Overall, the shipping industry’s carbon emissions account for only 3% of total global emissions. That’s not much compared to other large industries, but one study found that if the industry doesn’t become more sustainable, it could rise to 17% by 2050. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is eager to prevent this and has set a goal: 50% reduction in emissions by 2050.
Reflecting the industry’s efforts to achieve the 2050 goals, the World Maritime theme for 2022 is “New Technologies for Green Shipping”. While there were already efforts to make the industry more sustainable before the IMO announcement, more sustainability efforts from all corners of the industry have sprung up since the goal was set.Here are the current sustainability trends in the maritime industry that help the world fight climate change.
In addition to the collective efforts of the maritime industry to reduce carbon emission, the acceleration of the digital transformation caused by the pandemic is also driving the use of automation technology in the industry. More and more industry sectors are integrating automation into their operations to improve efficiency and, in turn, sustainability.
Port cargo handling is expected to be more automated, further reducing the manpower required, improving operational efficiency and optimizing performance.Decide sustainable shipping routes It’s made easier, and hopefully more reliable, through the use of tools like automatic flight planning and weather routing.
On a larger scale, semi-automated or fully-automated vessels may be more successful on smaller voyages.This is combined with the industry’s shift towards battery-powered ships, such as Yara Berkeland and Chinese Zhongtiandianyun 001.
The Yara Birkeland in particular, following its maiden voyage in February 2022, fully demonstrates the potential of unmanned electric boats to help the maritime industry achieve its sustainability goals. The success of the 80-meter vessel should spur the existence of fully electric and fully autonomous vessels for commercial use.
Despite being the most efficient mode of transportation, ships are known for using extremely dirty fuel. There are potential alternatives, such as ammonia, methane, and methanol, but current technology still doesn’t allow them to be used on a large scale. At the same time, the industry’s efforts will focus on minimizing toxic emissions by finding the cleanest alternatives — especially low-sulphur fuels.
As early as 2020, the IMO required ships to reduce their sulphur emissions by 0.5%. Efforts to reduce sulphur emissions, however, will not make much sense because further reductions are too expensive. One of the alternatives being considered is liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is still a fossil fuel despite being considered the cleanest.using a scrubber, a type of removal harmful elements From the exhaust, it may also start to become more common.
Barring a major breakthrough in cleaner fuel alternatives this year, the industry is expected to continue to take advantage of its available measures to reduce harmful emissions.
A major challenge to making cleaner fuel options viable for the maritime industry is the inability of current technologies to accommodate their use. Most ships in use today are designed to run on dirty fuels and therefore require major repairs. This is another challenge in itself, but it also presents an opportunity for a shift towards a circular economy.
The industry is no stranger to the concept of a circular economy. It’s been trying to create one for years, but now is the perfect time to double down.
With ships requiring redesign, now is the perfect time to consider modular designs or standardized components to make refurbishment, repair, upgrades and resource recovery easier and more efficient.
The Environmental Protection Agency has found that ship emissions can be significantly reduced by allowing ships to draw power from the port’s grid. Unlike using self-generated electricity, shore power allows ships to reduce emissions by up to 98%.
As the industry works towards a goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2050, we could see many ports undergoing major overhauls to allow ships to connect to the grid.
The maritime industry is a male-dominated field, with women making up only 2% of the world’s seafarers. Given that the industry has pledged to halve emissions by 2050, embracing gender diversity may be one of the less obvious things it needs to do to succeed.
By admitting more women, an open-minded culture may begin to flourish, giving way to valuable ideas that the industry may use. It also means that recruiting will start to focus more on qualifications than gender, which will definitely help it achieve more.
The maritime industry is a huge industry and the backbone of global trade. It accounts for 90% of all trade, so it must not lag behind in sustainability efforts. This is an essential industry, and without its participation, the world will struggle to achieve its sustainability goals.
Sustainability Trends In the maritime industry, focus on the development of new technologies or the maturity of existing technologies. What has been accomplished so far, and what the industry is currently doing, shows that it is on the right track, provided it aligns with its own efforts. Nonetheless, the industry still needs the help of neighbouring industries, especially the shipping industry, to fully adopt sustainable practices, such as the use of sustainable packaging solutions.
