Green shipping is about making sea transport more environmentally friendly. It uses new technologies, better working methods, and updated rules to reduce shipping’s environmental impact. The goal is to lower the carbon footprint of shipping while keeping it efficient and cost-effective.
This approach tackles issues like greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and damage to sea life. It’s a big change in how the shipping industry operates, moving towards more sustainable practices.
What Green Shipping Involves
- Cleaner Fuels: Using fuels like liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, and biofuels to reduce harmful emissions.
- More Efficient Ships: Designing ships to use less fuel, with improvements like better hull shapes, systems that reuse waste heat, and advanced engines.
- Smarter Operations: Using techniques like slow steaming, planning routes around weather, and timing arrivals is better for using less fuel and reducing emissions.
- Pollution Control: To lower air pollution, adding equipment like scrubbers and catalytic reduction systems to ships.
Why Green Shipping Matters
Protecting the Environment
Green shipping reduces greenhouse gases, air pollution, and the risk of polluting the sea. This helps protect sea life and fight climate change.
Following the Rules
As environmental rules get stricter, green shipping helps ships meet or exceed these rules. This avoids fines and restrictions on where ships can operate
Saving Money
While setting up green technologies can be expensive at first, they often lead to using less fuel and lower running costs over time.
Competitive Edge
Companies using green practices often appeal more to customers and investors who care about the environment.
Important Steps in Green Shipping
IMO 2020 Sulphur Rule
This rule, set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), limits the amount of sulphur in ship fuel. It greatly reduces sulphur oxide emissions from ships.
Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI)
This is a rule for new ships. It encourages the use of more energy-efficient equipment and engines and promotes ongoing improvements in ship design.
Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP)
This is a tool for ship operators. It helps them improve a ship’s energy efficiency in a cost-effective way, looking at things like better voyage planning, hull maintenance, and engine upgrades.