Reducing fuel consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases from navigation on the Rhine

At its 2012 autumn meeting, the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) adopted a strategy for reducing fuel consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases from navigation on the Rhine. This decision was the culmination of two years’ work by the CCNR’s Inspection Regulations Committee and Secretariat, resulting in the drafting of a substantial report on the situation.

Strategy

The CCNR’s strategy for reducing fuel consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases from navigation on the Rhine aims to guide the organisation’s future work and coordinate it with the international organisations and associations involved in inland navigation in Europe.
A round-table discussion is to be held on this in spring 2013.

CCNR report on the situation

The CCNR’s strategy and its additional work are based on the following report by the CCNR:

The report begins with an analysis of:

• the targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from inland navigation,
• the carbon footprint of inland navigation,
• the fundamental strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by means of transport,
• the general conditions impacting inland navigation’s potential for reducing both its fuel consumption and its CO₂ emissions.

It then goes on to describe:

• technical and operational measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from inland navigation,
• alternative fuels and sources of energy for inland navigation,
• measures in support of reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and
• the additional advantages of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Lastly, the report considers the cost of reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and the obstacles, and proposes some additional work.

The report also contains a number of scenarios on the evolution of greenhouse gas emissions from inland navigation, making it possible to formulate the following conclusions:

• the extensive application of the technical and operational energy-saving measures that are already being implemented in various ways, and an additional increase in the average vessel dimensions, would make it possible to maintain the absolute quantity of greenhouse gas emissions from inland navigation vessels at a relatively constant level despite a constant increase in goods transport services;
• a significant drop in the absolute volume of greenhouse gases from inland navigation vessels in the event of a simultaneous and constant increase in goods transport services would be possible if large-scale use is made of biofuels and alternative sources of energy, in addition to LNG.

Workshop held on 12 April 2012 – CO₂ emissions from inland navigation

On 12 April 2011, the CCNR held a workshop in Strasbourg on CO₂ emissions from inland navigation. Discussion covered ways of measuring and reducing CO₂ emissions.