Germany: Ahrenkiel Shipmanagement Gets Energy-Efficiency Certificate

The container ship AS Scotia already meets the requirements of the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP), which will become compulsory as of 1 January 2013. The SEEMP has been adopted by the IMO as a mechanism for vessels to improve their operational energy efficiency, thereby lowering CO2 emissions.

Ahrenkiel Shipmanagement was presented with a “Preliminary Energy Efficiency Certificate” for the AS Scotia, the first issued to a GL classed vessel. From 2013, all seagoing vessels larger than 400 gross tonnage must carry on board a SEEMP, a management plan for the ship’s energy efficiency, according to MARPOL, Annex VI.

Germanischer Lloyd has reviewed the content of the energy-efficiency plan for the AS Scotia and has checked to see if it is on board. Captain Christian Suhr, Managing Director of Ahrenkiel Shipmanagement, and Wolfgang Kempke, Environmental Fleet Manager for Ahrenkiel Shipmanagement, accepted the certificate from Kai Fock, Business Development Manager for GL, and Dr Fabian Kock, Head of the Environmental Certification Department at GL.

The “Preliminary Energy Efficiency Certificate”, which can be converted into an International Energy Efficiency Certificate (IEEC) in 2013, was issued by the German Flag State; the shipping company also received a SEEMP Statement of Compliance from Germanischer Lloyd.

“Increasing the efficiency of our ships is a pillar of our climate policy and a positive step – both in terms of the environment as well as for the competitiveness of our fleet,” explains Christian Suhr. “That’s why we decided early on to introduce the SEEMP and to share our experience with classification societies and other shipping companies. We view the awarding of the International Energy Efficiency Certificate as confirmation of our environmental strategy.”

Some of the measures which have been used to improve the energy efficiency of the AS Scotia include: a routing assistance system, speed optimisation (super slow steaming), a modern coating for the ship’s hull, the use of energy-saving lamps and a video training programme for the crew on how to save energy.

“The AS Scotia has already fulfilled the requirements of the International Energy Efficiency Certificate,” explained GL’s Kai Fock. “The shipping company has also had GL review the content of the vessel’s SEEMP. It conforms to the requirements laid out in the IMO guideline, which we confirm by means of the certificate. The document itself was checked as well as the responsibilities and the processes in the management plan on site at the shipping company.”

As of 1 January 2013: SEEMP and EEDI

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) decided to adopt the SEEMP as a requirement for both newly built and existing ships during its MEPC 62 environmental committee meeting in July 2011. The SEEMP brings a number of measures together which can contribute to reducing fuel consumption. The requirements of the SEEMP are set forth in resolution MEPC.213(63): “2012 Guidelines for the Development of a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP)”. A SEEMP and, for many types of cargo ships with a building contract date after 1 January 2013, the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), will be required to obtain the new International Energy Efficiency Certificate (IEEC).

As the IEEC can first be issued on 1 January 2013, ship owners who request certification to the new standards before this date are issued with a “Preliminary Energy Efficiency Certificate” or “Energy Efficiency Statement of Compliance”, which attests to compliance with the standard. This preliminary certificate will be converted into a IEEC in 2013.

The SEEMP was adopted as part of Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution by Ships (MARPOL, Annex VI), which primarily regulates ship air emissions. “This international regulation calls for some 50,000 ships worldwide to be equipped with a SEEMP by 1 January 2013 and for the management plan to be maintained on board,” explains Kai Fock.