IACS: Ship Efficiency Assessment Needs "Evidence Based" Rules

Roberto Cazzulo of IACS said the industry needs good data on efficiency

Roberto Cazzulo, chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), has called on the shipping industry to create a database of evidence based rules to help judge the effectiveness of energy efficient ship designs, according to an IACS press release.

Speaking at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Maritime Day Symposium on Sustainable Maritime Transportation System last week, Cazzulo said an Energy Efficient Design Index (EEDI) database will help determine how successful emissions regulations have been and help in the design of more efficient ships.

"IACS has pledged its support for developing evidence-based new rules on ship efficiency through IMO," he said.

Cazzulo said IMO rules are projected to reduce emissions between 9 and 16 percent by 2020 and between 17 and 25 percent by 2030 compared with current levels.

"The emission reduction measures will also result in significant fuel cost savings to the shipping industry, although these savings will require deeper investments in more efficient ships and more sophisticated technologies than today," he said.

Cazzulo said Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP) may be the most practical way to monitor, report, and verify emissions and energy efficiency.

"SEEMP has the necessary degree of flexibility, considering the different ship types, sizes and operational profiles," he said.

"IACS shares the shipping industry's concerns against attempts to develop a single metric for ships-in-service."

A report released in April by the environmental group Transport & Environment found trade-offs in expense and potential benefits between different methods of monitoring, reporting, and verifying emissions to comply with European Union (EU) rules.