Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

V IEWPOINT 1 0 0 A fter 15 years of deliberations at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), international shipping became the first industry to commit to tangible targets for reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in 2018. The agreement calls for energy efficiency improvements of 40 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent absolute reductions by 2050 compared with 2008 levels. The challenge is how to devise regulatory requirements that properly reward not only the myriad of potential improvements in new ship designs, but also the CO 2 reduction measures applied on existing ships. People outside of the shipping industry may think that a vessel’s energy efficiency can be calculated like that of a car – in litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. However, the value of a ship operation is determined not only by the distance it travels, but more importantly by what it carries. This is where it gets complicated. The current IMO regulations have generally been framed around the likes of bulk carriers, tankers and container ships, which as carriers of most of the world’s cargo, are the major source of the shipping industry’s CO 2 emissions. For such types, the calculation is pretty straightforward. Their nominal deadweight (DWT) is roughly equivalent to their cargo capacity. The value of their transport work is based on kilograms of fuel per DWT and nautical mile, which is then converted to CO 2 /DWT x nm. In contrast, defining the efficiency of ferries soon gets close to impossible due to the diversity of vessels within the sector. A ro-ro freight ship, for instance, might be designed to carry very heavy cargo, or more voluminous cargo, or any combination in between. Using With fast-approaching International Maritime Organization deadlines on greenhouse gas reductions, the ferry industry needs to act now Time to build on good intentions Johan Roos, Interferry The global ferry industry is committed to reducing emissions and its impact on the oceans