The discussion of four personalities from the wider shipping cluster at a panel of the European conference titled “Walking into a New Era,” hosted in Athens by the Short Sea Promotion Center Greece (SPC Greece), focused on the regulations encompassing the shipping industry, the energy transition, and the role of port infrastructure in this direction.
At the beginning of the discussion, Marien van den Berg, Policy Advisor, ESPO, focused on the key challenges broadly affecting both the entire economic and geopolitical sphere, as well as the transport and trade sector. Specifically, according to the ESPO representative, decarbonization, digitalization, and defense constitute the three main challenges the port industry is called upon to face, which, however, simultaneously generate significant opportunities. In fact, he emphasized that defense, through the creation of “strong, resilient ports,” is at the top of Europe’s agenda.
Taking the floor, Panos Kourkountis, Technical Director, Sea Trades and President of MARTECMA, stressed that the current regulatory framework around the issue of decarbonization essentially functions as a tax, with minimal emphasis on the environment and emission reductions.
Furthermore, he also referred to the domestic shipbuilding and repair sector, which in recent years has been trying to rebuild its dynamism. “The government of the time must sit at the table with the leaders of the sector and listen to their needs, so that the revival of the sector can become possible,” he mentioned, among other things. Finally, regarding the burning issue of nuclear energy, he underlined that “there is no nuclear energy without nuclear waste,” thus emphasizing that there is currently no solution to this “huge problem,” as he pointed out.
Regarding the same issue, Panos Zachariadis, Technical Director, Atlantic Bulk Carriers, stressed that nuclear energy might be a solution in the next 15 years. At the same time, he placed particular emphasis on the use of atomic energy batteries, aiming to maximize their capacity, but not their weight.
Furthermore, Mr. Zachariadis focused on the obstacles to the adoption of so-called green fuels, such as methanol, hydrogen, and ammonia in the shipping industry, concluding that diesel is currently the best solution. “The only choice is diesel, until we find a better fuel. And for that, we need new technologies,” he characteristically stated.
Finally, Angelos Vlachos, Managing Director of OLK SA, emphasized that the “golden mean” must be found between environmental sensitivity and competitiveness, with the latter being a critical factor for the future of the shipping industry and ports. In fact, he revealed that in recent years, the port industry has intensified its contacts with Brussels, aiming to promote its demands at an international level.
