World Maritime Day- Navigating safely through the decarbonisation transition
World Maritime Day is an official International Maritime Organization (IMO) day of recognition highlighting the vital work of the maritime sector and its key workers. International shipping transports more than 80 per cent of global trade worldwide; it underpins supply chains, international trade and globalisation. In turn, seafarers are the vital foundation of our industry and their safety must remain paramount now and into the future.
With this in mind, the 2024 World Maritime Day theme is: “Navigating the Future: Safety First!” In a nutshell, the focus is on ensuring the safety of seafarers is maintained and enhanced going forwards – especially as the industry is transformed through its decarbonisation drive. The introduction of new energy efficiency devices, alternative fuels and digital technology, for example, are all driving significant change. This environmental progress is essential; however, seafarers are at the coalface of unprecedented change to their training needs, skills and working practices.
As a P&I Club, we believe loss prevention plays an important role in informing shipowners and their crews of evolving risks brought about by new technologies, and how to mitigate those risks. Our loss prevention team are all ex-seafarers, which helps them to understand the challenges and dangers that crew face in day-to-day shipping operations. They are acutely aware of the constant need to prioritise safety.
Our Loss Prevention Team for example, recently spearheaded West joining the Maritime Battery Forum – a global forum of experts in marine battery technology including shipowners, manufacturers, shipyards, classification societies, academia, insurers, charterers, and cargo owners. The forum’s key objective is to expedite the adoption of safe maritime battery solutions to facilitate emission reduction from ships and offers the valuable opportunity to enhance understanding and gain insights into the risks, safety protocols, and technological advancements surrounding the use of batteries on ships.
Similarly to renewable propulsion technologies like batteries, alternative low emission, net-zero and zero emissions fuels such as methanol, methane, ammonia and hydrogen, are set to be key to achieving the IMO’s decarbonisation targets. However, handling, bunkering and using these fuels presents further emerging risks and updated training requirements. Ammonia, for example, is zero-carbon but also highly toxic, meanwhile hydrogen is highly flammable and in its liquid form is transported at -253°C.
Tracing and enforcing fuel standards may also become even more complex as the fuel mix widens. Research from Lloyd’s Register and Thetius estimates that more than 1m metric tonnes of off-specification or non-compliant fuels are already detected each year, undermining the safety of seafarers. The risks and regulations regarding off specification fuels and wider points on marine bunker fuel contamination must also be watched closely. West of England offer a Bunker Fuel Quality Advisory Service to our Members in partnership with Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS). This provides information on off-specification occurrences, fuel quality parameters for the top bunkering ports as well as Bunker Alerts whenever an adverse fuel quality trend is identified in a specific port or geographical area.
In order for new cleaner fuels to become commoditised, commercialised and widely adopted to support the decarbonisation transition, these safety challenges must be addressed. At West, we are focused on this at the highest levels, with our Head of Asia and Corporate Director Tony Paulson as the Chair of the International Group of P&I Clubs’ alternative fuels working group. The group asses the risks and safety requirements of these fuels, supporting the development of new standards and best practice and the safe transition to cleaner fuels.
Battery propulsion and alternative fuels are just two examples of many in which safety and environmental performance overlap with marine insurance and our vital loss prevention support for Members. As we mark World Maritime Day, it is essential that shipowners are up to date with the latest advice on safety as decarbonisation progresses and that this filters through to their crew. For seafarers steering the course, there are some processes and best practices here to be aware of in our other recent safety blog.