Tag: future of shipping

   Business leaders and experts from across the global maritime community met at Nor-Shipping Conference to focus on the future of shipping – the industry that holds world trade together. Delegates turned up to listen to the hard-hitting discussions that looked to, among other things, innovation, investment and transformative technology. Global geopolitical and economic scenarios were also debated. After the attendees stood up to welcome His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, they were treated to a short piece of music by acclaimed violinist Charlie Siem, son of Norwegian shipping magnate Kristian Siem. Sturla Henriksen, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, then welcomed delegates with an inspiring speech on the shipping industry, which he said “contributes vitally to global economic growth and prosperity.” “This industry is key to a sustainable global economic welfare. Carrying 90% of world trade, it represents less than 3% of global CO2 emissions. That makes this industry the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation. So shipping is part of the solution.” New Norwegian maritime strategyIn her opening address, Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg referred to her government’s newly announced national maritime strategy, saying that the the Norwegian government wanted to establish a forward-looking framework for the ...

  John Kokarakis, VP Engineering, Bureau Veritas presentation during the 2015 GREEN4SEA Forum The tsunami of emission related regulations and the need for environmental friendliness also dictates the utilization of alternate fuels less polluting than HFO. The star player is LNG but  not the only player though. Future ships will burn a variety of fuels; hydrogen, synthetic fuels and biofuels will be chosen depending on the characteristic of the ship.   Nowadays, we are facing an utterly confusing and conflicting tsunami of fuel regulations. Fuel is the most expensive OPEX item and plays an important role in defining the future of the shipping industry. The drivers for new marine fuels are: regulations, financial considerations and available technology. In the future, there is going to be coexistence of multiple fuels. Be aware that the wrong fuel choice has major impact on commercial performance of the vessel. Pioneer owners may be confronted with unforeseen technical issues costing time and money. However shipping thrives through innovation and technology development. The fact that the charterer pays the fuel removes the motivation from the owners to use alternative fuels. Lack of bunkering facilities and supply chains are barriers for the introduction of new “exotic” fuels. Due to ...

Tatsuo Nishikawa wins DNV GL COMPIT award

Changing Tides: Shipping's Future

For many in the industry the question of attracting and retaining the skilled workers needed to run their shipping operations is a constant challenge. Europort is calling attention to this strategically important issue by designating it as one of the core themes to be explored in 2015. However, recent technical development have reignited interest in an alternative approach: dispensing with the need for a crew altogether! Once more, potential cost savings and the fact that 85% of ship accidents are attributable to human error are being advanced as persuasive arguments for full automation. One company that is exhibiting at Europort in 2015 has already progressed further than the ‘what if?’ stage. Classification society DNV GL has reached the test phase in Norway, using a 1:20 scale model, of its automated short sea ship of the future. “ReVolt” envisages a vessel that is greener, smarter and safer than conventionally fuelled and operated vessels. Autonomous, fully battery powered and highly efficient, the “ReVolt” ship model embodies a shipping concept that looks to being a different dimension to shortsea shipping’s competitive case against rail and road modes. Instead of using diesel fuel, the “ReVolt” vessel will be powered by a 3,000 kWh battery. ...

Rolls Royce future bridge operation concept

Ship Intelligence for platform support vessels

Planning for a future of unmanned ships