Tracking sulphur emissions in real time

SMOKE SIGNALS

MONITORING • SHIPOWNERS ARE BUSY PUTTING IN PLACE LIMITS ON EMISSIONS BUT HOW CAN THEY CHECK THE RESULTS? THREE DANISH COMPANIES HAVE DEVELOPED A SOLUTION

THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME Organisation’s (IMO) new restrictions on sulphur oxide emissions come into effect on 1 January 2020 and shipowners around the world are working hard to find their preferred method of meeting them. However, their ability to prove compliance has so far not been so well addressed.

Since 2015, three Denmark-based companies, Danfoss IXA, Dania Ship Management and Nordic Tankers (now MOL Nordic Tankers), have been cooperating on developing and validating an innovative technology to monitor emissions on a continuous basis. The result is, they say, “a front-runner solution to ensure global enforcement of the IMO’s requirements for sulphur emissions way before any legislation is pushed through”.

Per Sylvester Jensen, CEO of chemical tanker operator Nordic Tankers, says: “The sensor equipment from Danfoss IXA is an innovative piece of technology that enables ship owners to continuously prove compliance with the IMO’s requirements for sulphur emissions. At Nordic Tankers, together with our partners, we aim to be front-runners in supporting the development of our industry worldwide. The cooperation with Danfoss IXA on testing the new solution is an interesting project for us.”

The sensor technology was tested on the 19,355-dwt chemical tanker Nordic Mari, owned by Nordic Tankers and managed by Dania Ship Management. “The equipment is well designed and was delivered to the Nordic Mari as a complete product,” says Carsten Brix Ostenfeldt, CEO of Dania Ship Management. “In the beginning of the test period, the durability of the sensor was challenged by the very toxic and harsh environment in which it was placed, but these problems have been solved by Danfoss IXA.”

READ AND ENJOY “The technology makes it possible to document how much your ships are emitting worldwide, and the data is sent directly to you ashore,” Ostenfeldt continues. “This means we can prove compliance at any time and, once the development picks up speed, we will be ready and one step ahead of the rest of the industry.

“Our next target is to compare the readings onboard Nordic Mari with other external readings, for example the sensor fitted on the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark. The sensor on the bridge is first and foremost fitted to ensure compliance with Danish and global legislation, but over time such technology will also ensure a level playing field, which we support as a principle for doing business today.”

Besides monitoring emissions on an ongoing basis and proving compliance, the sensor technology also has enabled Dania Ship Management to track how the engines are performing by reading out the data from the vessel. “As a general rule, change in the shipping industry is driven by legislation. But if the sensor technology is following the development of electronically controlled engines, you will be able to continuously optimise combustion and cut fuel costs. This could be a future incentive for change as well,” says Ostenfeldt.

The sensors provided for the project by Danfoss IXA measure emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia, while a cloud-based solution can make that data immediately available both to shipowners and managers and to the authorities. The monitoring equipment is now being installed on a number of newbuild vessels and, say the project partners, can be retrofitted to existing vessels within 24 hours. HCB www.danfoss-ixa.com www.daniashipmanagement.com www.nordictankers.com