Page 14: of Marine News Magazine (December 2017)

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INSIGHTS

Robert Chris

Alternative Marine

Technologies, Inc.

Kunkel Mandalakis ob Kunkel needs no introduction to MarineNews form are confusing. Yes EPA Tier 4 is here for the larger readers. Kunkel, President of Alternative Marine horsepower engines used for propulsion and with that ar-

B

Technologies, previously served as the Federal rival comes a very limited group of engines that meet the

Chairman of the Short Sea Shipping Cooperative Pro- emission requirement. Simply put, no operator likes to gram under the Maritime Administration and Depart- be ‘limited’ in selecting machinery in a new construction ment of Transportation from 2003 until 2008. A past project. The game changed on January 1, 2016 for engines

Vice President of the Connecticut Maritime Association, rated between 130 and 600 Kw and not solely used for he is a contributing writer for Maritime Logistics Profes- emergency purposes. Herein is the problem of regulatory sional Magazine and of course, MarineNews. A graduate requirements leading industry technology. Based upon our of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Kunkel sailed as conversation with the EPA and latest construction experi- a licensed engineer and eventually continued his career in ence, there are no smaller block engines that meet EPA ship construction at myriad venues. Tier 4 or IMO Tier III. Keep in mind the IMO Tier III

Appearing for the ? rst time in our pages, Chris Mandal- compliance for this engine size is based upon operation akis is a recent graduate with bachelors and masters degrees in an ECA and many owners are having dif? culty receiv- in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from Ste- ing an EIAPP certi? cate because of that issue. The EMA vens Institute of Technology. Mandalakis has worked on – Truck & Engine Manufacturer’s Association wrote to the a number of groundbreaking projects including a series of EPA, USCG and Transport Canada on July 14, 2015 ad- hybrid electric research vessels as an employee of Dereck- dressing this very issue.

tor Shipyard and Alternative Marine Technologies. He Most if not all of the current problems the manufactur- has been involved in Amtech’s newbuilding construction ers are facing is the reduction of NOx and to receive an oversight and design review for tankers at HMD in South Engine International Air Pollution Prevention (EIAPP)

Korea, and is currently working with Amtech as a naval ar- Certi? cate the manufacturer must demonstrate the IMO chitect and design integrator for the 2,200cbm LNG bun- Tier III NOx levels for the ‘family’ engine in service. ker barge currently under construction at Conrad Orange Hence, the question is not what the Marine Operator can

Shipyard. This month, as our featured INSIGHTS subject do achieve environmental compliance; it is what can the matter experts, Kunkel and Mandalakis weigh in together manufacturers do as many of the operators are not happy on emissions control and compliance, as perhaps no one with the SCR solution to reduce NOx as it leads to ad- else in industry can. ditional operational costs and inef? ciencies. The current

Marpol Annex VI and EPA Tier 4 regulations are a huge

With EPA Tier 4 here, is there anything else that ma- step forward for environmental compliance. Monitoring rine operators can do in terms of emissions reduc- and reporting stack emissions would be the next logical tion, beyond mere compliance? Is the regulatory ma- step and it will lead to new questions and problems. We chine considering still stricter rules? In other words, are facing a generational change in the industry as the is this the best we can do?

new owners and operators look to provide public bene? ts

Many of these questions are still unanswered simply be- as part of their business model. All that said; if manufac- cause the regulations on a domestic or international plat- turers cannot produce the product necessary to meet the

December 2017 14 MN