Page 54 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΜΑΙΟΣ 2024
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EUROPEAN SHIPPING
❺ Your company is investing in
innovative projects to reduce
its fleet’s environmental foot-
print. What do you believe to
be the most viable solution for
the future of shipping?
It is very hard to predict, as no one
knows what the future will bring and
at what pace it will happen. But there
are some principles we can have in
mind to prepare for our fuel transition
in due course: e-fuels (or any other
decarbonised fuel) will be much more
expensive, even when massively pro-
duced, as economies of scale will never
offset the price difference with standard
diesel oil. And, again, it is the end cus-
tomers who will pay for them. Therefore,
the success of our decarbonisation will
depend primarily on social acceptance
and the willingness of customers to
pay more for maritime transport. Also,
besides being produced, decarbonised
© Augustin Vandenhove important, but the availability of funds fuels must be made available worldwide,
for a certain type of activity has become which will not happen overnight! Sail
decisive. In the last ten years, shipping propulsion and every other innovation
finance has entered a completely new will be helpful, but it will never entirely
“ecosystem”. replace fuel propulsion, given the need
The credit crunch started after 2010, to carry 11 billion tonnes of cargo every
triggered by the 2007-2010 subprime year.
crisis. Then came the new “Basel 4” reg-
ulations for banks, further reducing their ❻ One of the major challenges
interest in shipping and causing a rise in in shipping’s green and digital
financing from Chinese banks. transition is the acquisition
Today, priority is given to green proj- of the necessary skills not
ects, posing challenges for shipowners only by seafarers but also by
who need finance, especially if they are onshore staff. How can the
handling “classic” cargoes in modern - European shipping industry
but definitely not green—ships. In the promote the reskilling and
meantime, the future of green shipping, upskilling of its workforce
green ships, and green fuels is ambigu- while simultaneously attract-
ous. When will they be available? What ing new professionals?
will their price and cost be? Both ship- The EU shipping industry should be
owners and banks are faced with difficult better promoted by our governments
decisions and risks prior to making any as this is essential to our sovereignty,
investment. independence, and autonomy. Shipping
It is certain, however, that the cost of offers incredible career opportunities,
transporting goods will rise and then be fostering high technical competencies,
passed on to clients and, ultimately, con- as well as an openness to the world that
sumers, which means it will be the end is quite unique.
consumers who will have to pay the cost I believe that we, as shipowners, need
of decarbonisation. This fact is not being to portray our businesses in a much
clearly stated! brighter, more transparent, and appeal-
Regarding the finance issue, we must ing light. In my view, investing a lot more
fight hard to ensure that any funds raised energy, time, and money is essential to
from taxes paid by the shipping industry restore our image and demonstrate our
will be used to finance its fuel transition. significance to the economy.
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