Search Results (15)

Marine plastic pollution (MPP) has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges, severely affecting marine ecosystems and human health. Even though international agreements such as UNCLOS and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) exist, the existing laws are often being introduced to question the inability of the present laws to do something about the escalating issue of plastic pollution. This study uses a doctrinal legal approach to examine how UNCLOS and MARPOL respond to marine plastic pollution (MPP) with a focus on their ability to handle land-based and ship-based MPP. Gaps in these frameworks are underlined, such as a lack of enforceable requirements under UNCLOS on reducing plastic rubbish from LBS and disparities in implementing MARPOL’s regulations on plastic discharges from ships. This paper also explores activities of organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with a focus on the Regional Seas Programme and the Global Programme of Action. Although a lot has been achieved, much remains to be done to resolve the problem of marine plastic pollution. This paper concludes with a series of practical proposals aimed at refining international laws, strengthening enforcement, and encouraging collective action at the international level. The proposed measures are aimed at advancing a circular economy model, strengthening legal infrastructure, and fostering a single global response against marine plastic pollution. Full article

Marine sources contribute approximately 2% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions, with the shipping industry accounting for 87% of this total, making it the fifth-largest emitter globally. Environmental regulations by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), such as the MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) treaty, have driven the exploration of alternative green energy solutions, including nuclear-powered ships. These ships offer advantages like long operational periods without refueling and increased cargo space, with around 200 reactors already in use on naval vessels worldwide. Among advanced reactor concepts, the molten salt reactor (MSR) is particularly suited for marine applications due to its inherent safety features, compact design, high energy density, and potential to mitigate nuclear waste and proliferation concerns. However, MSR systems face significant challenges, including tritium production, corrosion issues, and complex behavior of volatile fission products. Understanding the impact of marine-induced motion on the thermal–hydraulic behavior of MSRs is crucial, as it can lead to transient design basis accident scenarios. Furthermore, the adoption of MSR technology in the shipping industry requires overcoming regulatory hurdles and achieving global consensus on safety and environmental standards. This review assesses the current progress, challenges, and technological readiness of MSRs for marine applications, highlighting future research directions. The overall technology readiness level (TRL) of MSRs is currently at 3. Achieving TRL 6 is essential for progress, with individual components needing TRLs of 4–8 for a demonstration reactor. Community Readiness Levels (CRLs) must also be addressed, focusing on public acceptance, safety, sustainability, and alignment with decarbonization goals. Full article

Artificial intelligence aims to be the solution to multiple engineering problems by trying to emulate the human learning process. In this sense, maritime transport standards have clearly evolved, which are based on two principal pillars: the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). Based on a formal safety assessment research process, these pillars try to solve most of the maritime transport accidents, which, in their final steps, are associated with human factors. In this research, an original methodology employing a deep learning process for image recognition during mooring line operation, a dangerous process on ships, is developed. The main results indicate that the proposed method is an excellent tool for advising ship officers on watch and, consequently, provides a new way to prevent human factors onboard from causing accidents, which in the future must be considered in international standards. Full article

This study was aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the distribution of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as shipping fuel in the southern Baltic Sea. The objective of this study was to determine the demand for LNG for maritime shipping by analyzing the distribution of the resource from the water side (ship-to-ship). LNG was chosen due to the location of the LNG terminal in Świnoujście within the analyzed water area, where a problem has arisen in the southern part of the Baltic Sea regarding fuel supply for vessels due to the lack of developed infrastructure along the coast. An analysis was conducted to optimize the size of the LNG fleet and infrastructure facilities. Seeking compliance with Annex VI to the MARPOL 73/78 Convention, adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), shipowners see potential in the switch from conventional fuels to LNG. As one of the alternative solutions, it will contribute to reducing harmful emissions. Determination of the LNG distribution volume requires the identification of LNG storage facility locations, specifying the number of LNG-powered ships (broken down by type) and the number of LNG bunkering ships. The first part of this study contains a detailed analysis of the number of sea-going ships that provide services in the southern part of the Baltic Sea and the world’s number of LNG bunkering ships. The database contains a set of the characteristics required to determine the optimal demand for LNG, where LNG bunkering vessels are capable of supplying fuel within the shortest possible time and covering the shortest possible distance to LNG-powered ships. The characteristics include the type of ship, requested LNG volume, the speed of LNG bunkering ships, the distance between LNG facilities, and the loading rate (the volume of fuel received per time unit). Based on the collected data, the volume of LNG distribution was determined using MATLAB R2019a software. The remainder of this study contains a description of the conducted research and results of an analysis of the traffic density in the Baltic Sea. The results were obtained on the basis of data from the Statistical Yearbook of Maritime Economy and IALA IWRAP Mk2 2020 software. The number of LNG-powered ships and number of LNG bunkering ships were specified, and the demand for LNG for the area under analysis was determined. Full article

Decarbonizing maritime transport hinges on transitioning oil-fueled ships (98.4% of the fleet) to renewable and low-carbon fuel types. This shift is crucial for meeting the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets set by the IMO and the EU, with the aim of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Ammonia, which does not contain carbon atoms that generate CO₂, is considered one of the effective solutions for decarbonization in the medium and long term. However, the concurrent increase in nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions during the ammonia combustion cycle, subject to strict regulation by the MARPOL 73/78 convention, necessitates implementing solutions to reduce them through optimizing the combustion cycle. This publication presents a numerical study on the optimization of diesel and ammonia injection phases in a ship’s medium-speed engine, Wartsila 6L46. The study investigates the exhaust gas emissions and combustion cycle parameters through a high-pressure injection strategy. At an identified 7° CAD injection phase distance between diesel and ammonia, along with an optimal dual-fuel start of injection 10° CAD before TDC, a reduction of 47% in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG = CO₂ + CH₄ + N₂O) was achieved compared to the diesel combustion cycle. This result aligns with the GHG reduction target set by both the IMO and the EU for 2030. Additionally, during the investigation of the thermodynamic combustion characteristics of the cycle, a comparative reduction in NO_x of 4.6% was realized. This reduction is linked to the DeNO_x process, where the decrease in NO_x is offset by an increase in N₂O. However, the optimized ammonia combustion cycle results in significant emissions of unburnt NH₃, reaching 1.5 g/kWh. In summary, optimizing the combustion cycle of dual ammonia and diesel fuel is essential for achieving efficient and reliable engine performance. Balancing combustion efficiency with emission levels of greenhouse gases, unburned NH₃, and NO_x is crucial. For the Wartsila 6L46 marine diesel engine, the recommended injection phasing is A710/D717, with a 7° CAD between injection phases. Full article

Compared to air, rail, and road transport, shipping is a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way to transport goods over a long distance. However, the unprecedented growth of global seaborne trade has had a significant impact on the environment. The process of shipping transportation, through exhaust gas, wastewater discharge, fuel leakage, etc., has caused very serious environmental pollution. In response to this issue, the International Maritime Organization introduced the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Convention to regulate the discharge of pollution from ships. Given that there are few studies discussing policy effectiveness, this study comprehensively considers and reviews the implementation effectiveness of all annexed policies under the MARPOL Convention. After discussing the differences between these policies based on the implementation conditions, requirements, strictness, and scope of adoption, the empirical analysis method of time-varying differences-in-differences model is adopted to analyze the policy effectiveness of each annex. It further puts forward suggestions and references for the formulation of effective maritime policies in the future that should be targeted, comprehensive, contingency-based, and proactive. This will help design or revise policies in the shipping industry, thereby promoting the early achievement of shipping emission reduction targets and contributing to the sustainability of the shipping industry. Full article

Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention), adopted in October 2008, was dedicated to addressing environmental issues caused by ships, especially in ports, inland waterways, and some sea areas with concentrated routes and high navigational density. This study utilizes a regional-level ship dataset to assess the influences of emission-control areas (ECAs) on the ecological shipbuilding industry by fitting the policy utility through the synthetic control method and testing robustness via the difference-in-differences method. The outcomes of this study show that the cumulative new orders for eco-designed ships in China, The Netherlands, Republic of Korea, the UK, and the USA increased by 3401, 81, 234, 549, and −1435, respectively, after the implementation of ECAs. Compared to the implementation of ECAs, the increases were about 32%, 20%, 41%, 66%, and −83%, respectively. Full article

The implementation of the safety management system (SMS) in traditional shipping in Indonesia, known as “Pelra”, has not been implemented. The nature of the operation pattern and characteristics of Pelra, which are still traditional (non-convention), means that international maritime rules such as SOLAS, MARPOL, LLC, Collreg, and STCW, as well as Indonesian government regulations related to shipping safety, are not suitable for Pelra. As a result, Pelra ship accidents continue to occur every year in Indonesian waters without any efforts to deal with safety management. The aim of this study is to find indicators to assess the implementation of Pelra’s SMS that adopt the specific characteristics of Pelra sea transportation. The analysis was conducted with a Delphi approach, based on expert opinion in the field of ship safety, which was tested using non-parametric statistics (Kendall’s W test). The consensus results obtained 9 factors described in 44 assessment indicators to implement SMS on Pelra vessels. Several new indicators were found, including indicators related to ship stability, ship construction, and safety and navigation equipment. The level of expert agreement from the concordance W coefficient value is in the range of 0.3 (moderately strong) to 0.7 (very strong), which suggests that these findings are valid and feasible to be used as assessment indicators in order to implement SMS Pelra. Full article

The implementation of a 0.5% mass/mass sulphur cap in fuels used by ships has become a reality. Furthermore, regulation 14 of the MARPOL Convention–Annex VI (amended) establishes that the limit on fuel used by ships operating in a Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) cannot exceed 0.1% of mass/mass. To deal with these requirements while considering nature of the shipping business, which is the continuous carriage of cargo around the world, shipowners or shipping companies have few options for following this regulation. Apart from the use of a low-sulphur-content fuel is the use of an exhaust-gas cleaning system, also known as “scrubbers”, as an alternative. The use of these systems, specifically the open-loop system, entails the discharge to the sea of residual water used during the cleaning process of exhaust gases from ship engines. The objective of this paper is to study the effect produced by discharging this residual water on the acidity level (pH) of Barcelona port water. This objective was achieved through the periodical sampling and analysis of Barcelona port water in collaboration with the IDAEA (CSIC) laboratory. We analysed the evolution of the pH results obtained so far and obtained an initial picture of the pH Barcelona port water situation in real time regarding the effect of wash-water discharges from open-loop scrubbers. Furthermore, this paper describes the implementation of a system which is going to improve the operation of open-loop exhaust-gas cleaning systems. Full article

Marine air pollution is a major contributor to seaports and coastal air pollution, and Israel has yet to seriously confront this issue. This study aimed to update previous marine air pollution estimations in Israel’s two major ports: Haifa and Ashdod. The objectives were to examine technical and regulatory measures to address the problem, to propose mitigation targets and to estimate their potential benefits. Based on a model of emission-calculations that relies on an updated ship-inventory data as well as real-time ships’ location and movement tools, the combined marine NOx, SOx and PM_2.5 annual emissions in these ports were found to be 18,415, 15,128 and 1453 tons, respectively. These values are considerably higher than previous estimates, are comparable to the constant pollution emitted at ground level from a 1000-MW coal powered city power plant and are 3–20 times higher than the industrial and land transportation sectors in these cities. Relatively high nickel concentration in PM was found in Israel only relatively adjacent to the Haifa and Ashdod ports. Since high nickel concentration in PM is today mainly associated with marine air pollution, this finding supports the hypothesis that marine air pollution worsens the air quality in these cities. SOx and PM_2.5 emissions can be reduced by 78% and 27%, respectively, if Israel enforces the revised International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI regulations in its territorial waters. While the latter step can achieve external benefits of NIS 518.4 million/year (EUR 132 million/year), additional mitigation actions and local regulations are suggested, focusing on NOx emissions but also on other pollutant criteria. Such actions can achieve further benefits of NIS 274.3 million/year (EUR 70 million/year). Achieving the suggested targets is challenging yet attainable, and their potential benefits will probably outweigh their costs. Full article

Ships are an important part in international trade transportation and a major source of pollution. Therefore, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) implemented an amendment to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI, which stipulates that the sulfur content in marine fuel oil shall not exceed 0.5 wt.% starting in 2020. In order to meet the IMO low sulfur policy, shipping lines could adopt one of the following strategies: (1) using very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), i.e., with sulfur content less than 0.5 wt.%; (2) installing scrubbers or other exhaust gas aftertreatment systems; or (3) replacing current fuels with clean alternative fuels such as natural gas. This study evaluates the feasibility and benefits of these strategies for shipping lines in order to determine the most cost-effective measures. First, according to the feasibility of the strategies evaluated by SWOT analysis, although scrubbers can reduce emissions of sulfur oxides into the atmosphere, more and more countries are restricting the discharge of wastewater from open-loop scrubbers into their waters. Instead, VLSFO and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are good choices in terms of environmental protection and economic benefits. Therefore, this study further evaluates the two strategies of replacing high sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) with VLSFO and converting diesel engines to LNG engines based on a cost-benefit methodology. This study took an 8500 TEU container vessel, which is powered by a marine diesel engine with the nominal power of 61,800 kW, sailing the Asian-European route as an example, and calculated the total incremental costs, pollutant emission reductions, and cost benefits arising from the implementation of the VLSFO and LNG strategies, respectively. According to the results of this study, the total incremental cost of LNG is higher than that of VLSFO in the first 4.7 years, but this gradually decreases, making the gap of the total incremental costs between the two strategies wider year by year. In comparison with using HSFO without any improvement, the total incremental costs of the VLSFO and LNG strategies increase by 12.94% and 22.16% over the following five years, respectively. The use of LNG can significantly reduce SOx, PM, NOx, and CO₂ emissions; on the other hand, it leads to more CH₄ emissions than the VLSFO strategy. Compared to doing nothing, the cumulative reduction rates of SOx, PM, NOx, and CO₂ emissions over the next five years after the adoption of the LNG strategy are 3.6%, 7.0%, 70.4%, and 15.7%, respectively. The higher emission reduction rates of LNG compared to VLSFO illustrate that the former has a good effect on the suppression of exhaust gas pollution. In terms of the cost-benefit evaluation of the two strategies, this study shows that the VLSFO strategy is more cost-effective than the LNG strategy in the first 2.5 years, but that the cost-benefit ratio of the latter increases year by year and exceeds that of the former, and the gap between them widens year by year. Based on the evaluation results of this study, the LNG strategy is suitable for ocean-going container vessels with fixed routes and younger or larger sized vessels to meet the IMO low sulfur policy. In contrast, the VLSFO strategy is appropriate for old merchant ships with fewer container spaces. LNG is a suitable medium- and long-term strategy, i.e., for more than 2.5 years, for shipping lines to meet the IMO low sulfur policy, while VLSFO is a suitable short-term strategy. Full article

According to the amendment of the “International Convention for the Marine Prevention of Pollution from Ships” (MARPOL), Annex VI stating that the sulfur content in marine fuel oil cannot exceed 0.5 wt. % came into effect in 2020. This study uses cost-benefit analysis method to evaluate the feasibility and implementation benefits of those strategies. A container ship serving on the ship route is selected as a representative. It is found that the very low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) strategy has a higher total incremental cost than the scrubber strategy in the first 4.14 years, but then, the trend is reversed. After this container ship is equipped with a scrubber, the pollutant emission reduction is 5% higher than the condition of VLSFO only in the first year. The SOx and PM emission reduction rates of VLSFO strategy are higher than that of the scrubber strategy by 9% and 25%, respectively, within five years. In addition, during 3.3 years after the scrubber is installed, the cost-benefit ratio is higher than that of the VLSFO strategy. Hence, the scrubber for the ocean route container ships is merely a short-term compliance strategy within 3.3 years. In contrast, the low sulfur fuel oil strategy that less pollutant is emitted is a compliance strategy for periods longer than 3.3 years. Full article

The energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of medium-speed marine diesel engines are to be improved through the application of various measures and technologies. Special attention will be paid to the reduction in NO_x in order to comply with the conditions of the MARPOL Convention, Annex VI. The reduction in NO_x emissions will be achieved by the application of primary and secondary measures. The primary measures relate to the process in the engine, while the secondary measures are based on the reduction in NO_x emissions through the after-treatment of exhaust gases. Some primary measures such as exhaust gas recirculation, adding water to the fuel or injecting water into the cylinder give good results in reducing NO_x emissions, but generally lead to an increase in fuel consumption. In contrast to the aforementioned methods, the use of an earlier inlet valve closure, referred to in the literature as the Miller process, not only reduces NO_x emissions, but also increases the efficiency of the engine in conjunction with appropriate turbochargers. A previously developed numerical model to simulate diesel engine operation is used to analyse the effects of the Miller process on engine performance. Although the numerical model cannot completely replace experimental research, it is an effective tool for verifying the influence of various input parameters on engine performance. In this paper, the effect of an earlier closing of the intake valve and an increase in inlet manifold pressure on fuel consumption, pressure and temperature in the engine cylinder under steady-state conditions is analysed. The results obtained with the numerical model show the justification for using the Miller processes to reduce NO_x emissions and fuel consumption. Full article

The aim of this paper is to analyze the available data on recorded ship deficiencies during ship inspections which are related to pollution prevention. The purpose of these inspections regulated under the different Port State Control (PSC) regimes’ Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs), is to detect and disable the operation of substandard ships. The data obtained were sorted according to the six Annexes of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Convention, and a comparison was made within the scope of each Memorandum of Understanding by each of the Annexes and antifouling system. By using a Chi-Squared test and correlation analysis, MoUs are compared and analyzed. The conclusions thus obtained provide an insight into the most common deficiencies regarding pollution prevention in the world fleet, revealing which standards are most often met and which are trying to achieve a better degree of compliance with the standards envisaged by law. Full article

The article’s applications are very important, as it is only a dozen or so years since the current issues of protection of the atmosphere against emissions of toxic compounds from ships. The issue was discussed against the background of binding legal norms, including rules introduced by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) in the context of the MARPOL Convention (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships), Annex VI, with the main goal to significantly strengthen the emission limits in light of technological improvements. Taking these standards into account, effective methods should be implemented to reduce toxic compounds’ emissions to the atmosphere, including nitrogen oxides NO_x and carbon dioxide CO₂. The purpose of the article was, based on the results of our own research, to indicate the impact of the effectiveness of selected methods on reducing the level of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide emitted by the marine engine. The laboratory tests were carried out with the use of the one-cylinder two stroke, crosshead supercharged diesel engine. Methods of reducing their emissions in the study were adopted, including supplying the engine with fuel mixtures of marine diesel oil (MDO) and rapeseed oil ester (RME)-(MDO/RME mixtures) and changing the fuel injection parameters and the advance angles of fuel injection. The supply of the engine during the tests and the mixtures of marine diesel oil (MDO) and rape oil esters (RMEs) caused a clear drop in emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide, particularly for a higher engine load, as has been shown. The decrease of the injection advance angle unambiguously makes the NO_x content in exhaust gas lower. Full article