U.S. Coast Guard Approves WiFE on Demand Testing on APL’s Vessel

August 12, 2007

West Vancouver, B.C. - Sea to Sky Pollution Solutions Corporation (“Sea to Sky”) (www.seatoskypollutionsolutions.com), the preeminent world leader in the development of pollution mitigation and monitoring systems for the marine industry, is testing their new water in fuel emulsion technology called WiFE on Demand on shipping giant APL Maritime’s ocean-going vessel M/V APL Singapore as part of a three-year demonstration project funded by the Carl Moyer Program. The aim of the project is to determine the technology’s effectiveness in reducing polluting marine emissions, particularly NOx and particulate matter.

Sea to Sky‘s proprietary system was  developed during an earlier project after the company won an international competition for funding from the Port of Los Angeles to develop a prototype water in fuel emulsion system on one of Sea Span Ship Management’s vessels at the Port of L.A. This project was an unqualified success, however it was determined that the initial system had broader implications for the ship’s systems and the WiFE AutoPurge System was subsequently developed and added as a safety component to enable the flushing of the emulsified fuel from the ship’s fuel system in the even of an emergency.

After conducting a rigorous technical review of WiFE on Demand, the U.S. Coast Guard granted official approval in June 2007 for emissions testing of the technology on M/V APL Singapore. Emissions experts from the University of California Riverside will be conducting the emissions testing in three phases between August and October. The first phase was completed between August 3rd and August 8th with the purpose of testing the emulsification capability of the WiFE system and to verify that the emulsified fuel would clean the soot from the exhaust system. This test has been successfully completed and while final results are still pending, initial assessments indicate the combustion efficiency post-test has been improved over pre-test combustion efficiency because the soot emissions seem to have been effectively cleaned from the exhaust even though the maximum water content used during the test was 7%. The second phase is currently ongoing and consists of the extended use of the emulsifier (i.e. homogenizer) at 0% water content. The third phase is the formal emission testing scheduled for late October.

States CEO Eric Hutchingame, “If the final formal testing in October is successful, Sea to Sky will apply for Best Available Certified Technology (BACT) and will be poised to bring WiFE on Demand to market. In this case, we hope that APL will consider installing our technology on 23 of its 100 vessels that call at California ports. “

WiFE on Demand is a marine emissions mitigations technology that injects water into the fuel burned by the ship's engine. Emission reductions anticipated are in the order of 1:1 for nitrous oxide (NOx) and 1:2 to 1:3 for particulate matter (PM) based on water percentage (i.e. 30% water reduces NOx by 30% and PM by 60-90%). In-cylinder evaporation of the water during the process also improves the atomization of the fuel causing it to burn more completely, which further reduces polluting emissions.

New air pollution mitigation technologies such as Sea to Sky’s WiFE on Demand are some of the voluntary measures that vessel operators calling at California ports are taking to comply with the United States’ strictest standards for air pollution; the recent Clean Air Action Plan aims to reduce port-related air pollution by 45 percent over the next five years. The need to reduce marine emissions extends beyond California: carriers are facing growing pressure throughout the world to reduce emissions from ocean vessels.

About Sea to Sky Pollution Solutions Corporation

Sea to Sky Pollution Solutions Corporation www.seatoskypollutionsolutions.com is a global consortium based in West Vancouver, Canada that includes a network of leading environmental technology developers, marine and aerospace manufacturers and environmental stewards to serve the maritime community and Sea to Sky’s stakeholders. Sea to Sky’s mission is to eliminate discharges of effluents into the Sea from marine vessels while simultaneously reducing the NOx and particulate matter (PM) emissions they put into the Sky, as reflected in their slogan “Breathe Easy - the Coast is Clear”. Sea to Sky designs innovative, integrated system-based solutions that eliminate the environmental impact of marine vessels, including the effects of toxic diesel emissions.

About APL Ltd.

APL Ltd. (www.apl.com) provides customers around the world with container transportation services through a network combining high-quality intermodal operations with state-of-the-art information technology. APL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines (OTC: NTOLY), a global transportation and logistics company engaged in shipping and related businesses.

Media Enquiries

Eric Hutchingame
Tel: 604-925-8330  Fax: 604-925-8350
Email: eric@wifeondemand.com   Website: www.seatoskypollutionsolutions.com 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and are based on the information available to the parties as of such date. These forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, changes in technology, legislation, regulations and general market conditions. APL Maritime Ltd., MAN B&W Diesel, the U.S. Coast Guard and other companies and organizations and their agents or representatives cited are in no way endorsing or warranting the statements in this press release. Due to the many risks and uncertainties, Sea to Sky Pollution Solutions Corporation cannot assure that forward-looking statements that may be contained in this press release will be realized.

back to news release & articles