Fortnightly maritime news for the industry and PortXL community.

The Climate Crisis – A Race We Can Win

Climate change is the defining crisis of our time and it is happening even more quickly than we feared. But we are far from powerless in the face of this global threat. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out in September, “the climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win”. It is clear that business as usual is not good enough. As the infinite cost of climate change reaches irreversible highs, now is the time for bold collective action.

European Ports welcome Europe’s Green Deal ambition

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomes Europe’s ambition as enshrined in the European Green Deal published on 11 December, to become the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050. European ports are at the crossroads of supply chains. As clusters of transport, energy, industry and blue economy, they add great value and are at the service of the European economy and society. They are a strategic partner in making this ambitious European project happen.

$1.14bn of venture funding invested in maritime last year

Over $1bn was invested in technology companies working in the maritime sector in 2019 according to a new report published today by UK consultancy Thetius. 2019 was a record year for venture capital investment in maritime, the report states. However, the headline figure is distorted by the massive $1bn investment in Flexport, led by Softbank’s Vision Fund.

‘Green hydrogen could be cheapest form of H2 within five years’

Green hydrogen could be the cheapest form of H2 production within the next five years, a panel at the Irena Assembly gathering in Abu Dhabi heard on Saturday. Thani Al Zeyoudi, environment minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), told the ministerial roundtable on hydrogen: “With further investment, hydrogen production could become cost competitive in the next five years. In the UAE, we are building the region’s first solar-driven hydrogen electrolysis facility.”

Deloitte: How are global shippers evolving to meet tomorrow’s demand?

Consumers are ordering ever more items and expect them to be delivered ASAP. How are transportation and logistics providers coping with the pressure—and preparing for the future of the movement of goods?

Shipowners reveal unprecedented $5bn R&D fund proposal

Developed over more than four years behind closed-doors by the International Chamber of Shipping the proposal is first combined effort to self-fund global shipping decarbonisation. And no, it is not meant to stop talks about a market-based-measure, but it does need the IMO member-states to back it.

New nautical frontier: How digitisation is changing Singapore’s maritime industry

“Many people have the impression that the maritime industry is not open to technological innovations,” Christopher Lim, CEO of Glee Trees Pte. Ltd. says. Gleematic, the company’s robotic software, automatically completes immigration clearance for crew, updates vessels’ details into government web portals and declares goods among other human-fallible tasks. “The industry is changing. We are witnessing more tech companies like us actively transforming the maritime space.”

Vestas to go carbon neutral by 2030

Danish turbine manufacturer Vestas has set its sights on going carbon neutral by 2030. The Aarhus-based giant plans to cut its global carbon footprint by 55% by 2025 before hitting the zero target in 2030. Vestas has vowed not to use carbon offsets but to deliver the goal through its own actions, including the transition to electric cars for its company fleet, which will start this year.

Carnival Joins the Getting to Zero Coalition

Carnival Corporation is the first cruise company to join the global alliance. The coalition’s goal aligns with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050 as compared to 2008 emissions. To meet the target, the Getting to Zero Coalition aspires to having technically feasible, commercially viable zero emission deep sea vessels (ZEVs) entering the global shipping fleet as early as 2030.

VIDEO: LNG bunkering to the LNG-fueled tugboat in Nagoya

The first LNG bunkering in the Port of Nagoya has confirmed that LNG can be safely supplied to vessels at the port. LNG was transported via truck from the Toho Gas Chita-Midorihama LNG Terminal (Chita-shi, Aichi Prefecture), and supplied with a truck-to-ship system to Ishin, berthed at the Port of Nagoya’s Garden Pier.

European Ship Operators Voice Concerns over Amended Dockers’ Clause

European short-sea and feeder ship operators are challenging efforts by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to redefine container lashing as a cargo handling activity in order to bring it under the control of unionized dockers.

Dutch incubators work together on a free online programme

During a ten-week programme, participants will be able to stream a weekly online interview with a successful start-up founder, practice at home to interiorise the learnings and receive feedback from other young entrepreneurs. The weekly sessions range across different topics, such as the validation of a start-up idea, pricing, goal–setting etc.

Australian ‘Seabins’ cleaning our oceans

An Australian invention that is cleaning up our oceans is launching a global drive for investors. ‘Seabins’ are collecting almost 4 tonnes of litter and plastic from our waterway each day. CEO and co-founder Pete Ceglinski told Sky News he wants the bins to operate in more than 150 countries in the next few years and aims to upscale his technology to create bigger devices that can rid oceans of more pollution.

Rewriting the script: Sicilian Ports

For years Sicily has been seen as a problematic location for container port operations but now the tide is turning.