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News Digest
Leading USCG safety expert joins Liberian Registry
The Liberian Registry has strengthened its global team with the addition of Captain Todd Howard, who joins the Liberian Registry as Senior Vice President of Quality and Inspector Standards. This is a key appointment to the Registry, which recently surpassed the historic 200 Million Gross Ton milestone, and continues to be the fastest growing major ship Registry in the world for the second straight year.
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Capt. Howard brings to his new role at LISCR over 26 years of experience as an officer in the United States Coast Guard. Before his retirement Capt. Howard was head of the Coast Guard’s Traveling Marine Inspector team where he was in charge of the USCG’s premier group of 42 senior marine inspectors providing professional commercial vessel knowledge, experience and advanced training. Further he chaired the USCG-wide Prevention Program Quality Management Board. Prior to this posting at USCG headquarters he was a Division Chief in the Office of Design and Engineering Standards; Prevention Department Head at USCG Sector Miami, Florida; Flag State Branch Chief at USCG Sector Puget Sound, Washington; as well as additional tours in the Office of Design and Engineer Standards; as Flag and Port State Inspection Officer; and aboard a USCG cutter as the Operations officer.
LISCR’s Chief Operations Officer, Alfonso Castillero, says, “I am very happy to announce that Captain Todd Howard has joined our team of dedicated maritime experts here at the Liberian Registry. He brings to the Registry decades of handson maritime safety and regulatory experience and expertise. This is what sets us apart from the other Registries, we have the best professionals supporting our vessel owners, operators, and seafarers. Having Capt. Howard onboard with us makes us stronger and continues to provide the Liberian flagged fleet with the best possible support from the Administration. It is a great honor to welcome him to the team!”
A veteran of the maritime industry, Cypriot Andreas Chrysostomou is joining the Clean Shipping Alliance as Executive Director
With a background in Naval Architecture and Shipbuilding, Andreas Chrysostomou has contributed immensely to the various aspects of the shipping industry throughout his career, ranging from safety and security to the protection of the marine environment. He has served as Chairman of the Design and Equipment Subcommittee of the International Maritime Organisation and for the decade 2003-2013 has served as Chairman of the organisation’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). Beyond his work with the IMO, Andreas has also worked with other UN agencies such as the International Mobile Satellite Organisation where he was elected Chairman of its Assembly twice consecutively. Furthermore, he served as member of the Board of Governors of the World Maritime University and he is one of the Past Presidents of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology. Andreas is currently the Chief Strategy Officer of Tototheo Maritime following his long government service that brought him to the helm of the Cypriot administration and later to that of CLIA Europe.
Andreas’ achievements and leadership have also been universally recognized by the global community. In 2011, he was awarded for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Shipping, as was presented with the Distinguished Public Service Award by the US Department of Homeland Security for his invaluable services to international shipping. Furthermore, Andreas was named the “GST Leading Shipping Personality of the Decade 2003-2013” and Lloyd’s List’s “International Personality of the Year 2015”. In 2019 Andreas was awarded the Honorary award of Young Ship Cyprus and most recently, he also won the Smart4Sea Leadership Award of 2020.
On joining the CSA, Andreas says: “The global shipping industry has arrived at a crossroad where it must decide on how
best to transform itself in the face of unprecedented challenges. As an international organisation that represents leading shipping companies in emission control efforts, the CSA has proven itself by successfully engaging with international stakeholders on the use and effectiveness of EGCS to achieve shared environmental and sustainability initiatives across all shipping sectors. Going forward, I am confident that we will be able to contribute further to the endeavours of the whole maritime community to work towards carbon neutral emissions by 2050.”
Hapag-Lloyd renews and expands Inmarsat fleet Xpress commitment
Connectivity agreement renewal covering Hapag-Lloyd managed ships extends global container carrier’s commitment by integrating former UASC fleet and bringing 33 more ships under the contract
Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, has expanded its agreement to deliver maritime broadband to Hapag-Lloyd, after the global transport group renewed its Fleet Xpress contract for a further five years and committed 33 more ships to the market’s leading very small aperture terminal (VSAT) service.
Under the extended agreement, which now covers 77 ships, the Fleet Xpress hybrid of Ka-band and continuous L-band backup service replaces Ku-band systems onboard ships merged into the Hapag-Lloyd fleet following the earlier acquisition of United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) in May 2017. Scheduled Fleet Xpress installations enable seamless service migration based on the end of the outgoing supplier’s contract.
“The further standardisation of our vessel communication systems is central to our Maritime IT strategy,” said Florian Liebetrau, Director IT - Marine & Maritime Operations, Hapag-Lloyd. “The
outstanding reliability and robustness of Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress as a product played a key role in our decision to expand our commitment. Hapag-Lloyd has a mature strategy for its vessel connectivity and management which demands systems-wide predictability, reliability, and integration to sustain our global vision for container transport.” Hapag Lloyd was one of the first major global shipping companies to commit to Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress following service launch in 2016, transitioning all of its in-house managed ships to Inmarsat’s maritime broadband service for vessel operations and crew connectivity. The five-year contract envisaged expanding data traffic and scalability to handle fleet growth. “We are delighted to renew and expand the work we do with one of shipping’s most advanced owners for IT, ship-shore connectivity and digitalisation,” said Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime. “Standardisation and integration are pivotal enablers for corporates. This agreement and its expansion to 33 additional ships clearly demonstrate Hapag-Lloyd’s objectives Ronald Spithout are being met by the reliability, performance, and service support provided by Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress.” The new agreement includes the flexibility for Fleet Xpressconnected ships that are managed out of house and linked to Hapag-Lloyd operations to be brought under the same contract terms without renegotiation. Offering an insight into the ”On average, a container ship’s major developments in shipping’s digital journey in recent monthly data traffic in 2021 years, Spithout said “The average committed information is around three and a half times rates of data acceptable to deep-sea container lines today the level experienced five years are roughly double the maximum information rates they ago. Inmarsat is meeting this expected in 2016. On average, a container ship’s monthly data traffic in 2021 is around three rapid growth in demand and a half times the level experienced five years ago. Inmarsat for connectivity at sea” is meeting this rapid growth in demand for connectivity at sea.”
International Chamber of Shipping sets out plans for global carbon levy to expedite industry decarbonisation
The global trade association for ship operators, the International Chamber of Shipping, has put forward a comprehensive proposal for a global levy on carbon emissions from ships, in what would be a first for any industrial sector. ICS, which represents the world’s national shipowner associations and more than 80% of the merchant fleet, recently presented a submission to the UN, calling for an internationally accepted market-based measure to accelerate the uptake and deployment of zero-carbon fuels.
According to papers handed to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN’s regulatory body on shipping, the levy would be based on mandatory contributions by ships trading globally, exceeding 5,000 gross tonnage, for each tonne of CO2 emitted. The money would go into an ‘IMO Climate Fund’ which, as well as closing the price gap between zero-carbon and conventional fuels, would be used to deploy the bunkering infrastructure required in ports throughout the world to supply fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia, ensuring consistency in the industry’s green transition for both developed and developing economies.
Shipping is responsible for approximately 2% of global carbon emissions and the IMO has recognised the need for urgent action to decarbonise. The industry is desperate to see zero-carbon ships brought to the water by shipyards by 2030. However, at current rates of production, zero-carbon fuels are not commercially available at the scale needed for the global fleet. The carbon levy is intended to expedite the creation of a market that makes zero emission shipping viable.
The Fund would calculate the climate contributions to be made by ships, collect the contributions, and give evidence they have been made. ICS hopes that it would also support new bunkering infrastructure, so that new fuels, when developed, can be made available globally and from as many ports as possible. To minimise any burden on UN Member States and ensure the rapid establishment of the carbon levy, the framework proposed by industry would utilise the mechanism already proposed by governments for a separate USD 5 billion R&D Fund to accelerate the development of zero-carbon technologies, which the UN IMO is scheduled to approve at a critical meeting in November immediately following COP 26.
Guy Platten, secretary general of ICS, commented: “What shipping needs is a truly global market-based measure like this that will reduce the price gap between zero-carbon fuels and conventional fuels. “The rapid development of such a mechanism is now a vital necessity if governments are to match actions with rhetoric and demonstrate continued leadership for the decarbonisation of shipping. “There’s no question that improvements in technology can enable the transition to zero-emission shipping. However, huge leaps must still be taken if we’re to achieve the readiness levels needed for deployment at scale. This includes building the necessary infrastructure to support such as Guy Platten transition. “We need to be able to put zero emission ships in the water by 2030 without challenging price and safety issues. If the IMO lends it’s backing to our proposal, then we may yet be able to change this and deploy technologies economically and equitably.” ICS believes that a mandatory global levy based MBM is strongly preferable over any unilateral, regional application of MBMs to international shipping, such as that proposed by the European Commission which wishes to extend the EU Emissions Trading System to international shipping. A piecemeal approach to MBMs, (the EU ETS will only apply to about 7.5% of global shipping emissions), will ultimately fail to reduce global emissions from international shipping to the extent required by the Paris Agreement, whilst significantly complicating the conduct of maritime trade. The levy based MBM, which is co-sponsored by the trade association for bulk carrier operators, INTERCARGO, comes in addition to an industry and government proposed $5bn R&D fund. The R&D fund, of a mandatory $2 levy per tone on marine fuel, would be used entirely to fund the research and development of alternative zero-carbon fuels and propulsion systems. ICS has called for this fund to be approved at an upcoming pivotal meeting of the IMO in November this year. Platten concluded: “The World Bank and numerous studies have concluded that the most appropriate global MBM for reducing carbon emissions from shipping is a levy-based system. “Adopting our proposal for a levy-based system, will avoid the volatility that exists under emissions trading systems, such as the EU ETS – which in the case of shipping, seem to be more about generating revenue for governments from non-EU shipping, than helping shipping to decarbonise. “A levy based system can give the industry price certainty, and more stability for making investment decisions in zero –carbon ships and developing emissions saving technology.”
PPG introduces new SIGMA SAILADVANCE NX coating, delivering significant antifouling technology breakthrough
PPG (NYSE: PPG) recently announced the launch of PPG SIGMA SAILADVANCETM NX coating, which is the latest addition to the successful PPG Sigma Sailadvance range and a significant breakthrough in antifouling technology.
PPG Sigma Sailadvance NX coating was specifically developed to provide maximum hull protection and vessel performance in line with the requirements arising from International Maritime Organization (IMO) energy-efficiency measures. The coating delivers significant savings in fuel and related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, resulting in lower total operational costs and improved contribution toward global carbon-reduction measures.
The culmination of 10 years of intensive product development by PPG’s resin synthesis experts, PPG Sigma Sailadvance NX coating solves the shipping industry’s antifouling technology challenges by delivering real linear polishing, a minimal leached layer and protection against a broad spectrum of global fouling conditions.
Formulated using PPG’s proprietary zinc methacrylate controlled surface active polymer (CSP) resin, PPG Sigma Sailadvance NX coating delivers ultra-premium performance with minimal speed loss of 1.0% to 1.5% on average over the operational period as well as improved fuel-saving capabilities and up to 15% CO2 savings.
The coating uses a binder formulation that provides real linear polishing that is unaffected by changing seawater temperatures and minimizes the development of a leached layer. Tests and applications with existing customers show no performance loss over the period of operation, with the coating reliably achieving 45 days of idle-time protection.
PPG Sigma Sailadvance NX coating also contains an ultra-strong biocide package that targets a wide range of global fouling growth conditions, from bacterial slime and soft fouling to aggressive animal fouling.
“In developing PPG Sigma Sailadvance NX coating, our goal was to overcome the major challenges of antifouling technologies with a unique binder that ensures constant biocide availability on the hull surface and protection against broad fouling conditions,” said Ariana Psomas, PPG global segment director, newbuild and dry dock. “The new antifouling technology delivers significant CO2 savings during operation and guaranteed long-term static protection, making it an effective solution to meet emerging industry needs.”
PPG’s ultra-premium zinc methacrylate CSP resin gives a molecular structure with twice as many reactive sites to promote chemical hydrolysis than other acrylate technologies. This allows hydrolysis to be carefully controlled and results in a minimal leached layer and true linear polishing. It also ensures that biocide availability is controlled to the level required for maximum and stable protection over the operational period and while stationary.
“This unique combination results in unrivaled performance and CO2 reduction benefits for our customers,” said Psomas. “Thanks to the combination of its three unique levers, PPG Sigma Sailadvance NX coating far exceeds the performance delivered by products that are based on other acrylate technologies.”
Ariana Psomas
Wilhelmsen Ship Management relocates joint venture to Athens
Wilhelmsen Ship Management announces the relocation of its joint venture, Diana Wilhelmsen Management Limited (DWM) from Cyprus to Athens.
The relocation is part of WSM’s growth strategy poised to increase its fleet in crew and technical ship management. “We have seen an increase in the appetite for third party ship management in the Greek market. With the new strategic location, we are in a better position to strengthen our relationship with current owners and potential clients,” says Carl Schou, CEO and President of WSM.
WSM’s ship inspection service currently has a strong client base in the Greek market. WSM aims to increase its foothold by providing competitively priced professional third party ship management services to the shipping community in Greece.
DWM is a 50-50% joint venture with Diana Shipping Inc. Established in 2015, DWM provides professional third-party ship management services in commercial and technical management of dry bulk vessels.
Carl Schou
