Environmental pressure will increase because shipping is seen to have an oversized carbon footprint
Clarkson Research Services’ (CRSL) managing director (CRSL) Martin Stopford told a delegates at seminar last week that high energy costs will push up the bunker prices while environmental pressure will increase because shipping is seen to have an oversized carbon footprint.
Speaking at Moore Stephens’ Op Cost seminar in London last week, well known shiooing ecenomist Dr Stopford outlined three themes for the 2010s: shipyard overcapacity; energy costs; and the environment. All were correlated, he said, and would lead to a renewed focus on costs.
Heavy fuel oil, he said, is seen as “super dirty” and shipping is a growth industry so its emissions are increasing. But he cautioned that society has only accepted this at a “macro” level while micro-decision-making is only partially committed. He likened the situation to that of the 1980s.
He said that shipbuilding overcapacity will mean cheaper ships and greater willingness to do innovative work while lower ship earnings will push the strategic focus towards cost control.
Shipbuilding technology is very mature and so has no magic solutions. Cutting energy costs and carbon footprint will involve compromise and difficult choices. The options will include lower speed, modified designs and multiple fuel systems (eg oil or LNG).
These factors, Dr Stopford argued, mean that cost management will have a much greater urgency than in the past decade.
Source: World Bunkering
