by Przemysław Myszka
When dispatching the 'Season's Greetings' e-newsletter last year, we did not wish you for 2022 to return to some pre-corona "normal," realising that times are - and will continue to be - hard. We were, unfortunately, prophetic, as just two months into the year, a barbaric war was set in motion just around the Baltic Sea region's corner.
I would like to take this opportunity and wish our neighbours in Ukraine freedom, peace & swift recovery. Many worldwide - and from our corner of the globe, too - had, are, and will support your efforts. I tip my hat to their generosity, but, most of all, salute you for your bravery and fortitude.
Our Dear Readers, around this special time of the year as well as in the coming months, please remember about & aid those most in need. I am acutely aware of the biting inflation; yet, there are things, there are important things, and there are also Important Things. A Big Thank You in advance!
Other than that, this is your latest & greatest instalment of our journal, as always packed to the brim with stellar reads. Traditionally, the year's last issue hosts an analysis of Baltic and European shipyards' performance. Because we also publish the updated version of the New Silk Road Map by year-end, the Report section features a China-focused article, this time from the Mercator Institute for China Studies, on what we can expect from Xi's third tenure. There is also a follow-up piece to the ‘gender' article from BTJ 5/22, with another round-up of why the maritime industry keeps women at bay - for all the wrong reasons. The sector's reluctance to let more female seafarers in and provide them with better working conditions is nothing more than an exercise in futility.
Other splendid reads also put the finger on the industry's pain points, including the rough sea towards climate neutrality. Bureau Veritas highlights why we need to start measuring greenhouse gas emissions on a well-to-wake basis to move the sustainability needle. Another class, the American Bureau of Shipping, takes us closer to why carbon capture & storage on board ships can make a big difference. Regarding future marine fuels, SEA-LNG nuances the bunker discussion by getting into the nitty-gritty of CO2 reductions of the different forms liquefied natural gas can come in. In turn, Ballard Power Systems makes a case for hydrogen fuel cells and their role in making the transport sector greener. Speaking of greening the industry, one can make art of it as well, as detailed in an article by Hasenkamp, a specialist in art and other cultural & historical heritage logistics.
As for the Heritage corner, it, like the 5/22 edition, does proud an anniversary, this time the 190th birthday of the Göta Canal that crisscrosses Sweden. In this Transport miscellany, we hope to give birth to a new custom, namely writing about alcohol that, this way or another, is linked to transport & logistics. Moreover, this issue's entry on the subject ties to our other practice: reporting on the alternative uses of shipping containers.
I wish you nothing but a merry (pun intended) read!
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