Asia/Pacific News
Australia's Focus on Vessel Emissions Turns to Tankers
Residents in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, are calling on the government to extend new cruise-ship-centred low-sulfur regulations to include tankers at the city's Gore Bay terminal, local media reports.
"We [Greenwich Community Association (GCA)] are very disappointed the draft regulations will not include tankers at Gore Bay when the issues we face are the same as people in White Bay and those at Circular Quay," said Meredith Southwood for the GCA, arguing that there is no logical reason for the split in regulation.
White Bay's cruise ship emissions have been the subject of much debate over recent months and has ultimately resulted in new rules which from October 1, 2015 require a maximum 0.1 percent marine fuel to be used - but only by cruise ships - berthing in Sydney Harbour, and after July 1, 2016 in all NSW ports.
Dr. Liz Gill, described as a resident and medical researcher, noted that NSW's current sulfur limit is 3.5 percent, which is the current global sulfur cap.
"The public health impacts associated with these emissions are just as significant for those living adjacent to non-cruise ship port facilities berthing large commercial vessels as they are for those living adjacent to port facilities berthing cruise vessels," said Gill.
A spokesperson for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), commenting on the requests for regulation extension, said "an initial focus on cruise ships is appropriate given their contribution to shipping emissions, high power and fuel usage at berth, and proximity to local residents."
"A review of emissions from other shipping types is underway and recommendations made to the (NSW) Government by the end of 2015."
James Crowden, Terminal manager at Gore Bay, says that all vessels that use the terminal use low sulfur MDO and do not burn HFO while moored there.
"This is a practice that has voluntarily undertaken for chartered tankers moored at Gore Bay for a number of years," said Crowden.
"We're proud of Gore Bay's environmental, operational and safety performance and we continue to work closely with regulators, government departments and our local community who expect our operations to run safely, efficiently and reliably," he added.
Southwood, commenting on Viva Energy Australia's (Viva's) voluntary sulfur limits, said "Viva does say they are using lower sulphur levels but that depends entirely on the good will of the people operating the terminal at the time."
In June, the Australian Financial Review's "Rear Window" Editor Joe Aston said the new cruise ship regulations "will achieve nothing," arguing that cruise ships make up "barely" 5 percent of shipping movements in the state.
