This Annex VI requires for its effectuation 15 or more Contracting Parties (ratifying nations) and the combined merchant tonnage is not less than 50% of the world fleet in GT terms. At the moment, there is no prospects for its taking effect because the number of ratifying parties is too small, but this requirement regarding the effectuation is subject to review if the annex fails to become effective by 2002. Therefore, it is expected to take effect sooner or later, resulting in increasingly tighter control.
Meanwhile, Baltic rim nations, which are most intent on the protection of marine environment, have already put in place a system to levy tax on extra emissions beyond prescribed levels. Such local control may advance ahead of global control.
What constitutes the core of this annex is the control on SOx and NOx. As there is no other realistic alternative than choosing a low sulfur fuel to reduce SOx emissions, this is a relatively simple matter.
However, NOx is different. There are many proposed techniques to reduce it, and periodic inspection of NOx-related parts of engines (to make sure they are not illegitimately modified after entrance into service) would be required. As a consequence, many doubts and questions are raised as to the administration of the control system in terms of the assessment and periodic inspection of engines among other factors.
The Japanese industries involved in this issue decided to study these problems for two years from 1999 with the Ship-building Research Centre of Japan playing the coordinating role, and the MOT's Ship Research Institute, Class NK, major shipping companies, shipyards and engine builders are participating in the research project. The forum is also committed to research for commercialization of marine exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) for NOx reduction.
2-3 Prevention of Global Warming
1) The COP3 held in December 1997 in Kyoto set targets for the reduction of CO2 and other greenroom effect gases by developed countries, and Japan committed itself to cutting by 2010 the total emission by 6% compared with its 1990 level. Operators of marine traffic and transportation will be called upon to bear their due shares in the drive for CO2 reduction.
In the wake of these developments, such challenges need to be met from now on as responding to the social demand for modal shifting from overland to maritime trans-port and reducing energy consumption by ships.
2) Attempts to enhance propulsive performance by improving the hull form, one of the priority aspects of energy conservation, mainly consist of tank tests, which have already achieved such high performance levels for VLCCs and containerships that any major further advance in energy saving is rather difficult. However, regarding frictional resistance which is the greatest component of resistance, such surface treatment techniques as micro-bubbles, air films, self-polishing paint coating and elastic films are studied with a view to finding effective reducing means for practical purposes, and at the same time basic R&D efforts are being made in pursuit of friction resistance reduction for further savings in energy consumption by ships.
As another approach to energy conservation, energy-efficient equipment, such as a contra-rotating propeller (CRP), which has been developed but not yet in common use, may come into the limelight.
3) The Technological Research Association of Super Marine Gas Turbine was established in 1997 with sup-port from the Ministry of Transport and the Nippon Foundation and participation by marine engine builders. R&D efforts were launched on a "Low Environmental Load Marine Propulsion Plant" with the aim of producing efficient and environmentally friendly marine gas turbines applicable to commercial operation. The project will be continued for six years from fiscal 1997, involving various R&D attempts and verification of research findings with a test engine.
3. Ship Safety and Reliability
From the second half of the 1980s, bulk carriers were wrecked consecutively, tolling many human lives and large amounts of resources. Safety problems of bulkers have been discussed mainly at the IMO and the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), and legislation for greater safety is in the process of development. Furthermore, as accidents involving aged oil tankers have resulted in serious contamination of the marine environment, the need to eliminate so-called sub-standard ships, which fail to meet international standards, and to tighten port state control (PSC) are posing major challenges to the world mercantile marine.
3-1 Enhanced Hull Inspection and Maintenance
With a view to safer navigation, periodic inspection and hull surveys of bulk carriers and tankers have been tightened in terms of the scope and method of inspection, and the revision of the SOLAS Convention in 1994 imposed the mandatory "Enhanced Survey Program" (ESP) on oil tankers and bulk carriers. Classification societies have also modified their rules to provide for stricter inspection, making it compulsory for oil tankers' ballast tanks, which are subject to severe corrosion and wear, to be painted fully and requiring increased consideration at the time of newbuilding for ready accessibility in inspection.
