CSM: Continuos CII monitoring essential to meet IMO’s requirements

Ship management and maritime service provider Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) has recently highlighted the role of engine health monitoring systems and assessing the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) in a timely manner in order for shipowners to reduce carbon emissions.

The CII is a measure of how efficiently a ship transports goods or passengers and is given in grams of CO2 emitted per cargo-carrying capacity and nautical mile. According to the International Maritime Orgaisation (IM), the ship is then given an annual rating ranging from A to E, whereby the rating thresholds will become increasingly stringent towards 2030. The CII applies to all cargo, RoPax and cruise ships above 5,000 GT. 

A recent BIMCO announcement suggested that owners and charterers need to collaborate and cooperate to manage the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) objective to reduce carbon emissions. Its new clause sets out a way forward in a time charter context, where charterers are responsible for the operation of the vessel.  

In response to these issues, CSM has decided to use Emissions and Engine Health Monitoring System to identify issues and failures, monitor vessel KPIs, and integrate third-party data analytics to continuously improve the vessel’s engine room performance.

“Shipowners and charterers using the newly-released Emissions and Engine Health Monitoring System via Columbia Shipmanagement’s (CSM) Performance Optimisation Control Room (POCR), will be aligned with BIMCO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) Operations Clause for Time Charter Parties designed to help the industry commercially navigate the complexities of the IMO’s CII regulations.”

This was the assurance made by Capt Pankaj Sharma, CSM’s Group Director Digital Performance Optimisation, ahead of the new regulations on the carbon intensity of international shipping coming into force on 1 January, 2023.

“With the recent introduction of the BIMCO CII operation clause addition, the need to use continuous CII monitoring systems as well as an engine health monitoring system are fully covered through our emissions monitoring addition and PANGIA-Engine Monitoring System,” he said.

According to Capt Sharma, when it came to advising shipowners, the CII should be measured and assessed on a continuous basis and trends identified proactively rather than depending on end-of-year results.

“Shipowners should use CII projection to predict resultant CII and have early discussions with their charterers. It is important they ensure their engines are in good working health and are advised to invest in an engine health monitoring system such as the one used in the POCR, for recordkeeping and evidence. The crew should also be fully trained for sensitivity and impact of CII reporting and management,” he stated.

Based on this, CSM would advise charterers to measure CII and monitor the health of the engine.

“They should ensure there is implementation of an operations monitoring system including statement of fact for recordkeeping and evidence and should engage with shipowners to identify and resolve any technical issues,” Capt Sharma added.