Container carrier
APL said today that it is on course to reduce the carbon exhaust emissions from its global shipping operations by 30% by 2015. The Singapore-based line said the combination of an influx of new vessels and its slow steaming initiative puts the target within reach.
By 2015, APL said its fleet will produce 130 gramnes of carbon exhaust for every TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) of cargo transported one nautical mile. That would be a 30% reduction from emission levels in 2009 - when outside auditors first calculated APL’s carbon footprint.
"We’re changing the profile of our fleet with larger, more efficient ships that will significantly curb exhaust emissions," said APL President
Kenneth Glenn. "It’s the most effective way we know to make global trade environmentally sustainable."
APL said it will deploy 32 new vessels in the next three years and that the ships will be significantly more fuel efficient than its existing fleet, thus resulting in reduced emissions. What's more, APL said the ships will run at less than full speed, further curbing exhaust emissions.
The first two of the new vessels - each with 10,000 TEUs of container-carrying capacity – arrived last December. Two more are due in April.
APL said it is undertaking additional steps to curb carbon exhaust emissions that include:
* Optimizing vessel trim, speed and routing;
* Improving maintenance on vessel hulls to reduce drag in the water; and
* Upgrading cargo handling equipment at APL terminals;
According to industry figures, international shipping produces 2.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Container shipping is estimated to be responsible for approximately 25% of that amount.
