Determined to comply with the maritime regulations around greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and decarbonisation, NLNG Shipping and Marine Services Limited (NSML), said it has commenced tracking of its carbon footprint on the vessels.
According to the maritime company, it tracks the carbon through the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), which measures the efficiency of a vessel and is given in grams of CO2 emitted per cargo-carrying capacity and nautical mile.
Abdulkadir Ahmed, managing director/CEO of the NSML, disclosed this while presenting a paper in Lagos recently at the inaugural NSML/Utomapp Maritime Roundtable/Workshop with the theme – Emerging Technology and Regulations in the Global Maritime Industry of the Future, and the Impacts on the Nigerian Maritime Sector.
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He said the International Maritime Organisation and the European Union have both set ambitious and strict deadlines for the achievement of these lofty environmental objectives which an international maritime services company, must comply with totally.
“We looked at this closely to ensure all the vessels we manage on behalf of our clients comply appropriately to achieve the IMO objective of carbon reduction of 40 percent by 2030,” he said.
According to Ahmed, shipping has been identified as a major component of the NLNG-Group’s decarbonisation plan, due to the significant role the ships play in carbon utilisation.
He disclosed that there are ongoing discussions and initiatives being developed and implemented to ensure that the shipping segment of its business is closely monitored to ensure the realisation of the decarbonisation target set by the Group.
“Compliance with standards and drive for technological advancement are underpinned by the competence, capability, and skill set of our people, which are essential to achieving safety, efficiency and ultimately competitiveness. We have, in the past, also embarked on technical knowledge transfer projects (internationally and domestically) to ensure the domiciliation of these skills in-country in Nigeria,” he explained.
Ahmed further disclosed that the NLNG export terminal in Bonny Island, which is under the management of NSML, has been certified as an Ecoport PERS terminal.
“The Ecoport PERS certification is the highest port sector-specific environmental management standard, achieved mainly by leading global ports/terminals, and it attests to the fact that the facilities and the operations of the NLNG terminal comply with the requirements of leading environmental management practices; and confirms the proactive nature of the NSML Terminal Management team in the application of global best standards in port/terminal environmental management, as well as imbibing a culture of continuous improvement in port operations,” he explained.
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He pointed out that the NLNG terminal is the only port in sub-Sahara Africa with this certification and it confers on NLNG a pioneer status, thus enabling it to take a leading role in driving the adoption of green, safe, and environmentally friendly port and terminal operations in Africa.
He implored all the stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of the topical issues, while deliberately creating awareness around these topics – which is one of the key objectives of this workshop.
