This time of the year always gives a great opportunity to consider lessons learned and set new year’s resolutions for new beginnings. For that matter, Mr. Gavin Allwright, Secretary General, International Windship Association (IWSA), makes an assessment of 2021 and shares his message for the new year across the global maritime community.
SAFETY4SEA: How would you briefly describe 2021? What is your assessment?
Gavin Allwright: Watershed.
In general, it has been a year where the industry has stepped forward in the decarbonization drive, with a series of bold decarbonization declarations at COP26 and proposals from nation states on decarbonization though regulators are yet to raise the ambition, the pressure has been turned up and the first movers are already moving. This momentum is mirrored strongly in the wind propulsion segment.
The framework for decarbonization of shipping is coming more into focus, the focus then shifts towards formalizing those initiatives and delivering on them.
S4S: What were the lessons learned for the maritime industry in 2021 and what to keep for the new year moving forwards?
GA: Collaboration is the key ingredient in delivering on IMO2030, IMO 2050 and beyond. Seafarers are absolutely crucial stakeholders in the decarbonized shipping future and the welfare, recruitment, retention and training issues will impact all developments going forward. There is also the start of a realization that a hybrid ‘energy-centric’ approach to decarbonization is very important if we are to scale decarbonization, rather than solely a ‘fuel-centric’ approach and that will need to grow if we are to deliver on raised ambitions.
S4S: Focusing on your area of expertise, what do you think that will be the biggest challenge(s) for the industry in 2022?
GA:
Keeping options open and adopting a hybrid approach will be critical. There is a huge amount of work going into alternative fuels at present, but if we don’t reach out of our silos and integrate direct renewable energy use (wind, wave, solar), operational and vessel optimization together at the same time then we risk losing out on really significant progress towards decarbonization even before adopting mid- to long-term eco-fuels.
S4S: What would be the new year’s resolutions for your organization?
GA: Delivery! A simple word for bringing more reference vessels into the market, our members are committing to that, and we could see up to 40 large vessels in operation with wind installations (along with 20+ smaller vessels) by Q1 2023. This is a critical year for these demonstrators and then 2023/4 promises to be a real take-off period for wind propulsion technology, with a really robust pipeline of new technology, projects and installations slated.
S4S: What are you looking forward to in 2022? What would you be most glad about seeing changing in the maritime industry next year?
GA: We are looking forward to further engagement in the key policy platforms of IMO, the EU and with decarbonization pathway designers. Our message is for an integrated approach with wind propulsion at the very heart of that, indeed the savings in fuel costs from a rapid and wide deployment of wind propulsion technologies in today’s fleet, in principle, would pay for all of the other decarbonization efforts required in the industry over the next two or three decades.
S4S: If you could make one wish for the maritime industry for the year to come, what would you ask for?
GA:
We can all agree on a multi-faceted decarbonization strategy, with consensus reached on LCA criteria, integrated energy assessments and coming together on the mechanisms required to deliver all of this, while not leaving anyone behind.
* * * New Year’s Resolutions for the Maritime Industry * * *
In 2022,
- We need to repeat...and build on the cooperation that came together to deliver the initial IMO 2050 and deliver on a well-resourced higher ambition.
- We need to lose…the moniker of a ‘hard-to-abate’ sector as we have access to an abundant, free, pure zero-emissions energy source that is delivered directly to vessels without need for storage and is uniquely available to shipping within the transport sector – that is the WIND!
- We need to gain…confidence that shipping has all of the tools available to deliver fully on decarbonization far earlier than 2050, if we so choose.
- We can succeed by…embracing a pioneering perspective throughout the industry, becoming the first transport sector to fully decarbonize. Our designers and engineers are up to the challenge, we have laid much of the framework to transition quickly. These are challenging, unknown times ahead but seafarers have always set off into the unknown buoyed by leadership, courage and determination.
The views presented are only those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
