Martek Marine Ltd (UK) ha firmato il primo contratto al mondo per la fornitura del sistema di rilevazione delle emissioni di NOx/SOx/CO2 per una serie di nuove LNG carriers costruite da DSME in South Korea. Le navi sono commissionate dall'armatore tedesco PRONAV per il progetto Qatar Gas II.Il sistema MariNOx® rilevera' le missioni per i motori principale e ausiliari.

Martek will be supplying its MariNOx® system with deliveries starting in April 2006, to the 209,220m3 LNG carriers with DSME hull numbers 2245, 2246, 2247 & 2248 + options for a further 8 vessels.

It is understood that DSME selected the MariNOx® because it offered the best technical and commercial package available. Martek Marine will be supplying a complete Type Approved system (as required by Annex VI of MARPOL, The NOx Technical Code & MEPC 103(49) incorporating heated gas filter probes, heated gas sample transport tubing, engine and ambient parameter monitoring sensors (engine speed, power, temperature, pressure & humidity) gas conditioning equipment, gas analysers, data processing system, and data storage facility.

Another factor in DSME selecting MariNOx® it is understood, was the removal of risks associated with system approval, functionality and compatibility issues with suppliers who were offering only part systems. MariNOx® is fully type approved by both Class and Flag, moreover, because it is a complete system the yard has no need to supply extra system components such as heated gas sample tubing and engine / ambient parameter monitoring sensors.

By monitoring the NOx levels, CO2 and oxygen together with other engine and ambient parameters, the system facilitates the tuning of the engine for optimum efficiency saving up to 4% fuel. When translated into hard cash savings, payback periods on a typical vessel are generally within 1 year. Furthermore, for every tonne of fuel saved as a result of engine optimisation using MariNOx® offers, vessels’ reduce their CO2 emissions by 3 tonnes.

Martek have conducted extensive on-board engine optimisation trials achieving positive results and expect to be able to publish independently audited results on the fuel savings achieved in the near future. During the trial it was also observed that the subject engine was functioning much better with reduced operating temperatures which would give rise to reduced wear and extended operting life of internal engine componenets.

With the pending introduction of Baltic and North Sea SECA’s, Martek are keen to point out that the MariNOx® system can be used to measure and report the sulphur content of bunkers used. When combined with a GPS transducer this will allow users to optimise their bunker change operations to demonstrate compliance with the 1.5% sulphur rule when moving into a SECA.

Interest in the MariNOx® system has been phenomenal since it was launched during the NOR Shipping exhibition in June of this year. The system has been successfully installed by oil major BP Shipping who have endorsed the system with an open testimonial. Martek claim to be in advanced negotiations with a number of major worldwide fleet operators and hope to make major contract announcements in the near future.

In anticipation of the expected huge demand for the system Martek are finalizing plans to move their operations into a new factory which will provide them with four times the capacity of the current premises. The company has had a fantastic year winning two Queens Awards for Innovation and International trade and only last week received the Corporate Exporter of the Year Award at the International Business Awards in London.

Martek Managing Director Paul B Luen commented, “The market is now really warming to the benefits that direct on-board emission monitoring can offer them. Taking into consideration the achievable fuel savings by engine optimisation, the related 3 fold reduction in CO2 emissions and the increased operating lifetime of engine componenets, the net environmental impact of deploying MariNOx® is huge.

Martek will be attending a number of major events addressing the subject of marine air pollution in the coming months as below:

Facilitator in the Lloyds Fairplay Awareness briefing ‘MARPOL - Clearing the Air over Annex VI’ London 28th November

Speaker at the Marine Power and Emissions Conference, London 29th November

Speaker at the prestigious ‘World Maritime Technology Conference’ , London 9th March 2006.