KMA partners with stakeholders to promote greener shipping

The Kenya Maritime Authority has partnered with other stakeholders to achieve a greener and more sustainable shipping sector.

KMA director general John Omingo said they are working closely with the government to promote greener shipping.

Partner agencies working with KMA include the Kenya Bureau of Standards, the Kenya Ports Authority and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

The director said they are also working with the International Maritime Organisation and other partners on the ratification and implementation of various conventions that promote greener shipping.

“The collaboration with our agencies has yielded a framework for registration and licensing of bunker suppliers, Kenya marine fuel standards and reception facility for scrubbers residue and sustenance of flag and port state control responsibilities for ensuring compliance,” Omingo said.

He said they issue International Air Pollution Prevention certificates to ships upon confirmation of the use of fuel oil with sulphur content within the set limit.

Omingo said the convention requires ships to use fuel oil that meets the 0.5 per cent sulphur content limit.

In Kenya, Omingo said most of the vessels with less than 400 gross tonnage are in compliance with the 0.5 per cent sulphur limit as the majority of them use distillate fuel oil that meets sulphur standards.

He spoke ahead of World Maritime Day celebrations on Thursday. The theme is "new technologies for greener shipping".

KMA director Salaah Balalah said the transition to greener shipping would release the least amount of carbon emissions into the environment.

“Greener shipping ensures that seagoing vessels contribute towards improving the present environmental condition by adopting technologies and procedures to decrease emissions to our environment, consume less energy and be more efficient,” he said.

Balalah said environmental concerns are influencing a greater need for new technology, solutions, innovations and research in the maritime world.

“As maritime industries begin to tackle climate issues, port and shipping companies are searching for carbon-free alternatives by testing potential solutions for vessels, therefore the transition to greener shipping is unavoidable,” he said.

Shipping and Maritime PS Nancy Karigithu said the industry is monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, safety and security of shipping and protection of the marine environment.

She said climate change requires a concerted, proactive and holistic approach.

“Through the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre, Africa, which is one of the five centres set up in Africa to support IMO greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy, we are building the capacity to mitigate the effects of climate change on the maritime and shipping industry,” Karigithu said.

She said the centre will promote the use of clean fuel and the adoption of energy-efficient technologies.

The PS said Kenya is involved with the IMO-Norway GreenVoyage2050, a project being piloted in the country to support the implementation of the IMO strategy of reducing greenhouse gases from international shipping by 2050.

This is in promotion of green shipping, energy efficiency and reduction of marine plastic litter from the maritime transport and fisheries sectors.

“Our nation has embraced greener shipping and has ratified Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) 73/78,”

“The country has also developed a national guideline on the implementation of IMO 2020 reduction of sulphur content on ships fuel oil.” 

Karigithu said that Kenya has also ratified the international convention for the control and management of ships' ballast, water and sediments.

This helps in conducting port state control inspections to examine ballast water management systems and verify the validity of the international BWM certificate.

Ships calling the Port of Mombasa are now subjected to port state control inspections to check their compliance with the convention.