Awareness Vs Knowledge

Our emission and technical data management services are very end to end in nature and ensures that Superintendents and Managers remain hands free, while having full oversight on the process.  This approach put immense responsibility on our team , but also gives us the privilege of interacting directly with masters, second officers and chief engineers. This interaction usually happens when a data point needs correcting or a reporting gap needs closing. These exchanges mostly focus on : Fuel categorization, reports deviating from SEEMP and MRV plans, and detailed break up of voyage and event reports-beyond the normal company reporting requirements. The most common feed back form the vessel officers that conclude these exchanges with our team is the comment - "We were not aware of this at all, but now we will ensure its done". Then on, we see the changes effectively reflecting in the data being shared.

What we see is not a knowledge gap- knowledge is desirable, but not a must. Ship staff are not expected to know the DCS and MRV frameworks in depth. The gap that we see, and advocate to close, is one of awareness of few basic points:

1. Which regulatory frameworks apply to the vessel.
2. What the energy management and monitoring plans contain.
3. What the plans require the officer to do.
4. What follows if the ship departs from them.
5. Who to contact when help is needed.

To close it, we request most of our clients to add emission reporting to the pre-joining briefing. It should not be a deep dive, not another hour of slides or computer-based training, or regulatory jargon which no seafarer enjoys. Just an inclusion of the Emission data reporting discussion into the pre-joining briefing would be adequate to ensure that the quality of the reports and supporting evidences improve many fold.

This post lists a few basic points for superintendents to cover when briefing an officer who is joining a vessel. While a more detailed discussion where time and opportunity permits may be considered, at least covering these points will be very much helpful in making officers aware of the reporting guidelines

Points to cover with masters and navigating officers

• Which frameworks apply to the ship: Tell the officer whether the vessel is covered by DCS, EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and/or UK MRV, and where the related plans, documents and certificates stand.
• How reporting works: Overview of the data reporting system, its faetures and drawbacks and how the data will be handled ashore.
• Clear event entries: Highlight the need for clear deatils for each event. A port call, for example, should say whether it was for cargo operations or for services only.
• UTC for major events: Company reports may not need UTC for routine time entries. But, for major events (FWE, SBE, arrival and departure for STS), the logs should carry UTC to ease the verification process.
• Distance recording: Guide the officer to record the reason for any deviation and what it did to the distance.Entries should capture even distance covered for minor events like shifting, drifting etc as this impacts the transport work of the vessels.
• Hours underway and not underway. This split needs careful, consistent reporting. Make the officers aware that this is a latest regulatory requirement.
• Cargo quantity: Check what the ship's approved plan asks for: tonnes of cargo, deadweight, number of passengers or another measure. The officer should report in that unit without fail
• Where the data comes from: Make officers aware to confirm the source for each figure under the ship's plan, for example GPS logs or ECDIS for distance, and the bill of lading or loadicator for cargo. Verifiers expect supporting evidence to come from the same source as the data .
• Reefer Containers- Reporting the quantity of is a vital part of the report for container vessels- officer to be made aware that it will lead to improved emission ratings.
• Speed Optimization: A critical point to highlight to Masters. Working closely with operations where practically possible to optimize voyage speed and consumption can be vital for energy efficiency.We have practically seem high impact for Bulk carriers.

Points to cover with Chief engineers

• Fuel grades: Viscosity is the decider . Check whether the ship's plan follows ISO 8217:2017 or ISO 8217:2024. Both classify fuel by viscosity, and the plan decides how the grade is recorded.
• Consumption at every major event: Each event should be reported with its consumption and ROB. This level of detail follows the latest amendments, and it also makes verification and certification easier.
• Fuel split by consumer: Consumption must be shown clearly for each consumer, such as main engine, auxiliary engines and boilers. Verifiers now expect this split.
• Energy saving devices: Advise them whether the ship has any, and what effect they have on the reported data.
• Measuring equipment: Go through the gauges and flow meters the approved plan relies on and what each one is used for. Point out the planned maintenance records that must be kept for them.
• Cargo equipment : Advise to record fuel used for cargo heating, reefer cooling and cargo discharge separately.Results can lead to improved CII ratings.
• Energy Efficiency: Stress the need to optimize the equipment usage and overall Auxiliary engine, Main engine and Boiler consumption.

Make the cost impact clear

The master and the chief engineer should be made aware of one major factor : reporting has a financial side, and it lands on owners and managers.

Delayed reporting or poor data quality slows verification and may cause missed compliance deadlines. Errors lead to rework, and rework costs time and money.

Gaps in the data can also mean more carbon allowances to buy or penalties to pay, and a weaker CII rating can hurt how the ship is viewed commercially. The officer who enters the data is the person best placed to prevent these costs, and make them aware of this.

As experienced seafarers our selves, we know that an understanding of the financial impact of our reports enhances diligence.

Highlight the need for data integrity

This is one of the most important points in the whole exchange, and one area which can lead to disputed emission costs at the end of the year.

The same voyage is often reported to several parties in several formats: the company, the charterer, the verifier and the authorities. With multiple formats now the norm, the figures must be the same in every one of them, and each must be supported by evidence such as logs, bunker delivery notes and cargo documents.

Ask the officer to check entries against the source before they are sent, and to ensure that when a correction is made after pre-verification , the corrections are reflected at the source and then disseminated to all the receivers of this data .

Conclusion

The aim of the briefing is merely to make the officers aware of one thing: Emission data reporting is no longer an optional activity, and officers should be aware of the vessels data flow pipelines and energy management plans .The best methodology is to integrate this into the daily reporting structure and ensure that feed back loops are closed, so that data is always clean and ready for evaluation and certifications.

How TECS can help

TECS provides end-to-end emission data management and compliance support for IMO DCS, EU MRV, EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and UK MRV, from voyage data verification to gap analysis against your SEEMP and monitoring plans. Through simple web for vessel reporting that require no additional crew training, have built-in data validations and report generation, and capabilities to complete and close data review and corrections, TECS drives a simplified Emission Data Management system. Verified data streams are then fed through API to major accredited verifiers for direct, hassle-free certifications, while also providing EUA and Fuel EU billing statements to stake holders. Aim is to take eliminate complexity, and ensure that both ship and shore remain in sync with no stress when it comes to reporting and compliance.