SWEDEN's Atlantic Port of Gothenburg is teaming up with Chalmers University Technology to "sniff" out ships in violation of the January 1 low-sulphur fuel rule that will make legal fuel 50 per cent more expensive.
That's partly because, unlike other ports, Gothenburg stands to benefit from forced use of costly fuel because it will no longer be economical to run ships up the Baltic to bring out lumber exports, thus driving the freight onto rail and into the arms of the Port of Gothenburg.
So the port and the university have set up a sulphur "sniffer" at the entrance to the port and hope that the technology proves effective.
From January 1, strict emission regulations will be introduced in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel, what is known as a ECA or Emissions Control Area, also known as an SECA, a sulphur emissions control area.
European policing will is considered weak, but the Port of Gothenburg is helping out "with technology in place to sniff out vessels that are cheating with marine fuel," said the port's eco manager Edvard Molitor.
While few care beyond the eco lobbies and regulators, calls for robust enforcement now come from compliant owners, who must go to the extra expense, and now fear rivals will save millions through non-compliance - at a time of falling rates when cost-savings are king.
The Gothenburg "sniffer" has been developed by Chalmers University Technology with support from Vinnova, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and Gothenburg Port Authority, The Port also has the advantage of being on the edge of the costly ECA, having a short run to free zone of the open sea.
Said Chalmers University environmental professor Johan Mellqvist: "We have worked for almost 10 years to produce methods to monitor compliance with environmental regulations at sea, both from fixed measuring stations such as this and from aircraft. We have monitoring technology that is unique and we are simply waiting for the go-ahead from Swedish authorities before we can begin using the technology actively."
PORTS
28 December 2014 - 19:18
Gothenberg to sniff out sulphur non-compliant as it drives business their way
SWEDEN's Atlantic Port of Gothenburg is teaming up with Chalmers University Technology to "sniff" out ships in violation of the January 1 low-sulphur fuel rule that will make legal fuel 50 per cent more expensive.
PORTS
28 December 2014 - 19:18
Gothenberg to sniff out sulphur non-compliant as it drives business their way
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