News

Digitalization, big data, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence are key in enabling the post-COVID recovery, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim told a webinar (28 July) on Digital Connectivity and Data Standards. He highlighted IMO’s key role in ensuring shipping can embrace the digital revolution – while ensuring safety, environmental protection as well as cyber security. “Digitalization and new technologies will also be the key to allowing standardization and therefore enhancing the efficiency of shipping,” Mr. Lim said. The need for standardization was also highlighted by IMO’s Facilitation Head, Julian Abril, who noted the mandatory requirement for electronic data exchange in the Facilitation Convention, effective since April 2019. Discussions are currently underway towards making a single maritime window mandatory – so that all data for arrival and departure of ships is submitted through a single point and transmitted to the relevant agencies involved. More information: IMO News

There is less than six months to go before a major change in emissions regulations has a considerable impact on tug and workboat design, construction and operation. From January 2021, IMO Tier III regulations for commercial vessels with diesel engines will come into force. This imposes rules on the emissions from diesel engines on vessels with a total power of more than 130 kW, and with their keel laying date after 1 January 2021. Vessels built after this date will need cleaner diesel engines and after treatment systems to minimise nitrogen, sulphur oxide and particulate matter emissions. This could lead to a rush to order new tugs and workboats before that date if owners want to miss this restricting ruling. It is already in the minds of some tug and workboat builders as they produce vessels that can be retrofitted with emissions abatement technology. Read more at Riviera News 

As the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down, our team is ready to work. We have been of great support to our clients, colleagues and business partners during this crisis. Albion Marine has successfully completed 3D Scan and started designing scope for BWTS retrofit for a vessel belonging to one of the leading shipping companies in Qatar.

A number of MOUs on port state control (PSC) carried out a joint concentrated inspection campaign (CIC) in 2019 focusing on readiness of ship and crew in an emergency. Gard’s alert of 29 July 2019  provides background information on the campaign as well as a copy of the tailored questionnaire used by attending PSC officers. Operators and masters are advised to take note of the below PSC CIC results and make sure their ships’ muster lists are up to date and meet the requirements of SOLAS Reg.III/8 and Reg.III/37 by providing sufficiently detailed instructions for crews to respond effectively in a real emergency. On ships with significant numbers of non-English speaking crew members, the muster list should also include translations into the appropriate language or languages. Furthermore, masters should bear in mind that there is no substitute for onboard training and drills - everybody onboard must be familiar with the procedures to be followed, their duties and equipment to be used in an emergency. More information: Gard