3 minute read
LAST WORD
from CSI Autumn 2021
by Maritime-AMC
NEWS, VIEWS AND MORE FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE
ASK THE EXPERTS
There was a select gathering on board HQS Wellington in London recently to launch the Maritime Professional Council of the UK (MPC), which aims to ensure that policy makers are aware of the range of expertise and considered opinions the maritime industry can provide.
Shipping is going through huge technological changes and the industry’s professional bodies say their expertise needs to be utilised more fully when policy decisions are made in this vital sector.
For generations, professional organisations have provided a key source of expertise helping to maintain the right standards across industrial sectors. In the maritime sector this is often not the case, meaning regulators and employers are missing out on the years of experience that leading professionals can bring to the table.
The MPC will aim to get industry expertise on display to provide informed advice on the many policy decisions that need to be made. Let us hope that the new council will be successful in getting the message across to government, preferably in advance of decisions that need to be made on maritime issues, including the green debate.
SEAFARERS’ SACRIFICES
This year’s Merchant Navy day also provided an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices the industry has made in the past — it was the 80th anniversary of the first Arctic Convoys — and deprivations suffered by those at sea. This topic is, of course, relevant today given the dire situation faced by many seafarers in recent times because of the pandemic, irrespective of where they come from.
The pandemic has resulted in a number of initiatives by individual companies and governments to address the difficulties faced by seafarers through the pandemic, not least the problem of getting vaccinated against coronavirus.
Let us hope that people will remember the sacrifices of the past, as well as those happening every day of the week. BACK TO THE FUTURE
Energy transition to meet global greenhouse gas targets is also a hot topics and class society DNV recently launched its Maritime Forecastto 2050, which aims to offer a decarbonisation stairway model to help owners and operators along the way to sustainable practices.
The 80-page report helps an industry facing the dual challenge of increasingly stringent climate change targets and regulations coupled with uncertainty over future fuel choices, technology, and supply.
According to DNV Maritime chief executive Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen: “Choosing the right fuel today for operations tomorrow is a daunting task that all owners must face up to. The business environment is changing in line with the natural one, leading not just to increased regulatory requirements, but also to new cargo-owner and consumer expectations, and more rigorous demands from capital investors and institutions.
“A misstep today in newbuild fuel strategies can have damaging consequences for businesses and assets in the future. So owners need practical, expert advice and smart solutions to ensure vessels stay competitive, compliant and commercially attractive over their lifetimes. This is where the Maritime Forecast to 2050 can help turn strategic uncertainty into confident decision-making.”
You have been told.
WINDS OF CHANGE
Windship Technology has announced its patented triple-wing rig has received “Approval in Principle” status from shipping classification society DNV.
Each wing has trailing edge flaps that allow for optimisation of the motive force produced for a variety of incident wind angles and, crucially, allow the rigs to produce the highest power density of any current wind-powered solution. With three rigs set, they can produce all the power required to sail an 80,000DWT ship on the main long transoceanic routes.
Impressive stuff.
