Marine Log - May 2008 - (Page 25)

BY NICK BLENKEY DIESELTECHNOLOGY A century after Rudolf Diesel’s birth, the engine he created dominates marine propulsion applications—and is likely to do so for decades more. Here a Caterpillar Motoren MaK 9 M 43 C “flies” into a cruise ship newbuilding DIESELS CAN BURN ANYTHING: EVEN CLEAN FUEL I f ships are going to be required to burn cleaner fuels, does that take away the main attraction of the large, slow speed marine diesel, namely its ability to burn the heaviest, lowest quality residual fuels? For years shipowners have obligingly taken this stuff off refiners’ hands and incinerated it out sea, over the horizon. Soon, that’s going to change. In April, IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Commitee (MEPC) agreed amendments to Annex VI of the MARPOL convention. Expected to come into effect in February 2010, they will see a progressive reduction in sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions from ships, with the global sulfur cap reduced initially to 3.50% (from the current 4.50%, effective from January 1, 2012; then progressively to 0.50%, effective from January 1, 2020. Limits in Sulfur Emission Control Areas (SECAs) will be reduced to 1.00%, beginning on March 1, 2010 and to 0.10%, effective from January 1, 2015. And those SECAs are set to become ECAs. Progressive reductions in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from marine engines were also agreed. Under the new rules, Emission Control Areas may be designated for SOx and particulate matter, or NOx, or all three types of emissions from ships. The way most shipowners will meet the new emissions limits is by tweaking the tuning of their ships’ diesels and by switching to cleaner fuels. Under the new rules, administrations may allow the fitting of abatement technologies onboard ships, but these must be at least as effective in terms of emission reductions as required under the relevant regulations for SOx, PM and NOx, emissions, must operate within the parameters established under IMO guidelines and finally, and importantly, the use of the technologies must not itself harm the environment. Will cleaner fuel be available? The Annex VI amendments requires parties to the convention to take reasonable steps to ensure proper supply of compliant fuel and IMO is to ask ISO to revisit the ISO 8217 standard for marine fuels. The most difficult emissions challenge, though, lies ahead. MEPC has been wrestling with the question of green house gas emissions from ships, notably CO2. One pretty horrifying idea that MEPC found “promising” is a “global levy scheme” under which “all ships engaged in international voyages would be subjected to a bunker levy established at a given cost level per ton of fuel bunkered.” Presumably, the money raised by this levy would be used to pay for shipowners’ carbon profligacy the same way Al Gore pays for his by purchasing “carbon offsets.” CAN THE DIESEL HANDLE ALL THIS? Where does all this leave diesel technology? First, let’s be clear that diesels can, of course, work on very clean fuels (such as LNG) as well as dirty ones. New electronic technology is also making it easier to optimize the combustion cycle of the diesel, so as to limit NOx. MAY 2008 MARINE LOG 25 www.marinelog.com http://www.marinelog.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Marine Log - May 2008

Marine Log - May 2008 Contents Editorial Second Thoughts Update Inside Washington Europe Plots Its Tech Strategy SDNV Container Ship Update Diesels Can Burn Anything: Even Clean Fuel Boost for Small Shipyards Gateway to the Caribbean Room to Grow Show Review Tech News Newsmakers Contracts Events Website Directory ML Buyer's Guide ML Marketplace Maritime Salvage Letters

Marine Log - May 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.