The Chairman of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Dr Harry Conway, has admonished shipbuilders that shipping decarburization is resting on their shoulders while speaking at the 15th Forum of the Active Shipbuilding Experts’ Federation (ASEF) in Istanbul, Turkiye.
Dr. Conway told the gathering that the entire decarbonization exercise depended on designing and building new types of ships that emit less CO2.Thus, the physical ships to be built by expert shipbuilders would ensure that the shipping 2050 ambition of zero or net-zero GHG emissions becomes a reality.
Without the building of energy-efficient ships to reduce GHG emissions, alternative fuels, green shipping corridors, ports, and a retrained seafaring workforce will not be needed.Dr. Conway urged ASEF to appreciate its crucial role in the shipping decarbonization pathway towards 2050 and expressed his gratitude for ASEF’s consultative status at the IMO.
This status allows them to participate in the GHG discussions ongoing at the IMO, stressing that it puts them in a position to contribute to the decarbonization process.
“I would like to firstly thank you for your kind invitation to speak to you at this important gathering of the Active Shipbuilding Expert’s Federation (ASEF),” Dr. Coway praised the organizers.
Liberia IMO chair on MEPC disclosed that the IMO GHG Strategy was adopted in July 2023.
According to him, the goal of this strategy is to decarbonize international shipping around or by 2050.“In other words, by 2050, CO2 emissions from international shipping should be zero or net-zero,” he noted.
The IMO chair revealed that to reach this ambition, shipping must aim to reduce CO2 emissions per transport work, on average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030 compared to 2008.According to him, the strategy sets some ‘indicative checkpoints’ to gauge the seriousness of meeting these high levels of ambition.
“The first is to reduce total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 20% while striving for 30% by 2030, compared to 2008. The second checkpoint is to reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 70% while striving for 80% by 2040, compared to 2008,” he disclosed while addressing the Forum in the Capital of Turkey.
The Strategy also aims for zero or near-zero GHG emissions technologies, fuels, and/or energy sources in international shipping to represent at least 5% while striving for 10% of energy international shipping uses by 2030.This transition to decarbonized shipping means the design and building of efficient ships emitting less CO2.
“It means the production, at scale, of alternative fuels that are less CO2 emitters than the traditional conventional fossil fuel that is powering more than 95% of seagoing vessels today. It means new shipbuilding and repair yards. It means investments in new ports and energy infrastructures to cater to the new types of vessels,” he highlighted.
Dr. Coway disclosed that achieving this requires a retrained seafaring workforce proficient in using new vessels that employ alternative fuels and energy-efficient technologies.“The costs of investing in the new technologies for ships, port infrastructures, and new repurposed and retrained workforce shall run into the billions of dollars. The impacts shall be very significant. These impacts would cut across both fleets and states. ASEF Members would also be impacted,” he said.
Continuing, he stated: “In terms of impacts on fleets, new engines must be designed and built. Older vessel engines using traditional fossil fuels would either be redesigned or scrapped. The operations of vessels have to change to be more efficient. They may slow steam in some instances to burn less fuel. Thus, emitting less CO2 to make the better ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ grades under the EEXI/CII schemes of the GHG short-term reduction measures.”
According to Dr. Coway, while member States at the IMO are presently discussing potential candidates for midterm GHG Reduction measures in the context of the Global Fuel Standard (GFS) and GHG Pricing Mechanism, the Liberia International Maritime Organization have not lost sight of the fact that ultimately it is on the ships.
“I mean the physical ship, that the measures, particularly the GFS, would be implemented. That means shipbuilders like you would have to design engines and build new ships that emit less CO2. Put differently, the type of ships to be built is at the heart of the decarburization.”
He said the stakeholders of international shipping would defer to experts for the type of new innovative technologies and ships that are required to support zero or net zero green shipping by 2050.
“We are happy that ASEF enjoys consultative status at the IMO. We are also pleased that you have various subs working Groups (SWG) including SWG6 that look at the environment. This means ASEF is closely following the GHG discussions at the IMO while actively engaging in the work of the IMO especially as it relates to the Subcommittees on Ship Design and Construction, Ship Systems and Equipment, and the Maritime Safety Committee.”
“Industry players like you are critical to the decarburization of international shipping because you are the custodian of the evidence regulator like the IMO relies on to formulate regulations. You are engaged in the practical real-world experiences of constructing ships on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, the input of ASEF as IMO Member States discuss potential candidates for Midterm GHG Measures to decarbonize international shipping by 2050 would be critical. I hope that ASEF would continue to engage IMO Member States as they strive to provide the needed ‘regulatory clarity’ towards decarbonizing international shipping through the adoption of midterm GHG reduction measures,” he concluded.
