BIMCO and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have developed a guide aiming to help the shipping industry understand and reduce underwater radiated noise from ships and help the industry implement the underwater noise guidelines from the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The attention to underwater radiated noise from ships has significantly increased over the last few years and the demand for action has risen due to its negative effects on marine creatures and the environment, according to the two industry bodies.

Commercial shipping is one of the main contributors to underwater noise at low frequencies and research has shown that the noise is harmful to the critical life functions of a wide range of marine life.

“Ocean noise harms the critical life functions of a wide range of marine life, including marine mammals, fish and invertebrate species, which many coastal communities, especially indigenous communities, depend on for their food, livelihoods and cultures. Reducing underwater radiated noise from ships is not merely a matter of environmental stewardship; it is of critical importance to ensure ocean health,” said Michelle Sanders, Alternate Permanent Representative of Canada to the IMO.

To support action from the shipping industry, BIMCO and ICS encourage all shipowners and operators to recognise the importance of reducing underwater noise and to take the necessary steps to successfully implement the IMO guidelines.

To facilitate this, the “Underwater Radiated Noise Guide” from BIMCO and ICS explores the sources of underwater noise and its far-reaching impact on marine life. It also explains the content of the IMO guidelines and how to set up a noise management plan and looks at the scope of regional regulations and voluntary measures.

Lastly, the guide explores the relationship between various energy efficiency measures and underwater noise. Various studies, including one sponsored by ICS, have found that the majority of energy efficiency measures also reduce underwater radiated noise. This guide provides a list of such measures together with estimates of the energy efficiency and underwater radiated noise improvements. For the few measures that do not produce this co-benefit, the guide gives practical advice on how to avoid or mitigate these.

“Energy efficient ships are quiet ships. As our industry cuts greenhouse gas emissions through the uptake of energy efficiency measures, the level of underwater radiated noise will also reduce and help protect marine life and the environment,” commented David Loosley, BIMCO Secretary General & CEO.

The BIMCO/ICS guide is aimed at technical superintendents and ship officers to help them understand what underwater radiated noise is and how they can help reduce it.

Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry hosted the first meeting of the working group on cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route between Kazakhstan and China, Kazinform News Agency reports.

According to the ministry's press service, the sides discussed and agreed on the projected volumes of cargo flow from China along the TITR on from China to Europe and back until the end of 2029. Through joint efforts, the parties are set to raise the volume of transportation along the TITR in 2025-2026 to 600 container trains each year, to 1,000 in 2027, and to 2,000 in 2029.

On top of that, the Kazakh side will take measures to build appropriate infrastructure in the domestic ports to ensure timely transportation of containers and prevention of delays.

Thus, it is projected that at least 50 thousand standard containers will be transshipped per year in 2025. In 2026-2029, this figure is expected to increase to at least 85 thousand containers per year.

“Today we are actively working to ensure transit flows between Europe, Central Asia and China. In 2023, the volume of cargo transportation amounted to 2.76 million tons, which is 65% more than in 2022 (1.7 million tons),” the Kazakh side noted.

Kazakhstan is currently implementing a number of projects on its section of the route, such as the construction of the second track on the Dostyk-Moiynty railway section, Almaty bypass railway, and the new Darbaza-Maktaaral railway line between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Measures are also taken to develop capacity of the Aktau and Kuryk seaports. A container hub is set to be built in the Aktau Port, which will let additionally increase the volume of transportation to 300,000 TEU per year. A grain terminal will be commissioned in the Kuryk Port this year.

Sarzha multifunctional terminal is under construction as well.

The working group expressed confidence that these measures will increase the throughput capacity of Kazakhstan's ports to 30 million tons per year (+ 10 million tons).

Demand for air cargo travel reached record levels since the beginning of the year in July, with strong growth across all regions, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Overall demand was up 13.6% from 2023, marking the eighth consecutive month of double-digit growth. At the same time, cargo capacity increased by 8.3%, mainly due to growth in baggage capacity on passenger flights and freighters. Despite this, baggage hold capacity growth was the lowest in the last 40 months, while freight capacity growth peaked from January 2024. Global trade and a thriving e-commerce market are contributing to this growth. At the regional level, African airlines posted the lowest demand growth at 6.2% year-on-year, with demand in the Africa-Asia market increasing by 15.4%.

According to the results of the first 7 months of this year, the number of cargo transportation operations using the TIR system processed at the Manzhouli checkpoint /Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, North China/ reached 239, which is 7 times more than in the same period last year. At the same time, in value terms, the volume of goods transported with the application of TIR reached 130 million yuan /about $18.3 million/, the customs office in Manzhouli /Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, North China/ reported. The value of goods transported using TIR reached 130 million yuan /about $18.3 million/, Manzhouli Customs said.

TIR transportation is a global system of simplifying customs procedures in the field of international cross-border freight transportation, based on UN conventions. By simplifying customs procedures, it contributes to improving the efficiency of customs clearance as well as the facilitation and security of multilateral trade and international transportation. China joined the TIR in 2016.

According to local customs official Yan Yafei, with a TIR certificate, logistics companies do not need to organize loading and unloading operations in transit countries and conduct customs inspections of goods in transit.

“Thus, the time for customs clearance of goods using TIR has been reduced to 12 minutes,” he added.

“Transportation using TIR is mainly for some high-value goods, including electronic products, which have high value and are easily damaged,” explained Zhou Jian, an employee of a local carrier company.

The annual Sun Island Entrepreneurs' Conference was held from August 22 to 24 in Harbin, the administrative center of Heilongjiang Province. The main topic of discussion at the conference was the new quality of productive forces.

The conference, which focused on seeking innovative development in the context of comprehensively deepening reform and striving to develop new-quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, attracted more than 1,000 participants.

Xu Qin, secretary of Heilongjiang Provincial CPC Committee, said at the main forum of the event on Saturday that Heilongjiang is accelerating the construction of an innovative region by building advanced technological innovation systems and modern industrial systems.

Addressing the forum, Fu Hua, director-general of Xinhua News Agency, said that as a state-run news agency and a new-type think tank with Chinese characteristics, Xinhua continues to expand research, interpretation and dissemination of topics related to new-quality productive forces.

Fu Hua urged the conference participants to exchange knowledge and ideas, and make valuable suggestions for the development of new-quality productive forces, which will help achieve new breakthroughs in the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China in the new era.

The three-day event was jointly organized by Xinhua and the Harbin City Government.