Home » Metro » Public Services
Huangpu boats to run on green fuel
Print Edition
A FLEET of 29 garbage collection boats powered by emulsified diesel will go into service on the Huangpu River next month.
The introduction of the green vessels is part of the government’s plan to reduce emissions from river traffic, which has been a major contributor to the city’s air pollution woes.
A pilot scheme using just three boats powered by the clean fuel was launched in June last year. One of the vessels was the “Husu3236,” whose captain Xu Jinbao said the boat covers about 100 kilometers a day — traveling between Laogang in the Pudong New Area to the Nanqiao area of Fengxian District — carrying 170 tons of garbage extracted from the Huangpu.
In tests by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the use of the new fuel led to a huge reduction in gas emissions from “Husu3236.”
A new filling station for the boats is currently under construction in Laogang.
While emulsified diesel has been used since 2006 to power Shanghai buses, it was only recently that a version was developed for boats.
The three-vessel, nine-month trial was staged to see if it could be a viable alternative for garbage collection boats.
According to a report by the local environmental authority, in 2013, boats and ships operating in Shanghai accounted for 12.4 percent, 11.6 percent and 5.6 percent of all discharges of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and PM2.5 particles, respectively.
While there are no national restrictions on fuels for river vessels, a standard issued in 2012 says boat fuels should have a sulfur density of no more than 1.5 percent, said Li Li, from the Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences.
The standard, however, is frequently disregarded, he said, adding that supervision has been made more difficult by the fact that most boats refuel on the water.
Also, according to the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, 90 percent of the boats operating in the city’s ports are registered in other provinces, making supervision efforts even more difficult.
Li said that a national standard for boats and ships is currently under discussion and could be introduced as early as next year.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
