Environment and Sustainability

This course highlights the urgency of addressing environmental issues and provides an overview of the severity of the environmental crisis. It emphasizes the interconnected nature of environmental challenges, including climate change, deforestation, pollution, and resource depletion. Human activities, such as industrialization, population growth, and unsustainable consumption patterns, are identified as the primary causes of these issues.

Welcome to "Handling of Toxic Cargoes on Tankers," a specialised training designed to enhance the safety and expertise of maritime professionals in managing hazardous materials. In this course, we shall cover essential topics such as the properties of toxic cargoes, regulatory compliance, safe handling practices, and emergency response procedures. By the end of this course, participants will have gained the foundational knowledge and skills needed to safely transport toxic cargo, ensuring the protection of health, safety, and the environment.

Waste management is a critical global challenge and recycling has long been hailed as the primary solution, however, to truly address the mounting waste crisis, we must look beyond recycling and explore a full spectrum of waste management strategies.

This course emphasises the importance of preserving water, addressing the challenges of freshwater scarcity and pollution, and taking action to secure this invaluable resource for future generations. It highlights the multifaceted value of water, including its role in sustaining ecosystems, agriculture, industry, and human well-being.

In response to environmental concerns, the maritime industry explores sustainable alternatives, with ethanol emerging as a promising marine fuel. This overview navigates alternative fuels, delving into ethanol's properties, combustion advantages, and its historical context and global trends, shaping its adoption within the merchant navy.

An Oily Water Separator (OWS) is a piece of equipment used on board almost all marine vessels. It is used to separate oil and water mixtures into their separate components. They are found on board ships where they are used to separate oil from oily waste water, such as bilge water before the waste is discharged into the environment. These discharges of waste water must comply with the requirements laid out in MARPOL 73/78.

This course aims to respond to the needs highlighted by the Hong Kong Convention of 15/05/2009; by Regulation (EU) no. 1257 of 11/20/2013 (amended by ‘Regulation (EU) 2024/1157’); by the Decree of the MIT of 27/05/2019; from the IHM Guidelines, resolution MEPC.269 (68) of 15 May 2015.

The Vessel General Permit (VGP) is applicable to discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel, under which vessels are authorised to discharge effluent within US waters. It is a system of environmental regulation designed to reduce pollution by vessels visiting US ports or operating in US waters. Obtaining and complying with the permit can be challenging, as individual states can establish additional water quality standards that are included in the VGP.

The climate is changing faster than expected, making it the most severe issue our generation confronts. But, according to the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, we are not helpless in the face of this global threat. In September 2019, he said that “the fight against the climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win”.

What is the worst thing that could happen? "It is only Ballast Water" you might say. However, the consequences of poor Ballast Water Management could cause health problems for many people, financial losses for the company, and also harm the world's ecosystems. There is a reason that this convention entered into force. In this course, you are going to learn more about your role and about different methods for handling Ballast Water.

In 1973, IMO adopted the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, now known universally as MARPOL, which the Protocols of 1978 and 1997 have amended; it has been kept updated with relevant amendments. The MARPOL Convention addresses pollution from ships by oil; by noxious liquid substances carried in bulk; harmful substances carried by sea in packaged form; sewage, garbage and the prevention of air pollution from ships. MARPOL has greatly contributed to a significant decrease in pollution from international shipping and applies to 99% of the world’s merchant tonnage

Optimize efficiency and cut emissions with modern ship propulsion. Standardized fuel parameters ensure proper quality for each system. Marine fuel specs help onboard engineers monitor and optimize treatment, preventing machinery breakdowns and failures.