(shipping, dredging)
The major actors in the shipping industry (designers, builders, shipowners and equipment manufacturers and providers) have indicated to pursue a policy to commit themselves to the “Clean Shipping” approach. The ultimate aim of this approach is to minimize the overall environmental impact of ships during all phases of shipping: designing, building, operating, accidents and end-of life stage.
Photo: Clean ship
(source: E. Leemans, “Clean Shipping: The Way Ahead for a Sustainable Maritime Industry”, Maritime Review, Autumn 2004, 36-38) |
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Research of IMARES for the maritime industry has a focus on:
- Actual environmental impact
Up to now the environmental impact is mainly quantified in terms of emissions or discharges being amounts or concentrations of harmful substances. The general approach of IMARES is to take into account not only the emission or discharge but also the impact and environmental effect of the emission. Acceptable impact depends on the vulnerability of the exposed or receiving environment.
- Reducing risks of ballast water discharges
As a result of the recently adopted IMO-UN ballast water convention, ballast water may only be discharges after sufficient treatment to remove non-indigenous species. With NIOZ, IMARES shares a unique facility for large- and pilot scale facilities for testing the equipment and residual risks. IMARES further works on international certification of ballast water treatment installations.
- Sustainable design of activities
Under the title 'building with nature' (instead of against nature) we work with industry to identify how activities, that originally adversely impact the environment, can be designed so that it creates new natural values. This is currently a very actual topic in the dredging industry.