APL eco-website details clean air and water programmes

APL, the container shipping arm, of Singapore's NOL Group, launched its website dedicated to advising customers of its environmental initiatives which include slow-steaming begun last year to reduce fuel consumption and its shore-port-to-ship power, or cold-ironing project, at Port of Oakland, California as of 2011.

"Moving our customers' cargo and supporting global trade are our key objectives," said Eng Aik Meng, president of APL. "Equally important is the need to operate responsibly in managing our environmental footprint at sea and on land."

Its cold ironing project was the first of its kind from an ocean carrier and is expected to help APL reduce some 50,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide emissions and 1,500 pounds of particulate matter annually by switching off a vessel's diesel generators and relying on cleaner shore-based power.

Its ongoing testing of technology includes a project looking at emulsified fuel, a combination of water and fuel used in the main and auxiliary engines, expected to provide fuel savings and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. This follows its blend of low-sulphur and biodiesel fuel used on Port of Seattle's container handling equipment.

Source: www.schednet.com