FABRIC
FILTER NEWSLETTER
January 2010
No. 411
Regulating the Shipping Industry is a problem because most ships fly flags of convenience, operating under the regulations of the most economically compliant countries. Regulations can control emissions while at port (or within territorial waters.) The EPA has promulgated new standards for engines and fuel on US flagged ships. In addition they are attempting to create an emissions control area (ECA) for thousands of miles of coastline. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency, is set to vote in March 2010 on the adoption of the joint U.S.-Canada ECA, which would result in stringent standards for large foreign-flagged and domestic ships operating within the designated area.
Many ships use diesel generators at port. Using shore power is called "cold-ironing." (Ships are generally not designed to accept power from shore. To supply low voltage power required for most ship systems as many as 10 cables would have to be installed at each port call.) Some estimates indicate that each ship produces 70 pounds of SOx, 1,000 pounds of NOx and 15 pounds of particulate per 24 hour port call. One company, APL, has plans to market an electrical system modification that would cost approximately $225K per ship to allow operators to use high voltage shore power (thus reducing connections to just one HV cable.)
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