"Society at large is sharpening its sustainability focus and the shipping industry will also have to do its share," says Intertanko managing director Peter Swift.
Transportation by ship is far more efficient and causes less emissions than any other alternative. One litre of fuel on a modern VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) moves one tonne of cargo more than 2,800 kilometres; more than twice as far as twenty years ago. The average carbon footprint (in terms of CO2 per tonne-kilometre) of each of the world's oil tankers is less than one tenth of that of a heavy truck and less than one hundredth of that of an aircraft, according to Intertanko - the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners.
But even so, the shipping industry will have to pay much more attention to sustainability in the future than it does today. Society at large is sharpening its sustainability focus.
Intertanko's members and its managing director Peter Swift realised this long ago, and have taken a pro-active approach on the subject, causing heavy debate within the industry and headlines in the maritime press worldwide.
"Shipping has a worldwide responsibility," he says. A naval architect with 24 years' experience from Shell, where he was responsible for marine operations, mr Swift joined Intertanko in 2001.
Need for action
"Society expects less pollution from ships, and the shipping industry needs to act," he states, underlining that there has been some progress in recent years. According to him, tanker owners have invested an average of nearly USD 32bn a year in new ships since 2000 and today over 75% of the internationally traded fleet is double hulled. With this increased protection for both the oil cargo and the ship's fuel tanks, accidental oil spills this decade have been at record low levels - one third of those in the previous decade and one tenth of those in the 1970s - at a time when the volume of oil transported has more than doubled since the mid 1980s.
However, much attention is now being paid to reducing the shipping industry's emissions to air, both the "classical" pollutants (such as SOx, NOx and particulates) as well as greenhouse gases (CO2). The industry is not covered by the Kyoto Protocol, but few expect that the industry will continue to escape new requirements. The Kyoto Protocol and EU, for example, have stated onshore carbon emission-reduction targets of 20-30%.
"The shipping industry will be expected to reduce offshore emissions by at least the same amount," says mr Swift. In respect of the "classical" pollutants, and in particular SOx, one way of reducing emissions is by extending the Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs). Today such areas have been introduced in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel, and new areas are in the pipeline, such as the North American coasts, the Mediterranean and parts of Asia.
Another way is to stay with residual fuel and invest in the development of new abatement technology, such as scrubbers, but still leaving the ship to deal with the waste streams. A third way is the mandatory use of cleaner fuels to strike at the root of the problem. "One way or another, shipowners are going to have to pay, but in some cases this is not just the initial bill but also ongoing maintenance, monitoring and safety related costs.
All these three alternative ways of reducing emissions bring technological as well as a range of other challenges. But the best solution to reduce harmful pollutants will be applicable to both existing and new ships and also globally. Inevitably, we will also need a transition period to implement the best solution, which I believe is to be the cleaner fuel, distillate, approach, and the best way forward is to be clear in the goal to be achieved," says mr Swift.
Air emissions from ships are currently regulated by the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO). In 1997, an International Convention on the Regulation of Air Pollution from Ships was adopted, and this convention is currently being revised with a target completion date of 2008.
"Intertanko has submitted a specific proposal to the IMO which would require the use of cleaner fuel on a global basis," explains mr Swift. Other proposals under review include the application of abatement technologies as well as the expansion of emission control areas. But mr Swift underlines that an optimal fuel policy is only one part of the solution. Other measures are also important to obtain a sustainable shipping industry.
"Today engines are more efficient than ever before and other measures, such as segregated ballast water and ballast water management, the application of new tin-free paints, optimal weather routing and the recovery of otherwise wasted heat from the engine and auxiliaries, are just a few of the developments that have resulted in significant gains in energy efficiency and reductions in environmental impact," he says. But these accomplishments are just the beginning. Considerable efficiency potentials still remain.
The value of carbon
The shipping industry is on its way to adopting means to reduce pollutants, but huge efforts are necessary before it can claim to be a truly sustainable business, and without doubt there is now an urgent need to address greenhouse gas emissions.
"This will be important for today's ships as well as tomorrow's, and will require cooperation among the maritime industries, shippers, charterers and many others. As society starts to put a price on the "value" of carbon, this will drive change and the challenge for the shipping industry is to be ahead of the game," concludes mr Swift.