Best Practices in the disposal of ships’ waste.

Capt. Niels Vanlaer 14 October 2010Exmar Shipmanagement Brussels

3 main sources of Ship’s Waste

3 main sources of Ship’s Waste1) Propulsion & Machinery

– NOX, SOX, CO2– Oily residues (fuel, lub oil, hydraulic oil)– Water containing oily residues, chemicals,...– Heat

2) Human presence– Garbage: Food waste, Plastics, Paper, Metal, Glass– Grey water (showers, washing)– Black water (toilets & medical facilities)

3) Cargo waste and cargo machinery waste– Cargo dependent: vented gasses, oily residues, slops,

packing material– Ballast water

Estimated QuantificationWaste IMO Estimated QtyNOx VI 14 g/kWh (1) Depending trade, vessel,...SOx VI 10 g/kWh (1) Depending trade, vessel,...CO2 VI 655 g/kWh (1) Depending trade, vessel,...Water ER I 1350 m3/year <15 ppm oilFood waste V 10.3 m³/crew x year (2) Flanders: 115 kg/person x yr

Plastics V 11.8 m³/crew x year (2)

Other V 11.0 m³/crew x year (2)

Grey water 54 m³/crew x year Treated as Black water

Black water IV 4-40 m³/crew x year Depending on systems

Cargo I, II, III ? On gas tankers: 0Ballast BWM

convention Up to 52000 t/voy Micro-organisms

Air Pollution: NOx, SOx,...• MARPOL Annex VI:

– Ozone depleting substances: prohibited– NOx: operation of marine diesel, gradually increasing demands– SOx: Fuel oil Sulpher content restrictions, SECA-zones (sulphur

emmission control areas)– VOCs: to be collected– Shipboard incineration: cargo residues, heavy metals in

garbage, non-shipboard sewage and sludge are prohibited. PVCs are limited.

• 1999/32/EC Sulphur content of certain liquid fuels• 2005/33/EC 0,1% S-content for vessels at berth• California, Alaska,... & other local regulations

Air Pollution• Reduce fuel consumption by:

– Speed optimalisation • Adapt speed to meet the ETA (↔ terminals & port responsibility !)• Weather routing

– Improved paints up to 9% savings– Design Hull form (trade off with capacity)– Trim (?) (optimal use of the bulbous bow 2.5%)– Improved techniques optimise combustion, consumers,... .– New energy sources (e.g. Windpower 10%)– Procedures (trade-off with safety)

• Adapt fuel– Availability and specifications! – Technical limitations (lubrication,...) – LNG!!!

• Effluent gas treatment– Scrubbers, additives, catalysts,...– Heat Recovery

Excelerate Energy & ExmarIn addition to the onboard regasification capabilities, the

ships calling at Excelerate Energy’s Northeast Gateway deepwater port are equipped with state of the artemissions control equipment that reduces the amount of nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions by over 90%. To further reduce any impact on the environment, the ships have also been fitted with a Heat Recovery System (HRS) that incorporates the waste heat from the ship’s central cooling system and the turbine generator into the heating loop of the regasification process. The HRS reduces the amount of sea water use by 98% and improves the regasification send out by almost 10% while reducing fuel consumption by 16%.

ER Water pollution

• MARPOL Annex I (Chapter III)– Storage of bilge water– Standard discharge connection– Oil Filtering equipment 15 ppm (+ alarm)– Procedures “en-route”, no mixing with

cargo residues, documentation– Special Areas

• Local regulations

Engine Room Water pollution

Oily bilge water means water which may be contaminated by oil resulting from things such as leakage or maintenance work in machinery spaces.

- Limit leaks on pump packings (ballast water, fire pumps, cooling water pumps)

- Reduce oil leaks as much as possible- Careful use of chemicals for ER cleaning

Marpol VGarbage: “All kinds of Victual, Domestic and operational waste”.

Marpol V: Garbage Survey (2006)

Garbage survey (2006)

8

6

4

2

0

6.0

4.5

3.0

1.5

0.0

6.0

4.5

3.0

1.5

0.0

8

6

4

2

0

6.0

4.5

3.0

1.5

0.0

A v erage o f O ther A v erage o f P lastics A v erage o f F ood

A v erage o f Paper, etc A v erage o f G round paper

Average m³ of garbage per month

Garbage survey (2006)

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0

Landed/Crew Dumped / Crew

Amount of garbage (est. m³) landed or dumped per crewmember per month

21001800150012009006003000

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

Cost

Freq

uenc

y

Histogram of average cost ($) per month for landing per vessel

Garbage survey (2006)

Food Waste• MARPOL Annex V - Cat 5

– Disposal at sea allowed for food waste• As far as practically possible from land• No less than 12 nautical miles• Commuted or ground (25mm) no less than 3nm

– Special Areas– Garbage Management Plan + Documentation

• Local regulations (e.g. USDA)

Food Waste• Optimal use of resources

⇔ Cook’s qualities for:- Use of stored products (quantities, expiry,...)- Re-use of cooked products

• Limit waste⇔ Quality of food ⇔ cultural component

• Processing waste• Commuting / grinding• Disposal when allowed• Storage when absolutely necessary only

(hygiene on board and in port state <> e.g. USDA).

Paper – Glass – Crockery – Metals

• Marpol V - Cat 4 or Cat 3 (when ground) – Paper cardboard packing material– Glass, Crockery very limited– Metals very limited

• Can be disposed of at sea Pollutant↔ Not toxic, harmful, long-lasting,...

• Reduce amount of packing material– Discussion with (many) suppliers– Issues of protection of equipment – liability,...

• Is reduced on board– Grinders– Incinirators– Compactors

• When reduced, mostly disposed ashore!(limited extra cost when combined with plastics)

Paper – Glass – Crockery – Metals

Plastics

• Not allowed to be disposed of at sea• United States: Huge fines

– Rewards for whistleblowers cruise industry !!!• Documentary control (Garbage logbook)• Commercial shipping:

– Packing material, moorings– PET Bottles

• Fishing: nets,...• Yachting??

Derelict Fishing Gear (DFG)

The Garbage Patch Micro Plastics (3)

- Great Pacific Garbage Patches- Millions of tons, area’s as large as Texas- Microplastics (333µm – 5 mm)- Sources are still under research, based on

type of plastic:- Used in the fabrication of fishing gear (nylons)- Used in the packing industry (polyoleofins &

polystyrenes)

Plastics• Reduction of plastics:

– Plastic recipients for drinks, chemicals,...can be replaced by metals which can be disposed of at sea

solution ???– Plastics in goods & tools (see home)

• Reduce amount of packing material– Discussion with (many) suppliers– Issues of protection of equipment – liability,...

• Damaged moorings– Limited loss at sea because both ends fixed– Sold if usable (e.g. Suez Canal business)– Disposed ashore

Black Water & Grey Water• Marpol Annex IV• Local regulations – sometimes very difficult to

comply with for older (+10 y.) ships esp. Mediterranean.

• Main issue in cruising industry !

• Limit water vacuum toilets• Bacterial treatment ↔ sensitive to chemicals,

cleaning products,...• High-End technical solutions possible

CONCLUSIONS

• Commercial shipping is an industry which produces a certain amount of pollution, as any other industry.

• Pollutants are no different than elsewhereBUT• Shipping is highly regulated by Marpol• The Tanker industry is stricktly controlled

by customers (Oil Majors) who impose high standards.

CONCLUSIONS• The nature and amount of waste from ships

depends on:– Trade– Cargo / no of passengers– Characteristics of vessel (age, engine, crew,...)– Policy of the Owners and Customers

BUT HOW ABOUT:• Fishing vessels (national industry, often less

targetted)• Yachting (less regulated and controlled)

References1) Corbett & Koehler, Updated emissions from ocean shipping, JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL

RESEARCH, VOL. 108, NO. D20, 4650, doi:10.1029/2003JD003751, 20032) Exmar Shipmanagement - Own research in the fleet (2006)3) Arthur, C., J. Baker and H. Bamford (eds). 2009. Proceedings of the International Research

Workshop on the Occurrence, Effects and Fate of Microplastic Marine Debris. Sept 9-11, 2008. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-OR&R-30.

4) McElwee, K. and C. Morishige (eds.). 2010. Proceedings of the Workshop on At-sea Detection and Removal of Derelict Fishing Gear. December 9-10, 2008. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS- OR&R-34.