Region 1: EPA New England
Sustainable Ports: Vessels
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Shore Based Power
Purpose
The purpose of shore-based power, often called "cold ironing" or "alternative marine power," is to provide vessels with land-based alternative power (usually electricity from the grid, but sometimes natural gas), allowing them to operate auxiliary systems at dock while their engines are turned off. Shore Based Power can be used with a variety of vessel types, including container ships, cruise ships, fishing vessels, ferries, pleasure boats, and tugs. Benefits include localized and area air quality improvements, and are greatest when land-based power from the grid comes from a relatively "green" source, and displaces the use of bunker (high sulfur marine) fuel. Electrical or other alternative fuel infrastructure/equipment and operating costs range widely by type of vessel and dwell time.
Location & Projects
Juneau (AK) Docks and Harbors
Used at South Franklin Docks - Princess Cruises and Holland America Lines.
Port of Los Angeles
Used at West Basin Container Terminal at Berth 100, NYK's Yusen Terminal, World Cruise Center terminal; both container and cruise ships.
Companies
Wittmar Engineering DFMV
Used at Port of Oakland
Pareto Energy
Used at Port of Long Beach
Cavotec
Used at Port of LA
Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution
CAMP (Clean Air Marine Power) uses natural gas in its shore power generators (PDF) (2 pp, 2K, about PDF)
Pollution Reduction
Port of Oakland estimated annual reductions: CO 8,216 lbs, CO2 3,841,488 lbs, NOx 86,944 lbs, PM 723 lbs, SOx 14,456 lbs.
Port of Long Beach: 95% reduction of PM, NOx, SOx per vessel -- 80 tons of pollutants reduced in past 2 years.
Port of Seattle: Princess Cruises reduced CO2 by 2,735 tons in 2005, Holland America Line decreased CO2 by 29% in 2006.
Cost
Port of Seattle: Holland America costs are $3,371 per call; saving $1,192 per call, or $50,064 per year. Princess Cruises costs: $106,000 for electricity, $110,000 for setup, testing, electrician labor.
Juneau Alaska: Landside infrastructure cost $3.2 million. Vessel modification cost Princess Cruises $500,000 and Holland America Line $1.1 million
Each time a cruise ship plugs in to shore power, it costs approximately $5,000
Grants
Juneau Alaska: EPA funds totaling $75,000.
Comments
Wittmar DFMV presentataion on cost savings and emissions reductions (PDF) (15 pp, 396K, about PDF)
Wittmar DFMV uses "Clean Air Marine Power" natural gas in its shore power generators, rather than power from "the grid."
Emissions Monitoring
Purpose
Emissions monitoring systems can detect potentially hazardous on-board leaks and provide information to help ship owners/operators comply with environmental standards.
Companies
Pollution Reduction
These systems do not reduce emissions, but monitor emissions.
Cost
Krystallon's emission monitoring system is paired with its sea water scrubber; payback for both is approximately 6 months.
Emissions monitoring systems can be cost-effective in the long term. As governments promulgate standards limiting emissions, ship owners may benefit from being able to provide baseline data against which absolute limits or required reductions can be compared.
Comments
Martek Marine offers a fuel savings calculator based on using its MariNOx engine emissions monitor.
Advanced Cleanup Technologies, Inc. has two systems: the AMECS (used for monitoring marine vessel emissions) and the ALECS (used for monitoring on-dock locomotive emissions).
VOC Recovery System
Purpose
The ship is loaded with backpressure which reduces evaporation and VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions. The pressure essentially works to dissolve these compounds, reducing emissions.
Companies
Pollution Reduction
No in-transit vapor losses. 35-60% vapor reduction when loading.
Automated Mooring System
Purpose
With automated mooring technology, ships reduce their speed while approaching the port, resulting in fuel savings and emissions reductions. It also eliminates the need for ship’s crew to tie up the boat upon reaching the dock.
The MoorMaster is a vacuum and hydraulic -based technology that reduces mooring time to 12 seconds. As the boat approaches the dock, the vacuum pads extend and latch onto the ship, automatically mooring it.
This technology is not present in the United States at this time. Cavotec’s Moormaster has been adopted at APMT at the Port of Salalah (Oman), Searoad Shipping Australia, Port of Dover (UK), Toll New Zealand, and St. Lawrence Seaway.
Companies
Comments
Different MoorMaster designs are available and can be tailored to address port-specific requirements.
Lubricants
Purpose
Lubricants allow gears to operate under extreme conditions including extreme temperatures and high resistance. Advanced lubricants allow for less frequent oil changes and maintenance. They are generally biodegradable.
Companies
Pollution Reduction
Castrol states that its "Bio" line lubricants and oils are 100% biodegradable and are less toxic than conventional mineral oils.
Vessel Speed Optimization
Purpose
By reducing speed, less fuel is burned, and emissions are reduced.
Location & Projects
Under the POLALB Vessel Speed Reduction ("Green Flag") Program, ships slow down to 12 knots when they come within a 20 mile radius of the port.
Pollution Reduction
LA/LB effort reduces NOx emissions by 1.1 tons/day
Cost
Port of LA: $8.8 million (expected)
Port of Long Beach: $9.9 million (expected)
Port of Long Beach has committed $2.2 million/year to encourage ships to participate in the Green Flag program.
Fuel Substitution
Purpose
Switching from conventional to cleaner fuels can improve air quality, allow engines to run more efficiently, and benefit the health and well-being of the crew. Alternative fuels for vessels include biodiesel, low sulfur diesel, ultra low sulfur diesel, emulsified diesel and natural gas. Suitability depends on engine type and vessel duty.
Location & Projects
Port of Seattle: Shilshole Marina offers B20 blend to recreational boaters.
Cost
Krystallon (a BP Company) estimates that switching from High Sulfur Fuel Oil to distillate fuel costs ~$350/ton - see The Economic Case.
Sea Water Scrubber
Purpose
Sea water scrubbers (also known as scrubber bonnets) reduce emissions (primarily SOx and PM) from vessel exhaust systems.
Location & Projects
Holland America Cruise Vessel Seawater Scrubber Demonstration Project (PDF) (1 p., 171K, about PDF)
Companies
Krystallon
Pollution Reduction
Krystallon Sea Water Scrubber: SOx reduced by 98+% and PM decreased by 80%; small CO2 and NOx reductions. Krystallon's product also includes an emissions monitoring system to aid in reporting vessel emissions. There is some concern about potential marine impacts of contaminated sea water discharged from scrubber systems.
Cost
Krystallon's sea water scrubber: $700k for smallest ships; $3m for largest. Payback versus 1.5% sulphur fuel oil ~2.5 years; payback versus distillate fuel ~2-3 months; cheaper to invest in this technology than to switch to LSD - see The Economic Case.
Grants
Holland America seawater scrubber demo was supported by a $300k grant from EPA, leveraging $700k in matching funds.
DOCs and SCRs for Ferries
Purpose
Diesel Oxygen Catalysts (DOCs) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) are retrofit devices that control engine emissions.
Pollution Reduction
SCRs overall: ~25% reduction in PM and ~80% reduction in NOx.
PANYNJ: SCRs on ferries mean a reduction of 1,000 tons of NOx/yr, and a 50% reduction in PM
Cost
SCR: $1.5 million/ferry
Comments
EPA Clean Ports USA information on retrofit technologies
Potential implementation issues include engine room space, exhaust temperature, and back pressure.
Repair, Rebuild, Repower
Purpose
It can be cost-effective to replace, rebuild, or repower a vessel rather than replace it. Repowering means modifying or replace an existing engine with a cleaner, more efficient technology of the same type, or with an alternative-fuel engine. Rebuilding an engine involves taking it apart, cleaning and adjusting components, and replacing/upgrading components to new standards. Rebuilding an engine can significantly lower emissions and can be cost effective for equipment that is costly to replace.
Properly maintaining and repairing engines can save fuel, reduce emissions and extend engine life.
Hybrid Tugboat
Purpose
Hybrid tugs can reduce fuel use, emissions and noise by drawing on stored battery power under low-load conditions (~75% of duty cycle). More power is supplied by diesel engines when needed. Battery power is recharged from engine use and shore power.
Companies
Pollution Reduction
Estimated 44% reduction in NOx and PM emissions; 20-30% SOx and CO reduction; 20-30%+ fuel savings.
Cost
$5-6 million, up to $8 million, depending on type of tugboat; substantially more expensive than diesel-powered tug