by Przemysław Myszka
Well, folks, this rounds up another year!
Who knows what the next one will bring? Making much of shipping part of the European Union Emissions Trading System and good riddance to the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER), of course! We already reported on the former in 2023. This winter edition also features reads on that very topic: one about what action can be taken to manage risk and reduce costs, while the other brings forth leveraging artificial intelligence to optimise emissions and reduce carbon credit spending. Regarding CBER, experts from MDS Transmodal present three distinct scenarios of what may happen, all against the background of the container shipping supply & demand (continually engaged in tail chasing).
As for the rest of the story, I'm delighted that long-lasting friends of our publication supported us with an article on a grassroots ferry project that connected part of our bonny Baltic Sea after 144 years. Thanks, Dagmar and Bengt! Cyber security is a prevailing topic, and we are fortunate to have Thetius, CyberOwl, and HFW going into the details of how maritime cyber risk management matures (as the risks also increase). The other read from the Legal column sees TT Club dissecting the challenges associated with good neighbour agreements (spoiler alert: good, because they're written contracts). Naturally, the issue is also full of future (green & digital) stuff happening in and around the region. As such, there was no other way than to make the Venture forth column double the size, given the ongoing developments. DNV contributed with two reads: one on shipboard carbon capture & nuclear propulsion, the other about accelerating the fuel transition in the Nordics via the Nordic Roadmap project. On that note, a read from Hexagon Purus Maritime digs into how to make hydrogen an easy-to-adapt and close-at-hand marine fuel. Another class, ABS, provided key takeaways round-up from their latest Low Carbon Outlook. The Sustainability section also houses a summary of the Voyaging Toward a Greener Future report produced by the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation and Boston Consulting Group, which, in turn, analyses their Global Maritime Decarbonisation Survey. A recurring theme of just-in-time port arrivals also made it aboard, alongside hard data from PortXchange on the concrete financial and emission reduction savings that could be reaped should shipping take digital advice. Yet another class, Bureau Veritas, checks which way the wind blows for wind propulsion (on newbuilds and retrofits) - and how it impacts various other parts of a vessel.
The 6/23 issue has a very special Transport miscellany section. First, we congratulate the Finnish Ports Association on its 100th birthday, appreciating how the country's seaports have supported us throughout the years. Kiitos! The entry on Fjärdvägen is a throwback to my September visit to the lovely Naantali. The vessel will be 52 years old in 2024. Oh boy, did she do some peculiar gigs in her past! The third record takes us to Mars (by truck), while the last is about how one can help by putting a (port) jigsaw puzzle together.
I wish you a beautiful year-end and an even more fantastic start to the coming one! Meanwhile, have nothing but the best read!
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