E.U. Funds IMO Energy Efficiency Project
An IMO project to establish a global network of Maritime Technology Cooperation Centers in developing countries is to go ahead thanks to a €10 million ($11 million) funding contribution from the European Commission.
The funds mobilized by the European Commission illustrate the E.U.'s commitment to support the concrete implementation of a range of measures aimed at addressing energy efficiency and shipping emissions and, through this, contributing to the fight against climate change. This IMO energy-efficiency project is part of the Commission's broader climate financing portfolio aimed at helping less developed countries take climate actions in specific fields or sectors such as the shipping sector.
The aim of the project will be to help beneficiary countries limit and reduce GHG emissions from their shipping sectors through technical assistance and capacity building. It will encourage the uptake of innovative energy-efficiency technologies among a large number of users through the widespread dissemination of technical information and know-how. This will heighten the impact of technology transfer.
The four-year project will target five regions - Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific. These have been targeted for their significant number of least developed countries and small island developing states.
The heart of the project will be the establishment of five centers, one in each target region, with seed-funding support from the project. These will have a strong regional dimension, becoming centers of excellence for promoting the uptake of low-carbon technologies and operations in maritime transport.
Each center is expected to be hosted by an existing institution with a credible standing in the region. These host institutions will be selected through an open process of competitive bidding against a set of criteria and project deliverables.
The project will be coordinated by IMO’s Marine Environment Division through a dedicated unit at IMO headquarters.
The agreement to fund the project was signed on December 31, 2015 by Stefan Micallef, Director of IMO’s Marine Environment Division, and Peter Craig McQuaide, Head of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Unit of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development.
The results of capacity-building activities and pilot projects run by the centers will be widely disseminated within the international maritime community. As a result, the project will enhance capacity at national and regional levels in all aspects of maritime GHG emission reduction and energy efficiency and offer valuable insight of local experiences on the uptake of energy-efficient technologies and operations, data collection and relevant project planning and management.
Energy-efficiency training course now online
A complete package of training materials on IMO’s energy efficiency requirements is now available to download free of charge from the IMO website. The package, including presentations, posters, exercises and assignments, will be of interest to anyone wanting to understand how to implement the regulations in Chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI and what the technical and operational implications are for ship designers, shipbuilders, companies and seafarers.
The course has been designed to train individuals to become trainers themselves. This is to encourage the development of a pool of people who can participate in capacity-building activities under either the auspices of IMO technical cooperation activities or in any other formal education and training scenario.
The package includes a trainers manual and modules on: Climate Change and the Shipping Response; Ship Energy Efficiency Regulations and Related Guidelines; From Management to Operation; Ship Board Energy Management; Ship Port Interface for Energy Efficiency; Energy Management Plans and Systems.
The information is available here.