Green House Gas (GHG)
Green House Gas (GHG)
Green House Gas (GHG)
Below you will find some frequently asked questions about IMO's work to
reduce GHG emissions from shipping.
To help move forward with the implementation of the initial GHG strategy,
intersessional meetings of the working group are also held.
The initial strategy represents a framework for Member States, setting out
the future vision for international shipping, the levels of ambition to reduce
GHG emissions and guiding principles; and includes candidate short-, mid-
and long-term further measures with possible timelines and their impacts on
States. The strategy also identifies barriers and supportive measures
including capacity building, technical cooperation and research and
development (R&D).
Vision:
IMO remains committed to reducing GHG emissions from international
shipping and, as a matter of urgency, aims to phase them out as soon as
possible in this century.
Levels of ambition
The Initial Strategy identifies levels of ambition for the international shipping
sector noting that technological innovation and the global introduction of
alternative fuels and/or energy sources for international shipping will be
integral to achieve the overall ambition. Reviews should take into account
updated emission estimates, emissions reduction options for international
shipping, and the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC ). Levels of ambition directing the Initial Strategy are as follows:
IMO has established a series of baselines for the amount of fuel each type of
ship burns for a certain cargo capacity. Ships built in the future will have to
beat that baseline by a set amount, which will get progressively tougher
over time. By 2025, all new ships will be a massive 30% more energy
efficient than those built in 2014. The "phase 3" requirements have already
been reviewed and will be strengthened - this comes under the candidate
measures in the IMO initial strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from
ships.
The MEPC 74th session in May 2019 approved, for adoption at the next
session in April 2020, amendments to MARPOL Annex VI to significantly
strengthen the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) "phase 3"
requirements.
The draft amendments bring forward the entry into effect date of phase 3 to
2022, from 2025, for several ship types, including gas carriers, general
cargo ships and LNG carriers. This means that new ships built from that date
must be significantly more energy efficient than the baseline.
The MEPC also agreed terms of reference for a correspondence group to look
into the introduction of a possible "phase 4" of EEDI requirements.
Under the energy-efficiency regulations, existing ships now have to have an
energy efficiency management plan in place, looking at things like improved
voyage planning, cleaning the underwater parts of the ship and the propeller
more often, introducing technical measures such as waste heat recovery
systems, or even fitting a new propeller.
The Global Industry Alliance to support low carbon shipping (GIA), operating
under the auspices of IMO’s GloMEEP project, has recognized the key role of
ports in the decarbonization of shipping. In particular, just-in-time (JIT)
operation of ships has a potential to reduce emissions. The GIA has been
gathering experience from ports that have successfully (or unsuccessfully)
implemented JIT; has been analysing barriers; and has been studying
concrete measures for removal of these barriers to large-scale uptake of JIT.
Read more here and watch the Just-in-Time video animation.
The initial GHG strategy adopted by IMO includes a range of candidate short-
term measures – including: “consider and analyse the use of speed
optimization and speed reduction as a measure, taking into account safety
issues, distance travelled, distortion of the market or to trade and that such
measure does not impact on shipping's capability to serve remote
geographic areas”.
The guidelines for the mandatory Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan
(SEEMP) already refer to "speed optimization" as a potential approach to
improve the energy efficiency of the ship, recognizing that speed
optimization can produce significant savings.
Biofuels could be one of the options. If we are to achieve the goals set out in
the initial strategy it will be important to develop and implement measures
suitable for the existing fleet.
There is room for all options to be considered, including electric and hybrid
power, hydrogen and other fuel types.
There is also a lot that can be done to improve energy efficiency of ships
through operational measures. The IMO-industry alliance (GIA) is looking at
how the barriers to just-in-time ship operation can be mitigated. Currently,
many ships expend hours or days waiting outside ports and running their
diesel engines – just-in-time operations could significantly cut emissions.
Is zero-carbon shipping going to become a reality?
Research and development will be crucial, as the targets agreed in the IMO
initial strategy will not be met using fossil fuels. There is a need to make
zero-carbon ships more attractive and to direct investments towards
innovative sustainable technologies and alternative fuels.
What needs to happen over the next two or three decades?
Some of the things that have been identified in the GHG strategy include
looking at the provision of ship and shore-side/on-shore power supply from
renewable sources and developing infrastructure to support supply of
alternative low-carbon and zero-carbon fuels.
The need to further optimize the logistic chain and its planning, including
ports is also identified as a candidate short-term measure, along with the
initiation of research and development activities addressing marine
propulsion, alternative low-carbon and zero-carbon fuels, and innovative
technologies to further enhance the energy efficiency of ships.
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