Greener Shipping Summit, June 6, 2024, Metropolitan Expo\u00a0Organised by Newsfront \/ Naftiliaki, under the auspices of\u00a0MARTECMA<\/p>\n
Half a million seafarers would have to be retrained if greener ship technology as it stands becomes the rule, the 16th Greener Shipping Summit heard last week.<\/p>\n
Seafarer training, regulatory challenges and new approaches were explored at \u2018The Greener Shipping Summit 2024,\u2019organised by Newsfront\/ Naftiliaki under the auspices of MARTECMA (Marine Technical Managers Association) as part of the Posidonia 2024 conference programme.<\/p>\n
Summit keynote speaker, Dimitris Fafalios, Chairman of Intercargo, kicked-off the summit with a warning \u201cwe cannot achieve IMO goals without safety.\u201d \u201cTo develop the right regulations for decarbonisation and safety we must help our regulators to understand the fundamental difference between shipping\u2019s basic models.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Posidonia 2024 summit called into question the shipboard force\u2019s readiness for the greener transition, with a focus on the quality of shipping training, digitalisation and fleet efficiency. \u201cSeafarers will understand the new processes,\u201d said George Skevis, General manager of CLEOS. \u201cWho is going to train the trainers?\u201d queried Angelos Pantouvakis, School of Maritime and Industry Dean.<\/p>\n
Technical and managerial shipping was considered, following the eco-friendly demands. A key issue is the handling of the most promising alternative fuel, ammonia, which would require \u201csome hard skills training,\u201d underlined Natassa Kouvertari, Lloyd\u2019s Register\u2019s Maritime Decarbonisation Hub Project Manager. She noted that up to 800,000 seafarers will need re-training in green shipboard technology sectors. \u201cManagerial skills must not be neglected,\u201d stressed Kostas Spyrou, Professor at National Technical University of Athens.<\/p>\n
Konstantinos Agas, Training Manager at Dynacom and Dynagas, addressed inadequate trainers and unfeasible training-time for seafarers, with the recommended monthly hours being \u201820-25.\u2019 Andreas Hadjipetrou, Managing Director of Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd, emphasised recruiting \u201cthe right people onboard\u201d, like officers. \u201cMaritime operations\u2019 fast pace regime pose difficult training conditions,\u201d Takis Koutris, Managing Director of Roxana Shipping SA, underlined. Crew well-being initiatives, like appointing \u201ca well-being ambassador and monthly psychological consultations\u201d are critical, he noted.<\/p>\n
The summit panellists debated whether AI is a tool or a threat, agreeing remote training aids seafarer well-being but questioned its regulation. Mr Agas proposed \u2018virtual light training initiation,\u2019 where trainees are given the option to conduct their training online. However, \u201cthere is no standardised remote training,\u201d said Dimitris Fokas, Training Manager of Angelicoussis Shipping Group and Chairman of Human Element Committee, Intertanko. \u201cHow can we verify that the trainees have received certificates?\u201d he added. It is the combination of both remote and hands-on training, the panellists concurred.<\/p>\n
\u201cProper decarbonisation plans\u201d must be made for future vessels with alternative fuels,\u201d said Morten Lero, Managing Director Maritime Advisory at DNV. He noted that \u201cby 2030, shipping might need to utilise 30 – 40% of the world’s alternative fuel production to meet regulatory expectation.\u201d Stela Spiraj, Senior Engineer of Regulatory Affairs at ABS underlined the rapidly changing Green regulatory challenges they face. Rapid adoption is needed and, with ammonia and hydrogen being classified as potential alternative fuels, \u201cwe expect ammonia to be adopted by July 1st 2026,\u201d she revealed.<\/p>\n
Though regulatory challenges persist in the use of alternative fuels, Carbon Capture has emerged as a viable solution for many ships, with it being able to capture CO2 from a vessel\u2019s exhaust for safe and future storage. \u201cLNG is the best fuel for carbon capture,\u201d Antonis Trakakis, Technical Director at RINA and CIMAC Hellas Chairman noted. \u201cWith it on board, you can use the pre-combustion instead of the post-combustion systems,\u2019\u2019 he said as it decreases energy consumption, evidenced by Cambridge research. However, the concern on Carbon Capture Systems falls on its verification. \u201cWe don’t want to give credit to the wrong industries,\u201d said John Kokarakis, Technical Director of SEEBA Zone and Bureau Veritas. The systems won\u2019t be verified until \u2018Spring 2025,\u2019 he revealed.<\/p>\n
Following the eco-friendlier transitions for vessels, Kokarakis recommended focusing on three key items: improving hydrodynamic design, using silicon-based paints, and exploring biofuels compliant with the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS). For new builds, Fotis Belexis, Technical Director at Star Bulk Carriers Corp, stressed the importance of \u201coperational optimisations\u201d, to improve fleet efficiency. Selecting appropriate energy consumers, improving aerodynamic designs, and reducing electric energy requirements are crucial steps. However, Second-hand ships are in the spotlight now; Belexis advised \u201cchecking maintenance records, engine propulsion systems, fuel consumption records, and regulatory compliance.\u201d<\/p>\n
On decarbonisation and IMO regulations, the biggest concern was that of hydrogen. Despite it being a potential cleaner energy source, \u2018its global warming potential is 11 times greater than CO2, over a 100 year timescale,\u2019 said Panos Zachariadis, Technical Director at Atlantic Bulk Carriers Management Ltd. \u201cNew studies say it\u2019s even worse than that, 60 or 200 times worse,\u201d he warned. The question is how much of it is going to escape, he stressed.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that \u201cwe need new technologies like nuclear fourth-generation\u201d because \u2018using renewable electricity to produce green fuels is not an efficient approach.\u2019 Other solutions include ammonia, but he believes we need further studies to verify this. \u2018Targets have been achieved, on paper though,\u2019 he highlighted. The global warming potential of LNG is \u201828 and 25 according to CII\u2019 (Carbon Intensity Indicator) calculations; he explained that these calculations are based on the textbook chemical reaction of natural gas in engines, which may not exactly reflect real-word conditions. Nevertheless, he underlined that \u201828 is a viable number.\u2019<\/p>\n