The measure, agreed at the 65th meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) last week, addresses the specific power and requirements of short-sea shipping, and will require vessel fuel efficiency to improve by 5% over existing designs as of 2016, by 20% from 2020, and by 30% from 2030.
The move follows arguments that IMO’s broader EEDI approach – entailing the reduction of design speed for fuel efficiency purposes rather than the optimisation of vessel design – would make new ro-ro and ro-pax vessels uncompetitive with the road haulage industry.
“Future ro-ro and ro-pax designs will have to be extremely innovative and advanced to meet these strict reduction requirements,” said Johan Roos, Interferry’s executive director of EU and IMO affairs. “But the MEPC 65 outcome is the best way to further improve the design and energy efficiency of new ferries while allowing them to remain competitive.”
“It is highly positive that a relatively small sector of the global shipping industry has been able to come together and provide the detailed technical expertise needed to demonstrate a feasible way forward.”
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