Page 48 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - SEPT 2025

Liner shipping

We need solutions that can be applied to all the Red Sea. Moreover, harsh sea
shipping markets and models. That’s the best way conditions add to the existing challenges
to accelerate shipping's green transition. seafarers and companies face.
However, we still need to focus on
the fundamentals. For instance, con-
tainer packing onboard the ships must
be done properly; the people responsible
for loading containers must be accurate
regarding the weights they report
and must communicate cargo data
in a transparent way. Transparency
is essential to creating an effective
stowage plan because, if ocean carriers
receive incorrect information, the stow-
age plan can be negatively affected.
To address this issue, specific procedures
must be followed by all stakeholders
in liner shipping. Frankly speaking, even
if the loss rate is very low, any incident
involving containers lost at sea can pose
risks to coastal communities. For this
Recently, another incident of containers reason, we are in constant communi-
being lost at sea took place. While cation with the IMO and have launched
such incidents are declining, the study mentioned above.
what initiatives are being imple-
mented to prevent them? If you had to choose the three main
One container lost at sea is one too many. challenges your members will face in
That’s how we see it, and we have the short term, what would they be?
done a lot of work to address the issue. In my opinion, the first challenge is
To put things in context, the WSC the uncertainty surrounding tariffs.
collects information and provides it Shippers are our customers, and
to the IMO. In 2023, a total of 221 the current uncertainty in the US
containers were lost at sea out of 250 disrupts the entire industry. Enhancing
million transported. The percentage certainty would benefit all stakeholders
is very low, but we can always do better. in the supply chain.
Over the last three years, we have Second, geopolitical challenges continue
invested, along with 60 other partners, to be a significant concern. For most
in a study by MARIN TopTier to identify carriers, taking the longer route through
the root causes of this issue. The study the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red
is now complete and in the finalisation Sea is a tremendous challenge. At the
stage, and we will soon share the findings same time, piracy and armed robbery
with the IMO. An early finding is related incidents are happening along the Afri-
to avoiding and managing various can coast.
types of dangerous parametric rolling The third challenge is the transi-
that can lead to the loss of containers tion to net-zero carbon emissions.
at sea. We are sharing best practices We have invested some $200 billion
with mariners and seafarers, while in dual-fuel newbuilding ships, and
masters are being trained to recognise that investment should be realised
these conditions and change course for the global community. We want
and speed accordingly. This early to accelerate the use of alternative
insight has already had a significant fuels, but there are significant risks
impact. involved. Their use requires tremendous
As one delves deeper into the study, amounts of training and some of these
multiple reasons can be identified, fuels, such as ammonia, pose risks and
as the maritime environment is inher- can lead to loss of life. Lastly, there are
ently challenging. Let us not forget that, divergent views among member states
just recently, ships had to go around in the IMO, and it takes a lot of effort to
Africa because they couldn’t go through bring them together.
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