Page 58 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - MARTIOS 2023

ON THE SEAFRONT

Maritime Regulation is crucial for promot- and ZIM, committed to 100% adoption of
ing the uptake of sustainable and scalable an electronic bill of lading (eBL) based on
fuels in shipping, notes ECSA in a recent DCSA standards by 2030. Switching away
statement. from the transfer of physical paper bills of
ECSA says that as trialogue negotiations lading could save stakeholders $6.5 bil-
on the FuelEU Maritime enter their final lion in direct costs, enable $30-40 billion
phase, ensuring the final text contributes in annual global trade growth, transform
to a successful energy transition of ship- the customer experience and improve sus-
ping is critical. To that end, all hands-on tainability.
deck must make sufficient quantities of The bill of lading is one of the most critical
low- and zero-carbon fuels available in trade documents in container shipping. It
the market at an affordable price. functions as a document of title, a receipt
Therefore, ECSA calls on the European for shipped goods and a record of agreed
Parliament and the Council to support terms and conditions. Ocean carriers issue
the mandatory inclusion of fuel suppliers around 45 million bills of lading a year. In
under the scope of FuelEU Maritime as 2021, only 1.2% of these were electronic.
proposed by the European Parliament. It Manual, paper-based processes are
is vital to ensure that shipowners are not time-consuming, expensive and environ-
unduly penalised if the sustainable fuels mentally unsustainable for stakeholders
necessary for compliance are not deliv- along complex supply chains. In addi-
ered. As proposed by Parliament in Renew- tion, paper-based processes break down
able Energy Directive III, this provision and when cargo in ports cannot be gated out
a binding target for ship fuel suppliers are because original bills of lading or title
essential for shipping’s energy transition. documents fail to arrive or cannot be man-
In addition, ECSA supports the introduc- ually processed in time. In contrast, digital
tion of a high multiplier for using sustain- processes enable data to flow instantly
able and scalable fuels for shipping under and securely, reducing delays and waste.
the FuelEU Marine Regulation. Transforming document exchange through
the eBL will accelerate digitalisation to
INCREASES IN SUEZ CANAL benefit customers, banks, customs/gov-
TANKER TRANSIT FEES ernment authorities, providers of ocean
The Canal Authority has recently shipping services and all maritime supply
announced that it will increase the fees chain stakeholders.
for the passage of tankers through the
Suez Canal. The new increase will apply GTT EXPECTS ORDERS OF UP TO
to tankers carrying crude oil or refined 450 LNG CARRIERS BETWEEN
products and will take effect from 1 April 2023 AND 2032
this year. GTT, a French company specialising in M/T LITA
The charges for laden tankers will cryogenic containment and ultra-low tem-
increase from 15% to 25% -as a percent- perature systems for LNG carriers, expects M/T APHRODITE
301503 DWT, BUILT 2018, JAPAN MARINE UNITED, ARIAKE, JAPAN
age of the transit fees- while for ballast market growth in the coming years and
tankers, they will increase from 5% to 15%. an increasing number of LNG carriers on 301000 DW, BUILT 2020, JAPAN MARINE UNITED, ARIAKE SHIPYARD, JAPAN
According to the Canal Authority, the order book over the next ten years.
surcharges have been imposed due to Specifically, in a recent press release on
the rates increase in the tanker market. its financial results, GTT estimates that
However, they are temporary and may be between 2023 and 2032, the order book
changed or cancelled depending on the will include 400 to 450 LNG carriers,
changes in the maritime transport market. reflecting the prediction that LNGCs will
undoubtedly be investors’ number one
DCSA’S MEMBER CARRIERS COMMIT choice regarding ships with a lower envi-
TO A FULLY STANDARDISED, ronmental footprint.
ELECTRONIC BILL OF LADING BY At the same time, the company expects
2030 up to ten FSRU orders, not including con-
Digital Container Shipping Association versions, five FLNG units, between 25 and
announced that nine ocean carriers, 40 VLECs, and between 25 and 30 units
namely MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag- for onshore and GBS tanks in the next ten
Lloyd, ONE, Evergreen, Yang Ming, HMM years by 2032.

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