Partnerships     2018 Highlights     Awards     News     Hotel     Contact

OPTIMIZED FORMAT  –  INNOVATIVE IDEAS  –  PROFITABLE OPPORTUNITIES

I believe our industry is the most valuable and indispensable industry on the planet—but is it the most honest?  As we face increasing regulations, are they being implemented and enforced in a systematic and consistent fashion so we have a level playing field?  Are we, as an industry, doing everything possible to build our credibility, and therefore secure our social license to operate?

Of that, I am not sure.

I’m in Athens this week where we are producing the inaugural Hellenic American Maritime Forum, bringing together the shipping and trading might of Greece and America in a partnership between SHIPPINGInsight and SAFETY4SEA.  In one of my meetings, the conversation about enforcing next year’s IMO 2020 changes arose, and claims were made that it will have very little effect as operators will continue to burn 3.5% Sulphur (without scrubbers) because they don’t believe they will be caught.

How can this be true???  After all, there is flag state monitoring the compliance of its registered vessels, and then there is port state control performing inspections on ships entering its waters.  Not to mention RO’s (responsible organizations, classification societies).  Shouldn’t that be a deterrent to cheating the regulations?

Apparently not, some believe, for multiple reasons.

But there are steps that could correct this:

• Need for a standard bunker contract
• Need greater use of mass flow meters
• Need to take bunker samples at the manifold, not from the barge
• Need to deploy more surveyors

We need to solve the enforcement conundrum in order for our industry efforts to be taken seriously.  It makes good commercial sense for ALL stakeholders to be held accountable for enforcing legislation.  Efforts to bypass regulatory implementation hurts the ENTIRE industry and its credibility to self-regulate.

Keep optimizing,

Carleen

• Fuels
• Digitalization
• Blockchain
• Human Element
• Autonomous
• SHIPPINGInsight Updates

World’s first river vessel running on hydrogen fuel cells

2019-05-21 – ABB announced it will provide a solution for a newbuild vessel that operates along the Rhône river in France to run entirely on hydrogen fuel cells. The vessel’s overall energy chain will be emission-free. The vessel is planned for delivery in 2021. . . READ MORE

New LNG Terminal at JAXPORT is Open for Business

2019-05-23 – JAX LNG, a liquefied natural gas facility at Dames Point in Jacksonville, Florida, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 16 to mark the official start-up of the newly constructed plant. . . READ MORE

Hurtigruten Inks ‘Rotten Fish’ Biogas Deal

2019-05-23 – As the global marine industry aggressively moves to reduce emissions from ships, and Norway in particular has thrown down the gauntlet of zero emission cruise ships in certain fjords along its scenic coast, Norwegian cruise ship operator Hurtigruten has signed a 7.5-year deal to buy liquefied biogas (LBG) made from dead fish and other organic waste to help power its vessels. . . READ MORE

Tech can track ships that turn off AIS transponders

2019-05-22 – Ship operators switching off their AIS transponders to indulge in activities such as sanctions busting may soon find that maritime domain awareness technology has caught up with them. . . READ MORE

Marine insurance blockchain tech sees another participant

2019-05-23 – Insurwave Limited, a marine insurance blockchain joint venture company from EY and Guardtime, announced a new agreement with Zhuhai Port Holdings Group to collaborate on the development of frictionless trade processes across China’s Greater Bay Area, and onward into international supply chains. . . READ MORE

Women in leadership roles boost company performance, says new report

2019-05-23 – Businesses with genuine gender diversity, particularly at senior level, perform better and see significant profit increases, according to a new report from the Bureau for Employers’ Activities of the ILO. The report says that gender diversity effects beneficially when women hold 30% of senior management and leadership positions, although almost 60% of enterprises do not meet this target. . . READ MORE

U.S. Pacific Fleet Stands Up Unmanned-Vessel Squadron

2019-05-24 – The U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet has created a new unit to support experimentation and fleet integration of unmanned surface vessels – not small drone boats, but yacht- or OSV-sized vessels. . . READ MORE