Thank You For The Music

This means that I will miss the growth of methanol-fuelled shipping in a number of different commercial segments in 2024, as well as the upcoming introduction of ammonia burning engines into the 2-stroke market and the introduction of alternative options in the 4-stroke market.

There are many other technological changes underway, which I will continue to follow. One of the first things that I was told when I started at The Motorship in December 2018 was that battery hybridisation was unlikely to become widely adopted within the deep-sea shipping sector.

The technological barriers to uptake were simply too established, ranging from the weight of the battery systems themselves all the way through to questions about charge/discharge rates and battery cell longevity. The rapid development of electrification in the automotive sector has driven a number of advances in associated sectors, including battery cell technologies. These advances have led to steady improvements in the performance of battery cell installations, which in turn is likely to transform the cost-benefit calculus involved in integrating such systems on board vessels.

It is a mark of how fast technology has developed over the intervening period that CIMAC will be conducting a survey of its members to gauge attitudes towards the relative advantages and disadvantages of introducing large scale Energy Storage Systems onto deep-sea vessels.

One recurring criticism of hybridisation technologies is that they will introduce significantly greater complexity into onboard systems. However, the roll-out of autonomous and semi-autonomous navigation – we include reviews of several of such projects in this month’s issue – will transform the complexity of onboard systems. (I have postulated that this will have knock on effects on the operational lifespan of vessels, as higher upfront costs will encourage longer amortisation periods, quite apart from the improved insight into vessel wear and tear offered by digitalisation tools). 

Farewells should be shorter

I will be leaving the maritime industry and returning to the world of market reporting, with a focus on renewable fuels. I very much hope to remain engaged with the maritime industry, not just because of its importance to all the market transitions that are occurring, but also because I have made so many friends and excellent contacts over the past few years.

From a personal perspective, it has been very rewarding to meet, get to know and report on the work of so many highly capable, intelligent people who are struggling to resolve challenges for the first time. The term ‘hard to abate’ doesn’t really capture the scale of the endeavour you are all engaged in. It has been a tremendous privilege.