Port State Control - MARPOL Annex V

02 Dec 13 - 13:55

BMA Technical Alert No. 13-09

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) has issued Technical Alert No. 13-09 regarding the New Amendments to MARPOL Annex V, which came into force on 1st January 2013.

The amendments to Annex V included revisions to the format of the Garbage Record Book, changes to the overboard disposal requirements
and introduction of new "Special Areas".

MARPOL Annex V related PSC detentions

Since the implementation of the revised MARPOL Annex V, five Bahamian ships have been detained by Port State Control (PSC) for deficiencies relating to contravention of MARPOL Annex V. Numerous non-detainable PSC deficiencies have also been imposed relating to contravention of MARPOL Annex V.

It has been noted that in the case of all of these detentions, the companies had incorporated changes into their Safety Management System to account for the amendments to MARPOL Annex V. Unfortunately the on board familiarisation and training of crew was not adequate and in one instance equipment for the disposal of food waste was defective.

Three detentions relate to the disposal of food waste in Special Areas without the prior use of a comminuter or grinder. If a vessel is not fitted with a comminuter or grinder, food waste must not be discharged overboard within Special Areas. In such cases food waste shall be retained on board to be disposed of ashore, or in accordance with MARPOL Annex V requirements once the vessel has left the Special Area.

Special Areas are defined in MARPOL Annex V and include Mediterranean Sea area, Baltic Sea area, Black Sea area, Red Sea area, Gulfs area, North Sea area, Antarctic area and the Wider Caribbean Region.

Investigations into all five of the MARPOL Annex V related detentions have found that the detentions were fully avoidable through proper implementation of the company SMS and proper on board training of crew.

Ship owners and Managers are urged to ensure that suitable safety management procedures are in place and fully implemented on their ships to ensure compliance with MARPOL Annex V at all times. Furthermore, any shipboard equipment required for compliance with MARPOL Annex V is to be maintained in working order and the crew responsible for its use fully trained in its operation.

Find the BMA Technical Alert No. 13-09 here.

Manning Requirements on board Panama Canal Transiting Vessels

02 Dec 13 - 17:51

Panama Canal Advisory to Shipping No. A-33-2013

 

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has issued Advisory to Shipping No. A-33-2013 as a reminder that Panama Canal Authority requires that all vessels navigating in Panama Canal waters comply with the manning requirements in order to guarantee a safe and expeditious transit or docking maneuver at the ports located at both ends of the Canal. 

As established in the Maritime Regulations for the Operation of the Panama Canal, Chapter VI, Requirements Concerning the Crew, Section One, Vessels to be fully manned, Article 102, "A vessel navigating the waters of the Panama Canal shall be sufficiently manned to permit the safe handling of the vessel." In addition, "The crew must meet the standards set forth in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978/95 (STCW)."

Article 103.1 (Annex) of the regulations requires transiting vessels to have sufficient seamen forward and aft to handle lines expeditiously during lockages, as well as when moored temporarily to lock walls or inside a lock chamber.

The Canal requires transiting vessels to provide, as a minimum, one (1) officer and two (2) seamen forward and aft respectively. They are expected to operate winches simultaneously in order to assist during mooring operations, and handling of locks locomotive wires.

Article 108, Chapter VIII of this regulation establishes sailing and collision prevention rules. Specifically Rule 4 establishes that,

"Every vessel shall at all times while underway in the Canal and adjacent waters, maintain a proper lookout by sight and hearing, as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions, so as to make a full appraisal of the situation...The person acting as lookout shall have no other assigned duties, and shall report immediately all relevant and material information to the person in charge of the navigation of the vessel."

This is also a requirement of the STCW convention.

Non-compliance with these manning requirements may cause transit delays and the assessment of additional charges.

For more information, please read the: Panama Canal Authority Advisory to Shipping No. A-33-2013

New ICS Initiative to Maintain IMO Primacy on Shipping and CO2 Issues

02 Dec 13 - 17:38

ICS suggesting a possible way forward to further reduce CO2 emissions

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) - the worldwide trade association for shipowners - has made an important written submission to the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) suggesting a possible way forward with respect to complex discussions about additional global regulations to further reduce CO2 emissions from merchant ships.

In particular, ICS wishes to ensure the primacy of a global IMO framework for addressing the reduction of shipping's CO2 emissions in the face of proposals by the European Commission for unilateral regional regulations that will apply to international shipping trading to the EU.

In a carefully worded ‘political' paper, ICS has suggested that IMO Member States should initially focus on developing regulations for the mandatory reporting of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by internationally trading ships, deferring further discussions on how the information collected might subsequently be used to develop additional efficiency measures.

The latter include politically controversial proposals for developing tools to measure and benchmark the operational efficiency of individual ships, or even the development of Market Based Measures through which ships might be charged depending on how efficient they are deemed to be.

ICS hopes that if governments can agree to approach their work in distinct stages, IMO Member States can proceed towards the early adoption of mandatory CO2 monitoring and reporting measures that would be enforced worldwide.

ICS suggests this could be done relatively quickly, and might be acceptable to those governments that may not yet be ready to commit to more radical CO2 reduction measures for shipping such as efficiency indexing. ICS believes that focusing on monitoring and reporting measures now would not prejudice the positions of such countries at the high-level United Nations climate change talks on a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol, which are not scheduled to be completed by UNFCCC until 2015.

ICS argues that if IMO can make further progress one step at a time - the so called ‘three phase' approach which has already been proposed by the United States - this will have little negative impact on the industry's efforts to continue reducing CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions reductions are already very incentivised by the unprecedented high cost of marine fuel, which is expected to increase further due to the introduction of separate IMO requirements to burn low sulphur fuel. This is already the industry's largest variable operating cost, typically now amounting, over a ship's life, to about three times the capital cost of the ship itself.

"The recent impasse at IMO on making further progress is due to difficulties unconnected with shipping and imported from the UNFCCC" explained ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe. "However, IMO is now confronted by the danger of unilateral action by the European Union which is already considering a draft Regulation on monitoring and reporting of ships' emissions which risks destroying the possibility of a global approach towards shipping and CO2."

ICS's main objection to the draft EU Regulation (as currently proposed by the European Commission) is not so much with the objective as with the timing and the level of detail which it contains. If the EU measures on monitoring and reporting ships' CO2 emissions are adopted in advance of IMO developing its own global measure, it may be impossible to have a global regime that will be compatible with the EU approach. "Unless the EU expects the rest of the world to follow its unilateral approach to the letter?" said Mr Hinchliffe.

If there is no uniform global regime on monitoring and reporting of CO2 emissions from ships it is difficult to see how IMO can develop other global measures on CO2 for shipping. "Quite a lot is therefore at stake" said Mr Hinchliffe.

The ICS submission, which has involved several weeks of negotiations between ICS member national shipowners' associations, is therefore intended to suggest a possible way forward so that IMO can demonstrate that it is indeed making progress to ensure that a global approach is maintained towards this critically important issue.

"We are a global industry requiring global rules," said Mr Hinchliffe. "Otherwise we have chaos and inefficiency."

Source: ICS

Solid Bulk Cargoes Guide now available in Chinese

28 Nov 13 - 16:07

IMSBC Code pocket checklist will be available at Marintec 2013 next week

Lloyd's Register, UK P&I Club, and Intercargo produced a pocket guide and checklist earlier this year for ships' officers and agents who arrange cargoes for loading. When bulk cargoes shift, liquefy, catch fire or explode due to poor loading procedures, the consequences can be critical - ships could capsize, lose stability or sustain severe structural damage. Now the pocket checklist, which follows the successful, robust formula designed to help all involved in ship operations, is available in Chinese.

The guide, titled Carrying solid bulk cargoes safely: Guidance for crews on the IMSBC Code, outlines the precautions that need to be taken before accepting solid bulk cargoes for shipment. It sets out procedures for safe loading and carriage and details the primary hazards associated with different types of cargoes. The guide includes a quick reference checklist and flowchart summarising the steps to be followed. It comes in a laminated flipover format for on-the-spot use.

For more information, please click at the following articles

• Carrying solid bulk cargoes safely
• Reminder on the Amendments to the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code
• IMSBC Code amendments re Cargoes which may Liquefy
• IMO DSC Sub-Committee Outcome

• Lloyd's Register guide - Carrying Solid Bulk Cargoes Safely
  

• Solid Bulk Cargoes

Deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure and Port Services Regulation

28 Nov 13 - 12:51

Report Fleckenstein on the Port Services Regulation

 

The TRAN Committee has voted the Fidanza report on the Commission proposal for a Directive on the Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. The plenary vote of the Fidanza report is due to take place in February 2014. The Transport Committee gave a mandate to the Rapporteur to start negotiations with the Council with a view to reaching a final agreement in spring 2014.

The Rapporteur, Knut Fleckenstein (S&D - Germany) presented the draft report on the Port Services Regulation to the Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee of the European Parliament. He proposed to adapt the provisions on the independent supervisory body and on transparency of charges. He defended the autonomy of ports in setting their own charges. These should not be longer be set by ministries.

Moreover, he stressed the link with the upcoming state aid guidelines and the concession directive.  His report aims at avoiding red tape and a one-size-fits-all approach.

Many MEPs expressed their satisfaction with Fleckenstein draft report even if there are still concerns regarding different aspects of the proposal. The deadline for amendments is 3 December 2013 whereas the vote in the TRAN committee is scheduled on 11 February 2014.

Source: ESPO

Major International Lifesaving Agreement to Help Prevent Drowning

25 Nov 13 - 16:29

Drowning is a major public health issue that can be better addressed through closer collaboration

Worldwide, drowning is claiming and affecting millions of lives every year. To help combat this problem the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) and the International Lifesaving Federation (ILS) have agreed and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The IMRF brings the world's maritime search and rescue (SAR) organisations together, whilst the ILS is the world authority for drowning prevention, lifesaving and lifesaving sport. Both organisations already support and collaborate with national and international organisations engaged in drowning prevention, water safety, water rescue, lifesaving and lifeguarding.

The MoU recognises that drowning is a major public health issue that can be better addressed through closer collaboration. Mutual respect and the recognition of each other's contribution and unique global status underpin the working relationship between the two organisations. And the principal aim for both is their common goal of reducing drowning on all continents and in all waters.

With this common purpose in mind both the IMRF and the ILS have agreed that closer collaboration will ensure that all the available resources are applied in a productive and more efficient manner to prevent drowning.

There are more nations and at-risk populations in the world needing drowning prevention assistance than there are lead organisations to provide it and both the ILS and IMRF have valuable assistance to offer.

To succeed, the global drowning prevention mission also needs collaboration from all national, regional, international organisations and governments.

Source: ILS

New requirements for vessels visiting California Ports

25 Nov 13 - 15:41

(California OGV Fuel Regulation coming into force on January 2014

The California Air Resources Board has issued Marine Advisory to remind owners and operator of the new requirements in the regulation for fuel sulfur and other operational requirements for ocean- going vessels within California Waters and 24 Nautical Miles of the California Baseline

The California OGV Fuel Regulation, which has been enforced since July 2009, provides significant air quality benefits by requiring ships to use cleaner, low sulfur marine distillate fuel. The purpose of this advisory is to notify owners and operators of upcoming changes in the fuel sulfur requirements beginning January 1, 2014, and to remind operators that they must comply with both the California OGV Fuel Regulation and the North American Emission Control Area (ECA) requirements. There are also 2014 requirements for some vessels under California's At-Berth Regulation.

Beginning January 1, 2014 the maximum fuel sulfur (S) limit for both marine gas oil (DMA) and marine diesel oil (DMB) will be 0.1% S. These Phase II requirements (shown in Table 1) will be enforced within the California OGV regulatory zone, which is 24 nm off the coast of California, including islands

Fuel Requirement	Effective Day	ARB's California OGV Fuel Requirement % Sulfur Content Limit
Phase I	July 1, 2009	Marine gas oil (DMA) at or below 1.5% sulfur; or Marine diesel oil (DMB) at or below 0.5% sulfur
Phase I	August 1, 2012	Marine gas oil (DMA) at or below 1.0% sulfur; or Marine diesel oil (DMB) at or below 0.5% sulfur
Phase II	January 1, 2014	Both marine gas oil (DMA) and marine diesel oil (DMB) at or below 0.1% sulfur

Vessels must meet both the requirements of the California OGV Fuel Regulation and the ECA when entering California ports.

The California OGV Fuel Regulation contains a Noncompliance Fee Provision designed to accommodate vessel operators unable to find compliant fuel. Using this provision, vessel operators can pay a fee in lieu of direct compliance with the fuel standards. In addition, a vessel operator can use this provision without paying a fee once per vessel in 2014 if they are unable to source 0.1% sulfur fuel. To avoid paying the fee, a vessel operator must make a good faith effort to acquire compliant fuel, use marine distillate fuel that meets the Phase I requirements that began on August 1, 2012  on the inbound voyage, and purchase and use compliant Phase II fuel for the remainder of the voyage in the California OGV regulatory zone. Vessel operators must also comply with the other provisions of the Noncompliance Fee Provision

California's Ocean Going Vessel Regulatory Zone

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Additional information

California OGV Fuel Regulation http://www.arb.ca.gov/ports/shorepower/shorepower.htm

http://www.arb.ca.gov/regact/2011/ogv11/ogv11.htm

http://www.arb.ca.gov/ports/marinevess/ogv.htm

ECA Requirements

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/oceanvessels.htm#north-american

Noncompliance Fee Provision

http://www.arb.ca.gov/ports/marinevess/ogv/ogvadvisories.htm

EC proposes to improve workers rights for seafarers and fishermen

21 Nov 13 - 13:18

EU stops possibility to exclude seafarers from five labour law Directives

A proposal to include seafarers within the scope of five EU labour law Directives has been recently presented by the European Commission.

The EU proposal would give them the same information and consultation rights in all 28 EU countries as on-shore workers in cases of collective redundancies and transfers of undertakings. 

They would also have the right to participate to European Works Councils.

The new proposal would amend five Directives in order to give seafarers the same rights as their colleagues on-shore. This would enhance their living and working conditions and so increase the attractiveness of working in the maritime sector for young people. This is important as the number of EU seafarers has been steadily decreasing over the last few years and the sector is threatened with labour shortages. A third important benefit of the proposal is that it would ensure fairer competition in the fisheries and shipping sectors within the EU as operators would have the same obligations in all EU Member States.

APM Terminals Rotterdam Retrofits Cranes For Ultra-Large Container Ships

20 Nov 13 - 18:53

Five cranes at Maasvlakte I to be retrofitted for serving

Rotterdam, Netherlands - APM Terminals Rotterdam Maasvlakte I will enhance five of the terminal's existing post-Panamax cranes to a 23-container row reach to accommodate the latest generation of ultra-large container ships. The retrofitting involves engineering and software adjustments expected to be completed in time for the arrival of the 18,000 TEU capacity Marie Maersk, the fourth Maersk Line EEE-Class vessel, currently the world's largest ships of any type, which is scheduled to arrive in Rotterdam on December 6th as part of the weekly Asia/North Europe AE10 service.

We are continuously anticipating and adapting to our customers' needs to provide industry-leading efficiency and productivity" said APM Terminals European Portfolio Manager Ben Vree.

The world's first 18,000 TEU vessel, the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller, paid its maiden call to APM Terminals Rotterdam on August 16th. The EEE class vessels, at 59 meters (194 feet) wide, are 9 meters (29.5 feet) wider than the 15,000 TEU Maersk E-Class vessels, which have a capacity of 15,500 TEUs. Triple E-class vessels have containers stacked 23 rows wide across the deck, while current post-Panamax cranes were constructed with a 22-container row wide reach. APM Terminals Rotterdam set a new terminal productivity record on the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller with berth productivity of 215 gross moves per hour and crane productivity of 37.1 gross moves per hour.

The booms of five of the 13 STS cranes now in operation at APM Terminals Rotterdam Maasvlakte I are being extended for use on the 18,000+ TEU capacity vessels and will also use new operating procedures. Maersk Line has received the first four EEE-Class vessels out of a total of 20 scheduled for delivery over the next two years. The new generation of container vessels with a capacity of more than 18,000 TEU is setting a new standard for the industry.

Source: APM Terminals

Pirates Looting Cargoes With AK-47s Threaten African Oil: Energy

By Eduard Gismatullin - Nov 21, 2013 1:33 AM PT

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Ankur Varma, third officer on the oil tanker M/V Cotton, opened his cabin door at five minutes to midnight on July 14 to find two men pointing AK-47s at him.

“They just pushed me into the cabin with the guns in my chest and they told me to stay silent,” Varma said in a phone interview from India. “They were threatening, they were showing the guns, pointing at us. They took everything -- everything that we had -- including clothes, toiletries, electronics.”

Enlarge image

Porters offload goods from a foreign vessel in the sea port in Mogadishu, Somalia. Photographer: Tony Karumba/AFP/Getty Images

Enlarge image

A Nigerian navy ship, one of three ships taking part in a joint counter-piracy patrol by the Nigerian and Benin navies, patrols the sea off the coast of Contonou. This year, piracy has spread through the region from Nigeria, where theft from ships has long been common, and ships are being attacked further offshore, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Photographer: STR/AFP via Getty Images

They also took the ship’s cargo. The Maltese-flagged vessel was carrying about 10,000 tons of fuel oil belonging to France’s largest oil company when it was attacked by 15 pirates off the coast of Gabon in West Africa. The hijackers kept control of the tanker for seven days as they siphoned off the fuel.

While Total SA (FP) eventually got its fuel oil back with the help of Ghana’s navy, Varma’s story is becoming increasingly typical as Africa’s west coast replacesSomalia as the world’s most piracy-prone area. The attacks, which are getting more frequent and more violent, threaten shipping in sub-Saharan Africa’s largest oil-producing region.

West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea had 40 piracy attacks in the first nine months of the year, compared with 10 incidents in waters around Somalia, according to data from the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre. As well as stealing from ships, kidnappings are on the rise. Last month, two U.S. citizens were seized from a supply ship before being released after more than two weeks.

Taking Hostages

“Initially they were interested in holding the ships, stealing the cargo, taking this ship’s crew possessions and money and leaving,” said Roy Paul, a director at Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme. “This year, we’ve seen an increase in taking hostages” for ransom.

Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana and other countries around the Gulf of Guinea, produce more than 3 million barrels of oil a day, or about one-third of Africa’s output, according to data compiled by BP Plc. The region’s crude, often so-called sweet grades that are refined into high-value motor fuels, is shipped to refiners in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea are also leading liquefied natural gas exporters.

This year, piracy has spread through the region from Nigeria, where theft from ships has long been common, and ships are being attacked further offshore, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Boardings or hijacks have been reported off Togo, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Warships Deployed

Piracy’s rise in West Africa has been mirrored by its decline off Somalia, where kidnappings spurred a response from shipowners and western governments. The deployment of warships and the use of armed guards have resulted in the number of incidents plunging this year.

The use of private security may be less effective in the Gulf of Guinea because the pirates are more violent, said Jan Fritz Hansen, who chairs the piracy task force at theEuropean Community Shipowners’ Associations.

“They are becoming more and more organized,” Hansen said in an interview. “You can’t really rely on private armed guards. It should be a more strong force from governments. The criminals down there are a bit better equipped and armed.”

International oil companies exporting from the region are taking steps to protect ships from attack.

“We take additional precautions on all our LNG tankers for security,” Andrew Gould, chairman of U.K.-based producer BG Group Plc (BG/), which exports all of Equatorial Guinea’s natural gas, said in an interview. “We have a procedure in place. We have warned people.”

Protect Vessels

Peter Voser, the chief executive officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), the biggest operator of oil fields in Nigeria, and Total Chief Financial Officer Patrick de la Chevardiere said they had policies to protect their vessels from attacks.

“We are facing a difficult situation in Nigeria. We are protecting our staff there,” de la Chevardiere said. “We faced several kidnappings in Nigeria for money. We were able to solve all of them.”

West African nations made some progress on fighting piracy after agreeing on a Code of Conduct to help protect trade and shipping, said Simon Bennett, a director at the International Chamber of Shipping, which represents companies controlling more than 80 percent of the world’s merchant tonnage. Last month, politicians agreed to develop coordination mechanisms in 2014, the United Nations Office for West Africa said.

The M/V Cotton’s 24 crew members were released unharmed after more than a week being held by the pirates, who claimed to be from Nigeria, Varma said. The seafarer is considering a new line of work.

Since the incident, the Cotton tanker has been renamed Sky, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eduard Gismatullin in London at egismatullin@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Will Kennedy at wkennedy3@bloomberg.net

How is Shipping Reducing its CO2 Emissions?

19 Nov 13 - 12:58

Energy efficient measures and alternative fuel sources

Although the shipping industry is already very energy efficient, additional improvements to hull, engine and propeller design are expected to produce further reductions in fuel consumption. There may also be possibilities for the better utilisation of waste heat.

The increasing size of many ships is also expected to improve fuel efficiency. In addition, operational measures (e.g. better speed management throughout the course of a voyage) are also expected to reduce fuel consumption and are addressed in detail by the new Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan that has been made mandatory by IMO.

Shipping companies have a very strong incentive to reduce their fuel consumption and thus reduce their CO2 emissions: bunker costs represent an increasingly significant proportion of ships' operational expenses, having increased by about 300% in the last 5 years. There is every expectation that marine bunker prices will remain high.

Furthermore, the cost of ships' fuel is expected to increase by a further 50% as a result of the increased use of (low sulphur) distillate fuel that will follow the implementation of the new IMO rules (MARPOL Annex VI) that will apply globally in Emission Control Areas by 2015.

Alternative Fuel Sources:

Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, may have a place in helping to meet some ancillary requirements, such as lighting on board ships. Fuel cells may be a possibility for new ships in the very long term, although they are currently too limited in range to offer a viable solution. Nuclear propulsion for merchant ships is technically possible, although safety and security implications and support infrastructure costs would require serious consideration. LNG produces lower emissions, and could be a solution, especially for short sea trades, if supply infrastructure can be developed. Third generation biofuels might conceivably provide a possible alternative although there is considerable public debate about the net environmental costs and social effects

Find more information on how shipping is able to reduce its emissions by reading ICS brochure '' Shipping, World Trade and the Reduction of CO2 Emissions''

Also visit ICS official website at http://www.ics-shipping.org

EU supports the use of methanol as a possible maritime fuel of the future

14 Nov 13 - 18:20

'Motorways of the Sea' prjoject

Image Credit: DNV

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The European Union will support with €11.2 million from the TEN-T Programme a study followed by real life trials to look at the use of methanol as a possible maritime fuel of the future. The initiative also contributes to the realisation of the "Motorways of the Sea" (TEN-T Priority Project 21) concept.

The study, selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T Multi-Annual Programme, will investigate how methanol could become a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for the maritime sector. This latter aspect is especially important as the industry must comply with the ambitious International Maritime Organisation and EU sulphur emission reduction targets.

Germany, Sweden and Finland will be taking part in the project, which involves the installation and testing of methanol on an existing passenger vessel operating on the short sea route between Gothenburg, Sweden and Kiel, Germany. In addition to retrofitting the vessel, the test phase will also create the appropriate port infrastructure for the supply of methanol for bunkering. A bunker vessel and a storage tank will be built in both ports.

The study will be monitored by the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA) and is set to be completed by December 2015.

This pilot action will test the performance of methanol on the existing passenger ferry Stena Germanica operating between the ports of Gothenburg and Kiel. The Stena Germanica is the world's second largest Ro-Pax ferry. The running of the Stena Germanica on methanol will allow the vessel to comply with the new Sulphur Emission Control Area rules ahead of the 2015 deadline. The proposed Action will provide the real "live test" to prove the feasibility of methanol as a future fuel for shipping, deliver the engine conversion kit which can be further implemented on other ships, and provide the important and ultimate piloting culmination of many years of researc

The project will bring benefits to the Motorways of the Sea (TEN-T Priority Project 21) on the Baltic Sea as well as have positive impacts on the cohesion of the entire Baltic Sea region.

For more information, please consult the project's page

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Motorways of the Sea (MoS) builds on the EU's goal of achieving a clean, safe and efficient transport system by transforming shipping into a genuine alternative to overcrowded land transport. 

Learn more about the project at

http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/en/ten-t_projects/30_priority_projects/priority_project_21/priority_project_21.htm

Tags: EU, sustainability, methanol, alternative fuel, marine fuel of the future, Motorways of the Sea, TEN-T, sulphur emissions

Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the transport sector

14 Nov 13 - 18:36

The aim is to establish a well-connected area for aviation, rail, maritime and road transport

Today transport ministers from 43 countries of the Euro-Mediterranean area met in Brussels and confirmed their commitment to boost cooperation. The aim is to establish a well-connected area for aviation, rail, maritime and road transport. Regional integration in transport will strengthen economic exchanges and create business opportunities in the Euro-Mediterranean region.

European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: "Cooperation in the transport sector is key for the social and economic integration of the Mediterranean area. It will facilitate trade, connect people, and bring prosperity on all sides of the Mediterranean."

In the Joint Declaration released after the Conference Ministers have agreed on:

1. the priorities and guidelines for future cooperation on regulatory reforms and convergence;
2. the development of the Trans-Mediterranean Transport Network (TMN-T) and its future connection to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T);
3. the organisation of another conference before the end of 2015 to address funding of the development of the TMN-T.

Infrastructure projects that have been financed in the areas of road, rail, port and logistics by the EU, the European Investment Bank and the Secretariat of Union for the Mediterranean. These projects will help to build the Trans-Mediterranean Transport Network (TMN-T). For example, the Mediterranean Motorways of the Sea projects aim at identifying the essential maritime connections between the two shores of the Mediterranean.

In 2011, the European Commission presented a plan to build better transport connections with the EU's neighbours. Since then, the cooperation focuses on removing the barriers to smooth transport and promotes regulatory convergence in areas like safety, security, social affairs and environmental protection. Responding to the 2011 events in the region, the EU also promoted a specific partnership for democracy and shared prosperity for the Southern Mediterranean.

Tags: EU, Mediterranean sea, maritime transport, shipping industry, aviation, Motorways of the Sea

Australia: Container Stow Working Space

15 Nov 13 - 18:42

UK P&I Club news alert

The UK P&I Club has issued news alert to warn carriers carrying containers to or from Australian ports should be aware of the requirements of Marine Order, Part 32 - Cargo Handling Equipment.

The Club recommends that vessels carrying containers provide a working space of at least 550mm clear of all obstructions between and alongside containers. Where it is not possible for a vessel to provide a walkway meeting the minimum working space, carriers should avoid using container bays which do not allow for the minimum space.

Carriers should also be aware that the Navigation Act prohibits vessel crew handling cargo at an Australian port so the crew will be prohibited from unlashing or lashing containers should stevedores refuse to do so because of the vessel's failure to meet the minimum working space requirements.

Source: The UK P&I Club