GREENHOUSE GASES EMISSIONS IN MARITIME TRANSPORT
In the last session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, a series of measures were agreed upon to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by ships. Along these lines, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) established two emission reduction targets; the first seeks to achieve a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030 and the second, a 70% reduction by 2050.
To meet these objectives, IMO member states worked together on a combined short-term strategy to achieve the proposed targets. This strategy comprises technical measures and operational measures for the effective reduction of emissions from ships using international maritime connectivity routes.
Regarding the technical measures, the greatest novelties are related to the implementation of an energy efficiency index applicable to existing ships (EEXI) greater than 400 gross tonnage, taking into account that currently Annex VI of the International MARPOL Convention considers an equivalent index (EEDI) applicable to ships that entered into operation after 2015, defined as "new ships" by that regulation. Another novelty present in the technical measures corresponds to the decrease of the navigation speed of ships through the installation of a power limitation system in the propulsion system of each vessel, which allows operating under normal conditions with up to 83% of the maximum power.
The Committee also agreed to implement operational measures to classify ships according to a carbon intensity index (CII). This measure will be applicable to vessels whose gross tonnage is greater than 5,000 and will allow each vessel to be rated according to GHG emissions, with a letter A for those vessels with a positive ranking and a letter E for those with a negative ranking, based on their index.
The implementation of all these measures will come into force in 2023 and will be carried out through the main regulatory framework for the prevention of pollution caused by ships, such as the International Convention MARPOL 73/78.
Among the challenges to be discussed in the future is the use of zero-emission fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen, fuels that due to their physical-chemical properties do not emit GHGs, but which require considerable innovation and technology for their implementation, since at present their production and use is still at an early stage of research and development.
Another aspect to be addressed in the upcoming meetings is directly related to the possibility of creating a research and development center for R&D of new marine technologies and innovations capable of delivering results applicable to ships and effective in ending GHG emissions. This new institution would be under the tutelage of the IMO and would obtain its financing from a tax on the amount of fossil fuel consumed, an issue that has yet to be discussed at upcoming meetings. Likewise, there is a complex challenge for naval engineers who will have to design and build ships that are more efficient and can be propelled by means of renewable energies available in nature, which could reduce the use of oil-based fuels and reduce GHG emissions.
Finally, it is important to highlight the work and efforts made by the International Maritime Organization and its member states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which undoubtedly contribute to reducing the effects of climate change.
However, there is still much to be done and all of us in the international maritime community are responsible for achieving the goal of improving the environmental conditions of our planet, for us and for future generations.