Tag Archives: sustainability

Dutch debut clean, automated ship recycling solution

Posted on September 17, 2022 by | Leave a comment

Shipbreaking is one of the most difficult problems for those with a concern about ESG. It touches all three areas.

Environmentally, in most shipbreaking operations in places like Bangladesh, ships are simply driven ashore, potentially dumping fuel and other waste into the water. Then, numerous local workers armed with acetylene torches climb all over them cutting up the steel, for which they are paid piecework, by the pound. The labor is very dangerous, but it’s the only source of work in those areas. And because ship owners are governed by the laws of the registry state, there is virtually no ability to enforce any rules on their behavior.

Developed countries are trying to come up with ways of shipbreaking with higher standards. In this article we see that the Dutch firm Circular Maritime Technologies International (CMT) is introducing a new automated way of shipbreaking.

This is an excellent response to a problem that has existed for years, but is just coming into public consciousness.

Sam Chambers September 16, 2022

Dutch debut clean, automated ship recycling solution – Splash247

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Posted in Logistics, Shipping

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IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator comes in for further criticism

Posted on September 12, 2022 by | 1 comment

A critique of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s new Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) which comes into effect January 1, 2023.

The CII assigns a rating to ships based on their carbon efficiency. It takes into account their actual trips rather than just design. It also can change over time, as the ship encounters actual use and those measures are reported back.

For ships sailed by owners this is not so bad. But for chartered ships, the charter agreement could place the owner at a disadvantage, since the charter operator may use the vessel on routes or with sailing practices that reduce the measurements for the ship’s CII.

The article is interesting and quotes several commentators who think the problems will result in less sustainable shipping instead of more.

Sam Chambers September 12, 2022

IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator comes in for further criticism – Splash247

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Posted in Logistics, Shipping, Sustainability

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Monopolist gatekeepers keeping warehouse power in the shade

Posted on September 10, 2022 by | 1 comment

In the UK, using warehouse roofs for solar power could produce over 13 trillion watt-hours of energy. Even one-third of this would fulfill the UK’s commitment for 2030.

The issue: regulators have handed power over who and how to connect to the national grid to the District Network Operators, who get to decide the cost and access.

Rooftop solar for warehouses would need dozens of requests for access from DNO’s and they would be in a position to set the cost at a level where it would be impractical.

Gavin van Marle proposes that control be given to the state regulator Ofgem. That would break up DNO control and allow a fair price to be set. And it could make a big difference in solar power generation.

The alternative is trying to install solar on vacant farmland, which has its own set of regulatory hurdles and protests. Few would care if solar were on top of warehouses.

It’s an interesting conundrum, and one we hope the UK acts on soon. We could do more of the same in the US.

By Gavin van Marle 08/09/2022

Monopolist gatekeepers keeping warehouse power in the shade – The Loadstar

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Posted in Logistics, Sustainability, Uncategorized

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