Maritime technology companies issued an open letter urging shipping industry to focus on both efficiency technologies and future fuels.
The group whose initial participants include Airseas, Houlder, NAPA, Norsepower, and I-Tech called for the industry, including the International Maritime Organization and EU, to promote more investment in energy efficiency and renewable propulsion technologies so the maritime industry does not miss the huge and immediate opportunity to save time and money.
As explained:
The maritime industry cannot miss a huge opportunity to save time and money by investing in and applying energy efficiency and renewable propulsion technologies for newbuilds and retrofits. These technologies which are fully commercially available, extend the lifespan of the existing fleet and reduce the environmental footprint of the sector.
Accoding to the tech group, the damage done by shipping’s carbon emissions is cumulative and won’t be reversed by future fuels. Shipping can no longer run the race to be second. All measures taken now to reduce emissions through clean technologies give owners more time to plan for decarbonisation, while saving emissions and money now.
Shipping has abundant, innovative and fully commercially-available clean technologies that can significantly reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It’s time to use them alongside new fuels.
What is more the letter calls all shipping stakeholders and international authorities to expand their focus and attention.
Long term innovation, research and development and the development of alternative fuels are key to decarbonising the maritime sector, BUT they are not the whole solution.
…the letter adds.
Shipping needs to integrate the available efficiency and renewable propulsion technologies into their roadmap immediately – with the following goals:
- to ensure that we move to address the environmental challenges right away
- to provide the opportunity to immediately drop emissions and fuel consumption while alternative fuels
continue to scale up - to provide the current fleet with an opportunity to keep pace with the rapidly accelerating environmental
objectives coming from regulators, the market and the end consumer
Overall, partners concluded that with the right support from investors and regulation, energy efficiency and renewable propulsion technology can inspire more ambitious targets and innovation, and ensure that shipping can continue as the lynchpin of a low-carbon global economy.
VIEW MARITIME TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES’ OPEN LETTER HERE
