Page 17 - Port of Hamburg Magazine - 02.18

Future containerships setting course for optimal environment balance
Sea trade is considered to be especially climate friendly. Breaking down consumption to each transported container, today’s mega-vessels need less and less fuel and the emis- sion of carbon dioxide seems slight too. A simple example: If we were to have our flat-screen TVs from China transported by truck, it would be a climatic catastrophe: one ton carried by ship only emits some 15g of CO2 per kilometre – by con- trast, a truck would emit 238g of CO2. However, air pollutant
emissions in the shipping industry are substantial. Shipping lines, shipyards and the supplier industry are therefore called upon to implement IMO - International Maritime Organisation directives by refitting their ships and fleets to achieve climate neutral shipping. With technical and operational measures, such as optimized ship design, optimized propellers and opti- mized routes and speed, according to the IMO these can be optimally combined to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 75%.
Ballast water treatment on board
Today, state-of-the-art treatment systems, us- ing special filter units and UV irradiation mean that water is so treated that it is absolutely pure and free of organisms, before it is re-
leased again. This ensures that there is neither contamination of the seawater by chemical products, nor uncontrolled introduction of alien species into the local ecological system.
Technical improvements leading to fuel and resulting CO2 savings
Lighter shipbuilding materials
Improved propulsion
The latest engine generations, e.g. with electronic injec- tion systems, reduce fuel consumption considerably. Bulbous bow and hull configurations
With a slimmer bulbous bow and optimized hull config- uration, the resistance to water flow is reduced and fuel consumption too.
Air resistance/Hull surface
Friction-reduced ship coatings, e.g. modelled on shark’s skin, may serve to reduce fuel consumption.
Optimizing propeller/rudder
A ‘twisted fin’ in front of the rudder leads to a significant improvement in the performance of the ship’s screw. Ad- ditionally, the water flow is improved and energy con- sumption reduced, cutting down on CO2 emissions.
Shipowners are turning to alternative fuels to reduce sulphur emissions:
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Heavy fuel oil (HFO) with less than 0.5% sulphur content Heavy fuel oil (HFO) plus scrubber Marine diesel (MO/MDO)
Shore-based power
Ships are already being equipped for shore- based power during quayside cargo handling.
Port of Hamburg Magazine | June 2018 | 17
GREEN PORT ■