NOVEMBER 5, 2015 — Radio Holland and French ballast water treatment system (BWTS) manufacturer Bio-UV are collaborating to offer global integration solutions for ballast water treatment. Radio Holland will provide its installation
NOVEMBER 4, 2015—The Isla Bella, the world’s first LNG-powered container vessel, transited through the Panama Canal on October 30. The transit by the Isla Bella marks a milestone for the maritime industry
NOVEMBER 1, 2015—The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board reports that a search team on board the U.S. Navy tug USNS Apache has found the wreckage of a ship that they believe to be
ARB staff has found that, without taking precautions, there is a high likelihood of a violation of the sulfur limit with these fuels.
Based on reviews of bunker delivery notes, these fuels, as purchased, are generally reported to be below, but close to, the 0.1% sulfur regulatory limit. However, shipboard in-use samples collected and tested by ARB staff have sometimes been found to exceed the regulatory limit.
The discrepancy could be due to shipboard contamination with high sulfur fuels in tanks or pipes, or other factors.
The ARB this week issued a notice to alert vessel operators that there is a risk of exceeding the sulfur limit when using these fuels, and to suggest possible steps that operators can take to reduce the likelihood of noncompliance.
Download the notice HERE
The second stage of the search will now start, attempting to find the vessel using side scan sonar.
The USNS Apache arrived at the last known position of the El Faro on October 23, and began searching for the vessel with a Towed Pinger Locator (TPL).
The search area consists of a 10 nautical mile by 15 nautical mile area, in which the USNS Apache towed the TPL on five search lines across the search area in order to detect the acoustic signal associated with the El Faro’s pinger.
The USNS Apache concluded the first phase of the pinger locator search on October 26, 2015, with negative results.
The NTSB says that the TPL’s ability to detect the El Faro’s pinger may be affected by the orientation of the vessel as it lays on the sea floor or the current condition and functionality of the pinger.
The second phase of the search began yesterday, using the Orion side-scan sonar system. The second phase of the search will be conducted over the same search area. This phase will consist of 13 search tracks and will take about 14 days to complete. The side scan sonar system will be used to locate the El Faro, and if found, create an image of the vessel.
If the ship is found on the sea floor, its Voyage Data Recorder or “black box” can be retrieved to help investigators determine the El Faro’s final moments. It is suspected that the ship sank in Hurricane Joaquin on October 1 and is lying on the sea bottom in 15,000 feet of water near the Crooked Islands in the Bahamas. All 33 onboard are presumed lost.
The ship, the 34,500 dwt ocean going laker Federal Biscay, is fitted with a ballast water treatment system (BWTS) — a first for ships transiting the Great Lakes, says Fednav, the largest international operator in the Great Lakes/Saint Lawrence Seaway System.
Fednav announced in April that it would equip all 12 ships in its Oshima shipyard newbuild program with BallastAce ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) (see earlier story).
Developed by JFE Engineering Corporation in Japan, the BallastAce system will be effective in both fresh and salt water. BallastAce operates through a combination of filtration and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) injection into the ship’s ballast system.
“This is a pivotal step in protecting the Great Lakes against invasive species and preserving biodiversity in the region,” said Paul Pathy, president and co-CEO of Fednav Limited. “Fednav is proud to be the first shipping company to deploy such systems, and we are pleased that the Federal Biscay is serving as a test ship for this technology.”
Fednav will start using BallastAce in the Great Lakes at the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 2016.
With the assistance of Fednav, the BallastAce system (which is already USCG AMS approved) will continue the necessary testing for full U.S .Coast Guard type approval for fresh, brackish, and salt water at the GSI facility in Superior, WI, and at MERC in Baltimore, MD. During the first six months of 2016, the system installed on the Federal Biscay will be be used for the shipboard testing element of the type approval requirements.
Fednav expects that the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention, to which Canada is a signatory, will most likely enter into force in 2016, the year the U.S. Coast Guard and EPA require the installation of systems on ships trading in US waters.
AEG’s Advanced Maritime Emission Control System (AMECS), essentially, takes a barge-mounted scrubber system to the ship. Unlike existing shore power options, it does not require retrofits to each vessel.
“AMECS is a game-changer in the fields of emission control and air quality. Multiple AMECS units can remove thousands of tons of pollutants each year,” said Ruben Garcia, President of AEG. “These mobile barge-mounted systems use patented technology to attach to the auxiliary exhaust stacks of nearly any vessel entering port – at-berth or at-anchor – eliminating the need for expensive ship retrofits, and providing the public with cleaner air.”
AMECS is approved for simultaneous emission capture from two exhaust stacks of a single ship, with independently verified test results proving 90% to 99% reduction of the particulate matter (PM), nitrous oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxides (SO2) found in diesel exhaust.
“CARB’s approval of AMECS as an alternative to the at-berth emissions reductions rule provides the flexibility our shipping lines need while protecting our environment and creating new jobs for our communities,” said representatives from the Port of Long Beach, a strong supporter of AMECS throughout its development.
In 2013, the Port of Long Beach provided about $2 million in seed money to help test the AMECS system.
“We’re thrilled any time we can find more tools to reduce emissions and continue to improve community health. That’s why we fund projects like the demonstration and testing of these new technologies, through our Technology Advancement Program,” said Board of Harbor Commissioners President Lori Ann Guzmán. “We’ve made a lot of progress in reducing air pollution, and we are nurturing new technologies like these to help us do even more.”
Many common bulk cargoes, such as iron ore fines, nickel ore and various mineral concentrates, may be subject to the phenomenon, in which a soil-like material is abruptly transformed from a solid dry state to an almost fluid state.
If liquefaction occurs on board a vessel, the stability will be reduced due to the free surface effect and cargo shift, possibly resulting in capsizing of the vessel. The ship structure may also be damaged due to increased cargo pressures.
DNV GL says there are some distinct and disturbing features of accidents caused by cargo liquefaction.
First, the accidents happen very fast. The period of time from when liquefaction is detected, if it is detected at all, until the vessel has capsized could in some cases be only a few minutes. This leaves very little time for remedial measures. It also leaves very little time for safe evacuation of the ship, and such accidents are often associated with tragic losses of crew members.
Second, an accident on one vessel is often followed by a new accident, or near-accident, on other vessels that have loaded similar cargo at terminals in the same area.
DNV GL’s new guideline aims to raise the awareness of the risks of liquefaction and describes mitigating actions to reduce these risks.
“Cargo liquefaction is probably now the most significant factor in lives lost at sea for bulk carriers,” says Morten Løvstad, Business Director of Bulk Carriers at DNV GL. “While the general safety level of modern bulk carriers has been significantly improved over the last decades, recent incidents have shown that cargo liquefaction remains a major safety issue. Since 2009, at least six ships of more than 40,000 dwt have been lost to suspected liquefaction of cargo. These incidents have shown that cargo liquefaction is an issue that has not been sufficiently dealt with, and concerned owners and operators have contacted us for support and advice.
“With this guideline we wanted to help our customers by not only increasing awareness and building competence around the phenomenon, but also to offer some strategies, both in design and operation, to reduce these risks.”
The guideline focuses on both the operational and design aspects of cargo liquefaction.
In daily operation, recommendations to reduce the risk of liquefaction include:
The design guidelines look at the potential of carrying cargoes with high moisture content onboard specially constructed or fitted ships, in compliance with the IMSBC Code. Such vessels can remain safe both from a stability and strength point of view even if the cargo liquefies or shifts.
“Under the IMSBC code such vessels must have permanent structural boundaries or specially designed portable divisions to confine any shift or liquefaction of cargo, but detailed requirements are lacking,” says Mr. Løvstad. “It is clear, however, that stability and structural strength have to be specially considered, and our guideline sets out criteria for them, based on DNV GL procedures and rules.”
The guideline also examines how and why liquefaction can occur, which bulk cargoes are subject to liquefaction risks, explains the Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) and presents the effect of liquefaction on a vessel. The aim of the guideline is to provide ship designers, shipyards, shipowners and other stakeholders in the shipping industry a basis to assess the risks and begin the process of making their vessels and their operational processes safer when it comes to the risks of liquefaction.
Access the guideline HERE
An “action item” alert from law firm Blank Rome sheds some light onto the significance of this decision.
Blank Rome notes that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals remanded the issue to the EPA to redraft the ballast water sections of the VGP.
The firm says that “the differences between the VGP ballast water provisions, International Maritime Organization (“IMO”) Ballast Water Management Convention, and U.S. Coast Guard’s ballast water regulations have posed a number of compliance challenges thus far, which may be further exacerbated by possible new VGP requirements. While substantive changes to the VGP ballast provisions, if any, are likely years away, shipowners and operators should be aware, closely monitor, and be prepared to comment on a new draft VGP in the future.”
“Most notably,” says Blank Rome, “the court stated that the EPA failed to adequately explain why stricter technology-based effluent standards should not be applied, failed to give fair and thorough consideration to onshore treatment options, and failed to adequately explain why pre-2009 Lakers were exempted. The court instructed the EPA to reconsider the VGP ballast water provisions in accordance with its ruling. In the meantime, the 2013 VGP will remain in effect.”
“The possibility that the EPA may alter its VGP ballast water provisions does, however, create uncertainty for those striving to comply with both the VGP and U.S. Coast Guard ballast water requirements,” notes Blank Rome. “The U.S. Coast Guard’s ballast water regulations, like the current VGP ballast water requirements, for the most part mirror the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention, though there are some differences. Ship owners and operators have struggled to understand and comply with these overlapping requirements. Any changes to the EPA’s ballast water requirements will require extensive discussion with the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure any new VGP ballast water requirements can co-exist with the U.S. Coast Guard and IMO regimes.
“The ruling does not impact the U.S. Coast Guard’s ballast water management system type approval process. That said, should the EPA create stricter technology-based effluent limitations (TBELs) than the U.S. Coast Guard and IMO standards, it will be even more challenging for vessels to comply with both the U.S. Coast Guard and EPA standards because the systems approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and required to be installed may or may not meet the stricter VGP TBELs. It is also unclear how the EPA would enforce stricter TBELs as the Coast Guard generally conducts the vessel inspections and passes information on possible violations to the EPA.”
Read the full text of the Blank Rome action item HERE
Dryad says that the apparent impunity of maritime gangs operating in the region has led it to call upon the three nations surrounding the Singapore Strait, in particular, to provide a permanent security presence to deter criminals and protect maritime trade.
The number of reported incidents in the region has jumped from 140 in the first nine-months of 2014 to 194 in the same period of 2015.
The main focus for criminal gangs in the region has been the petty theft of ships stores as gangs look to steal engine parts and high value machinery for resale on the black market.In total 14 vessels have been hijacked in Southeast Asia in 2015 to date, with only one product tanker, the MT Joaquim targeted for the purpose of cargo theft in the last quarter (Jul-Sep), when 3000 metric tonnes of fuel oil were stolen from the vessel.
Dryad Maritime analysts have identified the Singapore Strait as a key area for increased vigilance. Between January and September they recorded 90 instances of theft or attempted theft with more than 80% of these crimes occurring in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) between Pulau Karimun Kecil and Pulau Besar during the hours of darkness.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and Indonesian authorities have made repeated announcements pledging to enhance patrol cooperation and coordination in the region, yet, according to Dryad analysts, there remains little by way of a regular presence in this particular area.
Dryad Maritime analysts warn that despite the slowdown in fuel siphoning incidents during the last three months, the final quarter of 2015 is likely to see a further increase in hijackings and petty theft.
Ian Millen, Dryad Maritime’s Chief Operating Officer, says:”In Southeast Asia, the final quarter of the last three years has seen the highest numbers of incidents per quarter and we see no reason why this will not remain the same this year; a year in which we’ve already seen the highest number of incidents in the first nine months. There is a pressing need for a joined-up security effort in the Singapore Strait and other areas. Without a high visual presence from security agencies, criminal gangs will continue to operate freely with little fear of capture or prosecution.”
Dryad contrasts the worrying increase in Southeast Asia maritime crime with the good news following BIMCO’s recent announcement on a planned reduction of the BMP 4 piracy High Risk Area (HRA).
Mike Edey, Dryad Maritime’s Head of Operations, says:”By complete contrast, the worrying figures in Southeast Asia come at a time when the combined efforts of the shipping industry, naval forces, armed guards and others have resulted in the first geographical reduction of the Indian Ocean High Risk Area (HRA). This is a testament to those who have taken a multi-faceted approach to containing the threat of Somali piracy and the first sign of a long-awaited period of de-escalation in the region. This will bring significant relief to the shipping industry who can, in some cases, transition to more cost-effective and dynamic methods of risk mitigation.”
You can access Dryad Maritime’s full Q3 analysis HERE
