The shipping industry across the globe is moving quickly towards a focus on sustainability due to increased environmental regulations being put in place by various bodies across the globe and the increased awareness of climate change as a whole. This shift is being referred to in the industry as “green shipping” and involves a number of practices and new technologies that have been devised to help reduce the impact of the industry on the planet.
A large part of this role will be marine operation jobs, which have to develop quickly in order to keep up with green shipping. Here, we’re going to look at how this trend is going to impact the role and general operation of vessels in the industry.
4 Trends In Green Shipping Will Impact Marine Operations
1. Alternative Fuel Adoption
The biggest shift in marine operations will be the use of alternative fuels like low-carbon or zero-emission alternatives. Some of these include green methanol, green ammonia and hydrogen fuel systems. The reason for this switch is that some of the more traditional fuel options, like heavy oil are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in vessels. Hydrogen seems to be the most popular due to the risks and limited scalability with the “green” options – however infrastructure issues may still be a problem that the industry will need to solve before complete adoption.
2. Enhanced Vessel Designs
A large part of marine operation is making sure that the design of the vessel and all of its components are as efficient as possible. With new advanced technologies entering the industry, innovations like optimised hull designs and even electric propulsion systems are coming into play to help enhance fuel efficiency and reduce the overall environmental footprint of vessels. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) introduced an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) which has since been mandated – and, according to reports has helped to reduce carbon intensity in the international shipping industry by up to 40%.
3. Autonomous & Digital Operations
One of the latest innovations to reach the shipping industry is the introduction of autonomous shipping. This is where ships can effectively run themselves without the need for large crews. This is helping to enhance fuel efficiency by optimising routes and speeds, while also using a variety of digital tools which can help to better monitor vessel performance and reduce downtime. Marine operations roles will require knowledge and experience with these tools and working with the technologies to better improve the efficiency of their vessels.
4. Regulatory Changes
In the last few years, a wide range of new regulations and policies have been introduced that have led to very ambitious targets for the shipping industry as a whole to reach. One of these targets is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 50% by 2050 – with interim goals in place for 2030 and 2040. There are some incentive-based plans also being discussed, which means that vessels can essentially purchase allowances for any increased emissions they may have on specific journeys or over a period of time.
One such plan is the EU Emissions Trading System, which is designed to encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies. However, this is not going to be a simple addition for vessels and shipping companies to integrate smoothly and will be a big challenge due to high costs, technological limitations, regulatory complexities, and the need for extensive infrastructure upgrades.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the shipping industry is set to change dramatically as a result of green shipping and a core part of that will be the role of marine operations. They will be in charge of understanding the regulations, improving vessels, and managing crews to lean towards a cleaner future. These changes, proposals, and regulations are set to make the maritime industry more sustainable, but they will not be easy to reach due to the substantial investments that are going to need to be made.
