CDRE SYED ARIFUL ISLAM, BN (RETD)

Introduction

There is no single definition of Green Shipping. From a broader perspective, Shipping is said to be Green when the protection of the environment from ship-based pollution is given priority in transporting people and goods through ships using minimum resources and energy. It means due consideration is to be given to the use of fuel that does not contribute to polluting the air above the sea, as well as the medium through which a ship plies. Green Shipping encourages cleaner practices in using the correct grade of fuel to enforce emission control, efficient port management, and use of efficient equipment and their management.
A statistic by International Maritime Organization (IMO) shows that 90% of the world trade is carried by maritime transportation systems. It is so, because Maritime
transportation offers the cheapest option to carry goods in large volumes around the world. Thus, shipping has become an essential part of the world supply chain.

With the effects of climate change becoming more visible, the shipping industry needs to adopt measures to reduce GHG emissions from the maritime sector. According to the European Commission, the shipping industry releases 940 million tonnes of CO2 and makes up 3% of the GHG emissions (Xchange 5 Green Shipping Initiative reduce GHG, 2019) . To reduce emissions from ships, IMO has promulgated guidelines for ships and
ports for taking effective measures.

All the measures taken by the regulator and the shipowner is aimed at sustainable Green Shipping. The wide measures recommended are: reducing vessel emission, decarbonization in shipping, cleaning the bottom of the ship, and management of the ballast water. There are innovations in all aspects of Greening the shipping industry.  This paper will examine the regulatory guidelines, their compliance, and the innovations
being made in the industry to make it sustainable.

Freight Traffic and the Carbon Emission Scenario in the Maritime Sector

In the past 20 years, sea freight traffic volume in the global logistics chain has increased by 101%, while the emission from the maritime shipping industry has increased by 40% in the same time frame (Green Shipping Technology Changing the Industry, Feb 23, 2022) . Although the shipping industry consumes about 300 million tons of fuel every year, it releases only about 3% of the world’s carbon-dioxide emissions into the atmosphere (Green Shipping Technology Changing the Industry, Feb 23, 2022) . The statistics shown here are for the global shipping industry, not inclusive of the domestic fleet. From a general statistic, it is revealed that compared to other modes of transport: A large vessel emits just over 1% CO2 per tonne-km ejected by the aircraft, rail trains emit 7 times more CO2/ ton-km, and road trucks 16 times more CO2 / ton-km than ships(Green Shipping Technology Changing the Industry, Feb 23, 2022) .

Bangladesh being a Maritime and Riverine country has both oceangoing and riverine ships. In the domestic sector, Bangladesh operates approximately about 25,000 cargo ships of different sizes (Islam, 2020) . These ships are mostly used for carrying the import and export cargo to different places of the country across the riverine route.Oceangoing ships carrying the Bangladesh Flag do comply with international rules and regulations as they carry goods across different parts of the world, but these are not mandatory for the domestic fleet. As such, these ships (Domestic/Inland ships)

contribute to the pollution of the marine environment. There is no record of the carbon footprint of the domestic fleet of Bangladesh. In accordance with the vision 2041 of the country, huge growth in the maritime trade has been forecasted. That is, 93% growth in the Container trade and 92% growth in Bulk trade are expected by the 2041 as per the perspective plan of Bangladesh. Accordingly, the Bangladesh government has taken several projects to develop the maritime infrastructure. With the increase in trade volume, the number of ships in the domestic fleet will also increase and this will lead to more carbon emissions by these ships if proper compliance for these vessels is not ensured. Therefore, right from the construction phase of the vessel introduction of different equipment like; a sewage tank, sewage treatment plant, oily water separator, garbage compactor, etc. will be required to add in. At the same time, correct engines or the environmental conditions complied engines are to be used in these ships in the future while constructing new ships for domestic use. Use of alternate fuel like,
Hydrogen, Amonia, Methene etc. and or use of duel fuel will also to be considered.

Green Shipping and its Implication

A ship is said to be green if it contributes towards improving the present environmental condition in some way. Green ship technology adopts procedures to decrease emissions, consume less energy, and be more efficient.

While Green Shipping is expounded, it encompasses everything in a ship lifecycle.Right from the construction of a ship through its decommissioning / end of operational life the compliance issues come in. During the construction phase of a ship, banned materials are not to be used. It is also suggested to maintain an inventory of all hazardous materials like asbestos or other insulating material. These materials are to be removed while the ship is taken off from trade and goes for its subsequent disposal to a recycling yard. Its operational life is also regulated by a set of rules to reduce the impact of marine pollution by ships. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the regulatory body for the shipping industry, and through its guidelines, it regulates exhaust emissions, anti-fouling, ballast water, and many more. To reduce sulfur content in the shipping industry the International Maritime Organization (IMO) promulgated the 2020 Sulfur Cap policy on the exhaust from the stacks of ocean-going ships. The IMO also declared a total GHG emission reduction of 50% by the year 2050 (Initial IMO Strategy
on Reduction of GHG Emission from Ships, 13 April 2018) . 

In consonance with the IMO Sulfur Cap policy, the shipping industry adopted several solutions; including the use of low Sulfur fuel oil (LSFO), marine gas oil (MGO), and using liquid natural gas (LNG) as the primary fuel in the ships. As an interim measure, scrubbers on the exhaust stacks are also in use while using fuel with higher sulfur content.

Adaptation of IMO Sulfur Cap Policy has not only benefitted the Shipping Industry, but it also benefitted the society as a whole. Research estimating the health and economic burden of shipping-related air pollution in the Iberian Peninsula estimated that  implementation of IMO Sulfur Cap Policy 2020 avoided premature mortality for the entire globe by about 34% and would save €14 billion in health costs in the Mediterranean region (Environment International, November 2021) . According to IMO, the most important benefits that would come up from the Sulfur Cap policy are cleaner air, positive impacts on human health, higher-quality fuels, ship owners and operators’ adoption of green shipping, and changes to enforcement authorities (a positive change to adapt with the policy).

Ballast Water and its Management

Ocean-going ships take ballast water to maintain stability when traveling through water. Ballast tanks provide adequate stability to vessels at sea. It allows vessels to carry a light or heavy load while maintaining ideal buoyancy. With the concept of Greening, the shipping industry, managing Ballast water also became an important agenda with respect to the conservation of ocean health and sustainability. Though Ballast water is

essential for the safe and efficient operation of ships, it impacts ecological balance due to a multitude of marine species; like bacteria, microbes, small invertebrates, eggs, cysts, and larvae of various species carried in ships' ballast water from different parts of the world. To address the issue IMO has adopted the “International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004”. The convention is intended at stopping the introduction of superfluous aquatic organisms and pathogens through the discharge of ballast water and sediments. As per the IMO convention, both ships and ports have the responsibility to manage the Ballast water with the objective to conserve ocean health and sustainability. Ports are generally responsible to arrange reception facilities and subsequent disposal of the ballast water that does not cause harm to the ocean. On the other hand, ship officers and crew involved in handling and management of ballast water are to be trained as per theguidance of IMO.

The other responsibilities of ships include:

● minimizing the transfer of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens
● developing and following a ballast water management plan
● recording all ballast operations

Ballast Water Management Leads to Sustainability

The global shipping industry has undergone tremendous changes in the last few decades. These changes are not only related to the constantly growing economic
importance of the shipping industry, but also to technical and technological progress. These have really changed the face of the shipping industry. The direct impact of the
Ballast Water is the introduction and spread of alien invasive species in the local area, that cause harm to the environment, the economy, or human health. It also poses a
serious global threat to marine and freshwater ecosystems. Along with other measures to address the climate change issues, ocean health and its sustainability is a concern for the world. While IMO had measures to reduce air pollution from the shipping industry, it also has adopted conventions for the protection of marine water from harmful species carried by the ballast water. The ballast water management convention is based on the precautionary principle and the ecosystem approach to achieving sustainable development goals. Effective protection and preservation of the maritime environment depend on preventive and reasonable actions, especially in case of environmental threats or combating pollution. The protection of ocean health and stopping marine pollution is a global commitment.
Thus, regional cooperation, as well as the development of other instruments such as inspection and reporting systems is a must for monitoring compliance of IMO
instruments and other legislative commitments made by the member states. It should be noted that ballast water has been disposed of by ships in ports, harbors,
and coastal waters since the early 1900s and during this time many non-native species have been introduced. Recognizing the potential severity of the ballast water impacts, definite guidelines have been suggested by the International Maritime Organization for preventing the introduction of non-native species into the marine environment that cause harm to ocean health. Compliance with all these guidelines by the member states can lead to a healthy ocean and sustainability.
It may be noted that the international rules for conserving ocean health are not compulsory for smaller size domestic ships, the regulatory authority needs to be careful in complying with these instruments to the extent possible in the domestic environment.

Green Shipping and the Technologies

As revealed, the shipping industry releases only about 3% of the world’s carbon-dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Thus, the shipping industry can be said to be the cleanest and safest mode of transporting cargo from one end of the world to the other compared to the other modes of transportation. It is estimated that an average cargo ship with 8000 deadweight tonnage emits 15g of CO2 which is much more efficient than a truck (50g) and air (540g) (Xchange 5 Green Shipping Initiative reduce GHG, 2019) .The GHG emission scenario from the global shipping industry may increase by 50% to 250% with the increasing trade volume if no measures are taken (Xchange 5 Green Shipping Initiative reduce GHG, 2019) . However, after the adoption of the IMO Sulfur cap Policy 2020 world shipping industry has experienced many positive changes that include a quick transition to the use of fuel from 3.5% sulfur content to 0.5% sulfur by
the oceangoing ships across the globe. The use of 0.5% sulfur fuel can cut at least 70% sulfur oxide emissions from shipping. However, due to the non-availability of low sulfur  fuel, the policy could not be implemented in full. Thus, approximately about 4000 ships are still using scrubbers (Bryan Comer, 18 June 2020) . These scrubbers in the shipping industry are playing a greater role in implementing IMO’s commitment to reducing GHG emissions from the shipping industry. In the domestic fleet and in the coastal fleet of Bangladesh, the use of scrubbers, or complying with the environmental rules still remains a nightmare, as the ships are mostly constructed out of the scrap materials obtained from the Ship Recycling industry. With the development of countries economy, while Bangladesh aspires to become a developed country by 2041, the shipping  industry will demand changes to keep pace with the global standard. Therefore, in the
future, domestic ships are to be constructed with the correct grade of construction material for sustainable shipping. If needed, own classification society for the domestic fleet may be established.

To ensure green shipping, there are some innovative technologies being placed on order like; higher engine efficiency and better water cooling, which dramatically reduce environmental impact. It is said that an optimized cooling system can save up to 25% of electricity and 1.5% of fuel. Higher engine efficiency with better cooling arrangement can also minimize NOx output by up to 35% and up to zero SOx emission (as is the use of an exhaust scrubber) (Green Tech in Shipping Industry, 23 August 2019) . There are also efforts to integrate solar panels on ships. Although, Solar panels would occupy more space in a ship, would save fuel by about 20% (Green Tech in Shipping Industry, 23 August 2019) . Thus, in a large ship, where the power requirements are more, Solar may not be very feasible. On the other hand, in ferry boats, and in smaller ships Solar can be a good option. Shipbuilders are also developing propellers to save fuel. The
technology in fuel injection systems and the body paint of ships are also undergoing a transitional development phase to improve efficiency with low fuel economy. The concept of sailboats is also being talked about to save fuel and achieve better efficiency.

Conclusion

It is a fact that operating ships for business is different from developing technologies. For decades, ship owners adopted fuel-saving machinery and equipment for fuel economy with the objective of saving cost on fuel to maximize profit. On the other hand, less fuel does not necessarily mean that it will reduce vessel emissions. International Maritime Organization (IMO) has given many prescriptions to reduce GHG emissions from ships and also recommended measures to protect ocean health. In regards to air pollution, besides using fuel with low carbon content, scrubbers are being used. There are still issues with the availability of fuel with less than 0.5% carbon. Thus, the use of scrubbers is providing alternative solutions for the time being. There are innovations in
the designs of ships; engines, that will ensure better efficiency and will also emit less carbon into the environment. Meanwhile, alternate fuels like LNG, Solar, Ammonia, Hydrogen, Methene, use of sail, etc. are also being developed to find sustainable solutions for green shipping.

While huge effort is seen in international shipping, the same is not equally echoed in domestic shipping. Although it is a huge task for the shipowners to keep up with all the changes that are suggested by the national and international regulatory bodies for higher standards in environmental performance and vessel emission reduction, to be adopted sooner for the protection of the planet for a better living in the future. It can be said that Green management and efficiency will contribute to the sustainability of the shipping industry and ensure a Green planet.

The writer expressed his views on Blue Economy.