DNV has awarded ISO 50001 certification to the Greek shipping company Arcadia Shipmanagement Co Ltd. DNV also evaluated the SEEMPs prepared by Arcadia Shipmanagement Co Ltd for all its vessels and issued corresponding statements of conformity.
As commercial ship operators around the world continue to search for ways to lower their environmental impact and operating costs, ISO 50001 offers a voluntary international standard that specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an energy-management system. It offers companies a systematic approach to continually improve energy performance, including energy efficiency, use and consumption.
Certification to the ISO 50001 standard is one way in which ship operators can reduce the environmental impact of their operations, according to Nikolaos Boussounis, DNV Regional Manager for Region East Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas.
On the other hand, the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) is mandatory as defined by IMO MEPC 213 (63). It incorporates best practices for the fuel efficient operation of ships, such as better speed management throughout a ship’s voyage. Such efficiency measures will significantly reduce fuel consumption and, consequently, CO2 emissions.
Arcadia Shipmanagement Co Ltd has previously achieved certification against a number of internationally recognised QHSE standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and Green Award. Now Arcadia joins an elite group of companies around the world that have certified their systems and processes against the ISO 50001 standard and has demonstrated best practices for energy use and conservation on board its fleet vessels and at the Arcadia premises.
Arcadia is the first shipping operator certified by DNV Greece, according to ISO 50001. “ ARCADIA has long recognised the value and importance of strong management systems. The implementation of ISO 50001 should reduce our ships’ energy costs, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental impacts ,” said Mattheou Dimitrios, Managing Director of Arcadia Shipmanagement Co Ltd. “ We’re pleased that the ISO 50001 certification further recognises that our best practices for energy use and conservation are fully integrated in Arcadia’s fleet vessels. ”
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World Maritime News, August 30, 2012; Image: dnv