IMO head praises ‘green shipping’ progress

In the interview, Mr Sekimizu referred to the mandatory measures adopted by IMO in the past year which when they enter into force in 2013, will require a progressive improvement in vessel efficiency and a consequent reduction in CO2 emissions.

In parallel to the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for new ships, IMO has also adopted the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) – mandatory for all ships of the existing fleet and is working on refining market based measures that could provide a financial incentive for efficiency and reduction of fuel consumption.

It’s up to shipowners though which solutions to use to achieve this – for example, cleaner, the use of low sulphur fuels, or installation of suitable filter technologies. What matters is that they should meet the specified standards as set out in MARPOL Annex VI. “It will be interesting to see which technologies find favour”, Mr Sekimizu said.

IMO is working on a code for gas-fuelled ships though, because LNG could be an attractive fuel alternative, specifically for emission control areas (ECAs).

Fuel efficiency and environmental protection will be key subjects at SMM this year.