Summary:
Since January 1, 2020, in accordance with the IMO 2020 rule, the global limit for the sulfur content of vessel fuel will be reduced to 0.50% (from the current 3.50%). The ultimate responsibility for controlling and correctly applying this limit lies with the Governments and national authorities of the member States that are part of MARPOL Annex VI. Additionally, the flag States of the ships, as well as the port State control authorities, also share the responsibility to ensure compliance by the merchant fleet.
Unfortunately, authorities continue to face numerous challenges and obstacles that prevent the maritime sector from fully complying with fuel emission standards. The large number of ships entering ports, combined with the difficulty of correlating navigation itineraries, makes it truly complex for control authorities to effectively patrol the vessels through manual operations. Consequently, there are loopholes that allow undetected ships to continue using non-compliant fuels that cause higher levels of pollution.
Aware of this situation, the Algeciras Bay Port Authority decided to support, as a facilitating agent, the project presented by the start-up MarineHound in the category of pre-commercial projects for the 2nd Call of the Ports 4.0 capital fund of Puertos del Estado. Particularly, the proposal of this Maltese start-up, founded in 2021, is based on a disruptive technology of continuous remote sensing of pollution which, placed on a buoy, is capable of autonomously monitoring ship emissions and determining, with the help of drones, if they use legal fuel with low sulfur content (SOx), helping authorities to control and enforce the MARPOL convention in a highly effective, sustainable, and efficient manner.
The project, which has received a grant from this fund, has an execution period of 24 months and will seek to test this pioneering system at the facilities of the Port of Algeciras, as well as validate the business model of the solution with the involved stakeholders.
The scope of the pilot project consists of developing a SaaS platform in a Cloud environment that, based on the capture of emission data resulting from the combination of IoT devices, mathematical models of gas diffusion in the atmosphere, and the analysis of AIS trace data and met-ocean conditions, is capable of offering an intelligent system for monitoring and controlling emissions from vessels and supporting decision-making to ensure compliance. Additionally, alternative energy sources for the equipment installed in the buoy network are expected to be validated.
Expected results:
- Develop a digital tool for active monitoring of maritime pollution, focused on controlling sulfur emissions, for more efficient and effective management of compliance.
- Increase the environmental quality of port activity in the urban fabric.
- Reduce the impact of port and maritime activity on the marine environment.
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