By
Alex Smith |
The 3rd GreenTech in Shipping Virtual Forum, organised by ALJ Group, was held on 2-3 March, attracting almost 2,000 registered viewers from around the world.
The forum focused on green technologies and explored what is required for the shipping industry to become sustainable. Among the opening speakers on the first day of the event was Bud Darr, MSC Group’s executive vice president for maritime policy and government affairs, who discussed the actions MSC has taken to increase efficiency and reduce emissions, including establishing partnerships with relevant organisations and accelerating its research and development in the sector.
The following sessions included technical presentations from solution providers includingWärtsilä, TECO 2030, GTT, RINA and RSC Bio Solutions, among others. The first day concluded with a panel discussion involving representative from three cruise lines: Jill Stoneberg, director for social impact and sustainability at Virgin Voyages; Tom Strang, senior vice president of maritime affairs at Carnival Maritime; and Anshul Teteja, associate vice president for global marine operations at Royal Caribbean Group. The discussion was led by Gavin Allwright, secretary general at the International Windship Association, and touched upon the companies’ views on sustainability and the regulatory environment.
The second day of the event placed an emphasis on the role ports play in achieving sustainable shipping. A panel involving representatives from the ports of Amsterdam, Antwerp, Oslo and Helsinki shared their latest projects and strategies in a discussion led by Valeria Mangiarotti, senior vice president and director of sustainability and environmental issues at MedCruise. Following presentations included a talk by Dr. Elizabeth Lindstad, chief scientist at research organisation SINTEF, who shared the latest findings in the field of alternative fuel pathways. Dr. Elias Boletis, director for propellers and transmission at Wärtsilä Propulsion, presented different energy saving technologies.
Further events scheduled by ALJ Group this year include the 2nd Greentech in Shipping USA Virtual Forum on 21 April and the 2nd Decarbonizing Shipping Virtual Forum on 27-28 April. The company has also announced that the in-person GreenTech in Shipping Forum will take place in Athens, Greece on 13-14 July.