Page 114 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΣ 2024

OPINIONS ON GREEN SHIPPING

George Souravlas expresses his scepticism about the success of shipping’s
decarbonisation efforts within the designated timeframe, asserting his belief that
biofuels are not a viable long-term solution for the shipping industry.

ENVIRONMENTAL

REGULATIONS

MUST INVOLVE ALL SHIPPING

STAKEHOLDERS

35% (almost one in three) of the survey participants would invest
in neither CO2 capture systems nor in LNG, methanol or ammo-
nia engines to improve the energy efficiency of a newly built ship.
Does this finding raise concerns about the pace of the industry’s
decarbonisation?
All environmental technological solutions that would reduce
vessels’ GHG impact come at a high cost. On the other
hand, using alternative fuels could offer significant finan-
cial incentives. Therefore, different strategies should be
applied depending on the type of vessel and her expected
days at sea. For instance, Ηandysize bulk carriers, which
spend more time at port than sailing and have relatively
low consumption due to their size, will be the last to have
any of the solutions mentioned above installed. Conversely,
owners of large container vessels, which spend several days
at sea and have high fuel consumption due to their size and
speed, would be among the first to consider technological
solutions for the reduction of GHG emissions. However, as
space is of great importance to these vessels, solutions
that do not significantly reduce their container carrying
capacity would be sought.
Consequently, we will probably see two or more alternative
fuels on top of the conventional being supplied, depending
on the needs and characteristics of each type of vessel. Being
this the case, the issue of crew training on new technologies
will become more complex. All newly contracted vessels have
been built with enhanced energy efficiency, regardless of
whether they use any of the abovementioned technological
by George Souravlas, solutions or not, leading to a substantial reduction in their
Founder & CEO carbon footprint when they commence service.
of Load Line Marine S.A.
Furthermore, as there does not seem to be a clear winner

114