Environment

SMW 2019: Sea Asia parliamentary debate ends with environmental win

58% of audience believes more can be done by the shipping industry to support environmental matters.

Published

7 years ago

April 10, 2019

Admin

Day two of Sea Asia 2019 kicked off on Wednesday (10 April) with a parliamentary debate, seeing maritime industry leaders discuss the important topic of ‘This house believes that too much is expected of the shipping industry on environmental matters’.

Chaired by Esben Poulsson, Chairman of International Chamber of Shipping and President, Singapore Shipping Association, the debate covered regulatory areas of water management, fuel regulations, and decarbonisation and how these impact all players in the maritime space.

Arguing for the motion were Dr George Pateras, President of Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and Hellenic Maritime Cluster, and Deputy Chairman of Contships Management Inc.; Friedrich Bunnemann, Managing Partner of Asiatic Lloyd Maritime LLP.; and, Ali Shehab, Deputy CEO Fleet Operations at Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC).

Arguing against the motion were Dr Sadan Kaptanoglu, President Designate of BIMCO, and Managing Director of HI Kaptanoglu Shipping; Professor Christine Loh, Chief Development Strategist at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; and, Jeremy Nixon, Chief Executive Officer at Ocean Network Express (ONE).

The debate was a lively, fulsome and frank exchange with the speakers arguing for the motion pointing to the progress the maritime industry has already made to move towards more environmentally-friendly and sustainable operations. This includes their commitment to the IMO 2050 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050. This is despite the industry only contributing to a small portion of the world’s carbon pollution. Having already made several steps in the right direction, they argue that it is time for us to turn our attention to other industries that are notably worse polluters.

On the IMO 2020 regulations, they cited the significant investment companies are required to make in order to reach a level of compliance, and the operational challenges this has created. They argue that despite the investment, there is no guarantee that oil refineries can meet the level of alternative fuels required for the indsutry to operate. The maritime industry therefore, urges for a commitment from large oil suppliers, such as BP and Shell, to ensure that the investments in ships are not wasted.

Ultimately, they said that in the future any IMO regulations need to be helpful for the industry to achieve sustainable operations, and not become policies which are difficult to meet.

Arguing against the motion, the speakers recognised that while the industry has taken some steps towards a greener future, there is still more to be done to secure a social licence to operate. Industry leaders are required to work together to find ways to meet the expectations of consumers and customers alike for a more sustainable shipping industry.

They view the opposition’s position on needing other industries to take more decisive action, as well as their call for a greater commitment from oil companies, as excuses to not do more. They argue that the industry needs to be a leader and set in motion demonstrable actions to create change. One way to do this is for all players to work together, including international bodies, ship builders, scientists as well as governments and R&D funders, to find workable solutions that will really make a difference to the environment.

They argue that the industry needs to look beyond IMO 2020, and at how they can reduce carbon footprint in the next 20 to 30 years to create a more sustainable industry, as well as a safer ocean environment.

Ultimately, the parties agreed on one thing – the sustainability of our oceans, and the environment more broadly, is imperative in ensuring the viability of the shipping industry.

Following an audience vote, the team arguing against the motion won the debate by 58%.

Photo credit: Sea Asia 2019
Published: 11 April, 2019

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

14 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

14 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