Standards & Compliance Briefing: MARPOL, Sustainable Palm Oil, FIDE Certification, ISO 14001, LEED

ClassNK has issued its first-ever Statement of Fact for Tier III nitrogen oxide (NOx) reductions to a marine diesel engine with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. The engine was fitted as the propulsion system for MV Santa Vista, a 37,800 dwt general cargo ship, built by Naikai Zosen, and the document verifies that the NOx emission results, fitted with a pre-turbocharger SCR system developed by Hitachi Zosen, meet the NOx Tier III emission limits set in Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973 (MARPOL). SCR systems can potentially reduce in emissions of more than the 80 percent required under Annex VI, the classifications society said.

Malaysia is proposing its own Malaysia Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification system similar to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification, except that some issues such as GHG emissions and peat land development are modified according to national laws. The MSPO standard is expected to help the country target trade based on existing bilateral agreements with nations that do not insist on RSPO from its trade partners. The existing RSPO-certified Malaysian plantations automatically can be certified under MSPO, writes Malaysia’s The Star.

Elevator and escalator manufacturer KONE Inc. has achieved the FIDE certification for its KONE MonoSpace and MiniSpace elevators. The certification makes KONE the first member of the elevator industry to offer certified energy-saving products throughout Mexico and Latin America. FIDE is the official Mexican organization that acknowledges companies for their technical efforts to produce energy-efficient equipment, according to KONE’s statement.

South Korea’s National Computing & Information Agency (NCIA), a system of managing and integrating all of the government’s IT resources in a single place, has saved the government about $55 million since NCIA began operations six years ago. The cost of maintenance and operations has been decreased by 30 percent while redundant spending of government funds has been considerably reduced, the Korea IT Times reports.

The environmental management system (EMS) of Russian oil and gas company Gazprom has been certified for compliance with the ISO 14001 standard, in an audit conducted by independent certifiers, Det Norske Veritas. Gazprom’s EMS integrates environmental management in the company and its 28 subsidiaries, Gazprom said.

The Zhuahi, China facility of Maxcess, a manufacturer of web handling equipment has achieved ISO 14001 certification for its brands Fife, Magpowr and Tidland. This news follows the company’s efforts to achieve ISO 9001 certification, the company said.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port has been awarded ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications for occupational safety by the Indian Register for Quality Systems (IRQS). With this, JNPT has become the first major port in India to receive three ISO certifications, including its Occupational Health and Safety Management System certification, writes domain-B.com.

The newly built dormitory, Centennial Hall, at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) was awarded LEED Gold certification. The dormitory features observation tower, crafted and raised by New Energy Works Timberframers, the company said. Centennial Hall was csonstructed using sustainable building materials including the LEED eligible Douglas fir and Cedar timbers. New Energy Works Timberframers provided all of the timber frame elements, including the 55-foot glulam posts and solid Douglas fir beams of the observation tower.