum fuels for use in marine diesel engines. According to the previous version of EN ISO 8217：2012, distillate fuels should comply with the ＂de minimis level＂ of approximately 0.1% v/v FAME. Nevertheless, with the latest revision of EN ISO 8217 standard in 2017, the incorporation of FAME up to 7% v/v is allowed in specific marine distillate grades as DF （Distillate FAME） grades. Marine distillates can also include hydrocarbons from synthetic or renewable sources, similar to the composition of petroleum distillate fuels.