MULTIPLE CHOICE: SHIP TRADES, ROUTES AND DECARBONISATION
With shipping’s energy transition now launched and well underway, more clarity is emerging over fuel and technology choices and, particularly in the case of energy sources, timelines for availability. What is increasingly clear, however, is that for shipping a ‘one size fits all’ approach to its decarbonisation will not work.
As such, this year’s Marine Energy Transition Forum will take a more granular look at what the energy transition means to the maritime sector, by exploring how fuel and technology choices will be influenced by vessel trades and routes.
Speakers will consider how these factors are impacting on shipowners’ strategies on decarbonisation and when they may choose to make the key decisions on fleet renewal and retrofits. Vessel routes may also present challenges in terms of bunker supply infrastructure and the adoption of some technologies.
METF will look at the decarbonisation options for different vessel types, across the deep sea, short sea and inland sectors. The discussions at the Forum will also be informed by changes in global and regional environmental mandates and legislation, the availability of finance to deliver shipping’s energy and transition, and the impact of digitalisation on vessel and voyage optimisation.
As always, a focal point of this year’s event will be the pivotal roles of ports and terminal operators in supporting ships and trade flows as the maritime industry moves inexorably towards a net zero future.
Port visit organised by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges This half-day guided bus tour will take delegates from the right to the left bank of the port, and they will be given information about the multiple energy transition initiatives that are underway at the port. The tour includes a visit to the Advario gas terminal and an explanation about methanol production.
Click here for more information about the tour itinerary.
The opening session of METF 2024 will give delegates a ‘refresh’ on implemented and upcoming global (IMO) and European environmental regulations as they impact shipping and, more specifically, vessel segments. It will canvas the opinions of a cross-section of key maritime stakeholders, including owners, operators, charterers, and fuel suppliers. Which regulations are fit for purpose, and which may be candidates for future revision? Speakers in this session will ‘stress test’ environmental mandates, including CII, the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), FuelEU Maritime and the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation.
⚓ SESSION TWO - THE RIGHT STUFF
Industry conferences and media channels regularly report on the search for the ‘silver bullet’ in terms of shipping’s future fuel, and the sector’s energy transition often bears all the hallmarks of a fuel ‘competition’. The reality is that the discussion is much more complicated and nuanced than this, and some of the new fuels may be more suited to some vessel types and trades than others. This session will include class societies, vessel architects, fuel suppliers and owners who will discuss issues such as vessel design, projected demand for the alternative fuels, as well as the outlook for fuel supply and bunkering infrastructure on a global basis as they relate to vessel segments. The discussion will look at tramp, short sea and inland shipping, as well as deep sea trades.
⚓ SESSION THREE - TECH-TONIC SHIFT
While the headlines may focus on the availability and scalability of new energy sources for shipping, there is an increasing realisation that available and developing technologies can make a major contribution to reducing shipping’s GHG emissions and meeting decarbonisation timelines.
This session will look at the contribution of the new/old kid on the block – wind propulsion technology – as well as the potential for onboard carbon capture, battery propulsion, recent developments in engine technology and the future for the dual fuel engine (always with an eye on vessel type). Big data’s contribution to shipping’s decarbonisation will also be considered.
⚓ SESSION FOUR - OWNING IT
This session will bring shipowners, charterers and cargo owners together for a full and frank discussion on their strategies for decarbonisation. We will also add some financial institutions to the mix and confront the elephant in the room – recruiting and skilling shipping’s future workforce to deliver the industry’s decarbonisation ambitions.
⚓ SESSION FIVE - A SHORE THING
METF 2024 will conclude with a focus on the increasingly pivotal role of ports in shipping’s energy transition. Shipping’s decarbonisation will not happen without the support and expertise of both the global bunker hubs, as well as so-called second tier ports. Ports will be the entry and exit points for the transport of new energies, of which shipping will be an off taker as both cargo carrier and fuel consumer
