OOCL - FAQ

OOCL recognises that businesses must take responsibility for their industry’s effects on the environment. Our company is dedicated to meeting the needs of the present without compromising those of the future. We encourage sustainable economic development through innovative environmental protection measures

What are OOCL’s environmental commitments?

OOCL commits to:

-	Apply industry best practices and comply with legislation
-	Establish and review safety, security and environment objectives and targets
-	Use energy and materials efficiently and reduce waste and emissions
-	Communicate our environmental protection policy to all staff and vendors throughout the supply chain
-	Release our environmental protection policy to the public
-	Serve our stakeholders by assessing their needs and providing information

Does OOCL have a specific focus for protecting the environment? Our main focuses are:

1) -	Reduction of emissions NOx, SOx, CO2
2) - - -	Reduction of energy consumption: Fuel consumption Cylinder oil consumption Electricity consumption
3) - - - -	Reduction of waste Sludge/ waste oil discharge Waste water discharge Garbage bags
4) - - -	Conservation of resources Paper Water Electricity
5) -	Reuse and recycling of resource Paper, toner etc

Reducing emissions

What are OOCL’s current CO2 emissions figures?

Please see the graph below

What has OOCL been doing to reduce C02 emissions from vessels?

OOCL is fully committed to reducing emissions from our vessels, by reducing fuel consumption and operating with fuel efficiency programs.

-	Compliant with ISO9001 and ISO14001 standards
-	Weather-routing systems providing the safest short routes, to assist vessel masters to use less fuel, thus reducing air emissions
-	Optimum trim to minimize fuel consumption
-	Endeavour to maintain minimum ballast (lighter vessel = less fuel)
-	Using fuel injections and exhaust valve timing control to optimize fuel efficiency
-	Shaft generator/ exhaust gas economizer for generating electricity and Shipboard Power Management, consuming less bunker for onboard usage
-	Manage vessel maintenance for fuel efficiency through periodic polishing of propeller, ship hull condition and monitoring engine performance

What other environmental initiatives have been implemented on your vessels?

-	Minimising cylinder oil consumption through alpha lubricator system
-	Reduce consumption of garbage bags on board vessels
-	Zero environmental penalties endeavour
-	Silicone-based foul release paint to avoid organisms attaching to ship hull
-	Aim to avoid emissions of black smoke using new air tube sealing
-	Zero ozone depleting refrigerants on all our newbuilding ships

What has OOCL been doing to reduce NOx emissions from vessels?

-	Newbuilding vessels installed with environmentally-friendly NOx-controlled propulsive engines
-	Advanced slide fuel injection valves, reducing NOx by 30%, and significantly reducing carbon dioxide are being adopted

What has OOCL been doing to reduce SOx emissions?

-	Newbuilding vessels have large capacity low-sulphur fuel oil tanks to control SOx emissions
-	We ensure that we fall below standards of 4.5% sulphur content (IMO) and SECA's 1.5%, and we have implemented processes so that our fuel comes from high quality suppliers who can offer fuel with lower sulphur content when possible. We use 0.5% sulphur at California and are looking at other methods to potentially further reduce SOx emissions.
-	We voluntarily complied eight months early with the Port of Long Beach “Clean Truck Program”. From Jan 1^st, 2008, OOCL stopped using pre-1989 trucks for all port moves between Southern Californian terminals and off-dock rail ramps, again helping to reduce emissions

Is it true that shipping emissions are worse for the environment than other forms of transport?

- Container shipping is the most environmentally sound way to transport large volumes of goods across the world. Most of the world’s manufactured goods and products travel by container ship and, when this startling fact is considered, the relative impact upon the environment is low in comparison to other modes of transport.

- For example, for every kilometre that a container ship carries a ton of cargo, it is far more energy efficient and emits much less in the way of harmful CO2 emissions than any other type of freight transport, including airplane, truck and train. It is estimated that on average a container ship emits around 40 times less CO2 than a large freight aircraft and over three times less than a heavy truck. Container shipping is also estimated to be two and a half times more energy efficient than rail and 7 times more so than road.

Why are your ships calling on the US west coast not equipped with AMP (Alternative Marine Power) system?

OOCL currently burns low sulphur fuel to reduce our emissions. The adoption of the AMP system on OOCL ships is continuously under study. As an international container line company running trade routes across the globe, it is important that emission reduction technologies that we apply can benefit communities from port to port. Establishment of international standards would be an important step and we are closely monitoring the developments in ISO standards for cold-ironing.

What exactly is the proposal for the shipping industry to switch to distillate fuel?

The proposal originated from Intertanko, to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) that all shipowners should switch from residual to distillate fuel over a period of time, in a bid to reduce sulphur emissions. It also suggests the imposition of a global sulphur content cap of 1% (against the current 4.5%) by 2010, to be cut to 0.5% by 2015.

Why is OOCL not supporting the proposal to use only distillate fuel?

OOCL is committed to reduction of NOx, SOx and CO2 emissions, and we welcome any new initiative to achieve reduction in emissions. However, we believe it is necessary to examine the facts. The US Government has issued a proposal on this topic to the IMO, endorsed by the World Shipping Council (WSC), which OOCL fully supports.

This proposal includes the following objectives:

1)	Development of uniform, international regulations of ship emissions that are widely adopted and respected
2)	The need to establish more stringent air emission standards near populated coastal zones with serious air quality issues, rather than on the high seas and other areas
3)	The industry should be able to operate with no more than two different fuel standards – one distillate fuel standard for certain, defined coastal areas, and a residual fuel standard for the open ocean.
4)	Avoid a requirement to use only distillate fuel globally. This requirement is problematic for the following reasons:
-	The oil refining industry is unlikely to be able to produce such large quantities of marine distillate fuel without enormous difficulty.
-	The proposal to require the use of distillate fuel everywhere would be enormously expensive
-	The sulphur levels in the proposed distillate fuel standard that Intertanko proposed at the IMO (1% and eventually 0.5%) are not sufficient to meet the requirements of certain governments. California and Europe have already established regimes involving 0.1% sulphur levels.
-	Converting all marine fuel to distillate would produce a very substantial increase in greenhouse gas emissions (especially CO2) as a result of additional refining processes.
5)	Ensure that future engine and any after-treatment technology standard can be commercially met by engine and technology manufacturers in the time frame specified
6)	The industry needs to have time to implement the new standards.

How is OOCL reducing its impact on the environment surrounding ports and terminals?

-	We were awarded the “Port of Long Beach Green Flag”, a speed-reduction program designed to reduce pollution from vessels using the harbour. OOCL was presented with a Green Flag for having the highest rate of compliance with 100 percent compliance for 61 vessel calls. When a vessel's speed is reduced to 12 knots within 20 miles of the port, harmful emissions are significantly reduced. Last year, the speed-reduction program prevented 400 tons of pollution from being released into the environment
-	Through its port operatives, OOCL seeks to manage facilities and properties in an environmentally responsible manner by complying with international, federal, state and local regulatory requirements governing employee health and safety, hazardous materials and waste, pollution prevention, and environmental protection.
-	Our ports and terminals also participate in community, industry, and government sponsored groups addressing environmental issues affecting the communities we serve.
-	Throughout our ports and terminals, OOCL IS taking steps to reduce fuel emissions in all our operations that will help minimize the pollution that occurs from vehicle and terminal operational activity. In particular we are using low-sulphur diesel and fuel additives to create cleaner burning engines in land-side vehicles.
-	Many of our port vehicles run off electrical power

Promoting environmental care

What is the status of environmental awareness and training within the company?

1) On board
Aboard OOCL manned vessels, shipboard training for safety and environmental protection is an on-going event. OOCL’s senior ship’s officers are trained by OOCL company managers in the importance of environmental protection and company policy and procedures (such as the Ballast Management Plan, the Garbage Management Plan and the SOPEP – [Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plans]), which are strictly followed. Subsequently, all other OOCL crew members are then educated and trained by their senior officers.

2) Land side
All OOCL employees undertake basic training on environmental awareness, through learning the company’s core values, within the first few weeks on the job. This is a portion of the mandatory employee induction training delivered through the company’s learning platform ePeopleSmart.

Corporate environmental policies are communicated to all colleagues, either through our intranet or through functional, process and procedures training and cross-referencing, in order to comply with our certified ISO procedures. Every training session is recorded and audited periodically by Internal and External Auditors in order to ensure full compliance with International Safety Management Codes (ISM), Quality (ISO9001:2000) and OOCL’s own Environmental Management Protection System which incorporates the (ISO14001).

Is OOCL involved in any environmental working groups?

OOCL has been a member of the Clean Cargo Working Group since 2003, and our mission with the group is to foster continuous improvement of environmental and social performance aspects of freight transport by sharing information and promoting best practices in the industries

Which environmental aspects do you monitor at your facilities?

Air pollution – we have a smoke free working environment

Describe your ballast water exchange practices/ procedures

Ballast water exchange in the ocean (200 nautical miles away from nearest coast line) and aim of zero ballast water exchange at port. In case the discharge of ballast water is necessary, we inform the port authority in advance and record the amount of water discharge.

Are you using TBT (Tributyltin) paint or any other hull coating that is toxic to wildlife?

No, we do not use any paint toxic to wildlife

Are you removing or sealing TBT (Tributyltin) paint on your fleet?

Sealing TBT (Tributyltin) paint

How do you manage waste treatment and waste disposal on board ships/ at ports?

At sea, we incinerate waste onboard by using suitable/ certified equipment such as food dispenser, garbage compactor and incinerator, in accordance with international Convention, MARPOL’s requirements. In port, waste disposal to reception facilities authorised by the port authority. Amount of individual oily waste (sludge) is disposal is being monitored and sought for reduction of waste being generated. Existing equipment to minimise sludge prevention are namely homogeniser and the setting up of a series of oil purifiers.

Conserving Resources

What EP friendly actions do you promote in the office?

-	We encourage employees to save electricity by switching off their computers, copiers and other office equipment and lights after office hours.
-	We also encourage the use of energy saving office equipment, such as power-saving light bulbs and light timers, as well as fewer spotlights.
-	We encourage that the office temperature should be around 25 degrees Celsius

Do you monitor paper consumption?

Yes, we aim to reduce our paper consumption overall by 15%. This is achieved through various methods:

-	We encourage the use of electronic media for external and internal communication and urge employees to avoid or minimize the printing of unnecessary hard copies and to reuse both sides or print on both sides to avoid wastage.
-	We encourage employees to avoid using paper cups and to use the hand-drying machine instead of paper to dry hands.
-	In addition, OOCL is embarking on a global project to eliminate the use of fax and replace it with e-mail and other more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective communication channels.

Do you monitor electricity consumption?

-	We encourage employees to save electricity by switching off their computers, copiers and other office equipment and lights after office hours.
-	We also encourage the use of energy saving office equipment, such as power-saving light bulbs and light timers, as well as fewer spotlights.
-	We encourage that the office temperature should be around 25 degrees Celsius.

What is OOCL Green Week?

The first week of July each year has been designated as OOCL Green Week to promote awareness about Environmental Protection and encourage colleagues to participate in meaningful activities in the areas surrounding their offices and in the communities in which they live. This includes activities such as tree-planting, resources reduction, conservation and reuse projects.

Containers

How environment-friendly are your container floors?
80% of our new container fleet is supplied by certified EP floorboard manufacturers, using Eucalyptus wood from Australia.

OOCL has pioneered tests using fast-growing bamboo as container flooring instead of the traditional types of hardwood which is a potential way to minimise deforestation.

Do you operate reefers with low energy consumption potential?

-	OOCL maintains fuel efficient gensets for operating our reefer equipment.
-	Zero ozone depleting refrigerants are used in all our reefer containers

Do you use environmentally friendly technologies for application of paint?

All our containers have been applied with tin-free paint on the outside

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