Environment

Wärtsilä holds ‘An Ocean Awakening’ event in Singapore

Collaboration the way ahead for ‘An Ocean Awakening’, concludes industry roundtable discussion.

Published

8 years ago

November 30, 2018

Admin

The following story below was provided by Wärtsilä to Manifold Times:

With much of the world’s population live in mega cities, a world without these sprawling metropolises is almost unthinkable. However, the global population explosion coupled with climate change, and the ever-growing demand for limited resources require a change in the mega city model if humankind is to continue to thrive.

Wärtsilä, a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets, believes sustainable and smart marine ecosystems could be the key to radically reinventing cities and their shores, and ultimately unlocking new city models that are both greener and bluer.

Wärtsilä is working with the world’s great maritime cities to bring “An Oceanic Awakening” to life. Integral to “An Ocean Awakening” is SEA20, which seeks to connect 20 of the most influential marine cities by 2020 into a network that will inspire cooperation as an essential ingredient to driving forward this journey of transformation. The cities of Hamburg and Helsinki, and the State of Washington, USA, have officially joined the SEA20 network. On November 8, Wärtsilä launched the initiative in Singapore.

As part of the launch, Wärtsilä brought together a diverse panel of high-powered stakeholders to gather at the “An Oceanic Awakening” media roundtable, and discuss issues relating to maritime industry transformation through research and innovation.

Marco Ryan, Chief Digital Officer & Executive Vice President, Wärtsilä Corporation, set the stage by explaining, “At Wärtsilä, we fundamentally believe we have a leadership, stewardship role in driving sustainable change in the industry. “An Oceanic Awakening” is a movement we are facilitating in order to get the industry regulators, institutes of higher learning (IHLs), and thought leaders together, and make a difference to the industry and society at large.”

He added, “SEA20 is a call to action to stakeholders to stand up and be part of the change.”

Events, such as the media roundtable, are part of Wärtsilä’s efforts to engage these stakeholders and dovetails with its “whole eco-system” approach.

Mr Ryan said that a “whole eco-system” response will help unlock the value of “An Ocean Awakening” initiative, adding, “This panel is a prime example… (as it) represents the full maritime eco-system. That can only happen in Singapore, where you are looking at the thought leadership, the independent view, the corporate industry view, the regulator, the academia all coming together to solve the same problem with the same mindset.”

Roundtable facilitator, Mr Chris Chung, Director, Digital Innovation & Strategic Projects, Wärtsilä, asked panel members how they could curate the eco-system and accelerate the pace of change towards greater sustainability. Collaboration, they said, is the answer.

On the education front, Singapore Maritime Institute Executive Director Dr Sanjay Chittarajan Kuttan said the institute could encourage greater research collaboration through the funds it disburses. “If the funding criterion is constructive collaboration, then there might be an opportunity to accelerate this.”

He also said that since much of the research is being carried out by IHL faculty, the new technologies would seep into these institutes’ syllabi, and help keep the students au courant with the latest developments. In turn, this will help accelerate change.

MPA’s Chief Technology Officer, Mr Kenneth Lim, said that the industry and its stakeholders are already collaborating on their own accord. “Even the newer technologies, such as 3-D printing, are being incorporated into the maritime industry. The industry is responding to, and coming forward to try out new technology as they work with various partners. We need to sustain this momentum so that we can see tangible results from these projects within a shorter period.”

In the Singapore context, he added, the development of the Next Generation Port in Tuas “is a golden opportunity to put in all the relevant research and new technology, and plug into the available research funds”.

Architect Jason Pomeroy pointed to the need for port cities to reinvigorate themselves and move away from their current closed-off environments. “We need to economically, culturally and socially reinvigorate ports. We need to find a way of breaking down these silos.”

One way to achieve this is to bring together the ideas of “the intellectual and the labourer” together.

Wärtsilä’s Mr Ryan said that corporations, which were traditionally rivals, are now becoming “frenemies”. “Each of us has a contribution to make. That which used to be your competitor is now partly your friend, and partly your enemy.”

This, he added, was part and parcel of the “whole eco-system” approach.

“In adopting this approach, some truisms apply. First, there must be a shared real value in doing this together. Second, it only works with scale, like the Tuas mega port, and scale requires technology to ensure cost efficiency. Finally, a cyber security element is needed because the data has to be protected, or you would be putting your business model, your future, your operational efficiency at risk.”

Photo credit: Wärtsilä
Published: 30 November 2018

Emissions reporting

StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and UK ETS requirements.

Published

3 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Admin

StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Weather intelligence and decision support solutions provider StormGeo and Hamburg-based technology platform OceanScore on Wednesday (3 June) said they have deepened their ongoing cooperation through the signing of a collaboration agreement during Posidonia 2026 in Athens on 2 June.

The cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements.

Together, the companies aim to help shipping companies seamlessly navigate increasing regulatory complexity more efficiently — from emissions reporting and data validation to compliance exposure management, pooling and financial settlement.

As emissions regulation becomes an increasingly important part of commercial shipping operations, the need for reliable operational data and streamlined compliance processes continues to grow. The cooperation between StormGeo and OceanScore is designed to support shipping companies with more connected, transparent and actionable processes across operational and commercial teams.

“From the outside, companies like StormGeo and OceanScore may sometimes be perceived as competitors because both operate around emissions and compliance workflows,” said Albrecht Grell, Managing Director at OceanScore.

“But in reality, the industry increasingly needs both perspectives working together: trusted operational emissions data on one side and commercial compliance execution on the other. Our cooperation reflects that shipping companies are no longer looking for isolated solutions — they need connected processes, automated across different systems and reliable decision-making throughout the full compliance chain.”

By connecting validated operational emissions data with commercial compliance management, the cooperation supports workflows across:

emissions reporting and validation
compliance management across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements
exposure visibility and cost transparency
pooling, settlement and financial processes

The cooperation also aims to improve commercial transparency and coordination across operational and commercial stakeholders.

“StormGeo plays a central role in helping shipping companies turn operational vessel and emissions data into trusted, decision-ready insights,” said Espen Martinsen, Chief Commercial Officer at StormGeo.

“As emissions regulations become more complex, this data is essential for transparent and efficient compliance management. By working with OceanScore, we can help customers connect StormGeo’s validated operational data with commercial compliance processes, creating a more integrated and practical approach to emissions management.”

The signing ceremony took place at the StormGeo booth during Posidonia 2026 in Athens and was attended by representatives from both companies.

Both companies expect the cooperation to continue evolving alongside upcoming regulatory developments, including FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS, the upcoming UK ETS and future emissions-related frameworks affecting global shipping.

Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 4 June, 2026

Methanol

Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd complete first of five methanol vessel retrofit

Following “Seaspan Yangtze”, the remaining vessels planned for retrofit under the methanol retrofit programme are “Seaspan Amazon”, “Seaspan Ganges”, “Seaspan Thames”, and “Seaspan Zambezi”.

Published

3 hours ago

June 4, 2026

Admin

Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd complete first of five methanol vessel retrofit

Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan) and Hapag-Lloyd on Wednesday (3 June) announced the successful completion of the first of the five vessel conversions under their methanol retrofit programme with the delivery of Seaspan Yangtze.

From the early SAVER (Seaspan Action for Vessel Energy Reduction) programme to today’s CleanBlue initiative, Seaspan has committed over USD 230 USD million across 86 vessels, executing more than 550 efficiency and retrofit projects.

Following Seaspan Yangtze, the remaining vessels planned for retrofit under the programme are Seaspan Amazon, Seaspan Ganges, Seaspan Thames, and Seaspan Zambezi. Each retrofit is expected to reduce well-to-wake CO₂e emissions by approximately 30,000 to 50,000 metric tonnes per vessel annually when operating on low-carbon methanol, while also extending vessel lifespan and enhancing fuel flexibility.

“Decarbonisation is not just about building the fleet of tomorrow, it is also about unlocking the full potential of the fleet we have today. Retrofitting and upgrades on existing fleets play a practical, immediate, and economical role in accelerating shipping’s decarbonization journey,” said Bing Chen, Chairman, President and CEO of Seaspan.

“Project SAVER CleanBlue highlights Seaspan’s strong customer partnerships, deep technical expertise, and unique platform integrated with JV partners, such as WattSpan Maritime Technology, in executing complex and large-scale retrofit projects.”

“The successful conversion of the Seaspan Yangtze together with the planned retrofit of its four sister vessels is another important step on our ambitious path towards net-zero fleet operations by 2045,” said Silke Lehmköster, Managing Director, Fleet, Hapag-Lloyd.

“Together with Seaspan, we are demonstrating that retrofitting existing vessels for low-carbon methanol can be a practical way to reduce emissions in shipping.”

Photo credit: Seaspan
Published: 4 June, 2026

LNG Bunkering

MOL and Seaspan sign annual LNG bunkering deal for car carriers in Port of Vancouver

MOL says North America is one of the key trade lanes for car carriers, and with recent delivery of new LNG-fuelled vessels, securing a stable LNG fuel supply in the area has become increasingly important.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 22, 2026

Admin

MOL and Seaspan sign annual LNG bunkering deal for car carriers in Port of Vancouver

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) on Thursday (21 May) announced that MOL and Seaspan Energy have signed the first annual contract for LNG bunkering for car carriers at the Port of Vancouver, Canada.

On 29 April, MOL completed the first LNG bunkering under this contract. Since completing the first LNG bunkering on the West Coast of North America on 1 March 2025 – the first by a Japanese shipping company – MOL has conducted several additional LNG bunkering operations in the region.

North America is one of the key trade lanes for car carriers, and with the recent delivery of new LNG-fuelled vessels, securing a stable LNG fuel supply in the area has become increasingly important. This contract underscores the company’s commitment to establishing a stable and seamless regional LNG fuel procurement framework.

Seaspan expanded its LNG bunkering capabilities in 2026 from Vancouver to Long Beach, California, and continues to proactively support the growth of a clean marine supply chain.

Seaspan Energy President Harly Penner, said: “The relationship between Seaspan Energy and MOL is highly valued. MOL was the first car carrier operator to receive LNG bunkering services in the Port of Vancouver, and we are proud to continue supporting their operations in Vancouver through this annual LNG bunkering agreement.

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to advancing lower-emission marine transportation and supporting the industry’s transition toward net-zero GHG emissions.”

Marine Fuel GX Division General Manager Daisuke Fujihashi, said: “We are very pleased to further strengthen our partnership with Seaspan Energy through this contract for LNG fuel procurement.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to deepen our collaboration with Seaspan Energy in the field of clean fuels, including bio LNG, and remain committed to offering our customers more pathways toward cleaner supply chains.”

Photo credit: MOL
Published: 22 May, 2026