The extent to which current available technological and operational means can sustain an environmentally friendly shipping industry was explored at HELMEPA’s Conference on State-of-the-Art Environmental Ship Design and Operation. Marking the Association’s 30th Anniversary, this conference was organized to further spread the voluntary spirit of HELMEPA towards pollution prevention and safety at sea in the face of technological advancements.
Welcoming all those present, the Chairman of HELMEPA’s Board of Directors, Dr. John Coustas, set the scene for the co-existence of an ever-progressive innovative shipping fleet with a protected marine environment by referring to the HELMEPA founders’ precursory vision for the raising of environmental consciousness among seafarers and shipowners alike.
The Director General of HELMEPA, Mr. Dimitris Mitsatsos, in turn presented the evolution of HELMEPA through the Association’s achievements over its 30 years in operation.
The main programme of the conference included presentations by Mr. Tor Svensen, DNV President Maritime, Oil & Gas, Prof. Harilaos Psaraftis from the National Technical University of Athens, Mr. Patrick Janssens, ABS Vice President LNG, Mr. Sun Bin Yim, SAMSUNG Heavy Industry, Naval Architecture, Assistant Manager and Member of the Project Planning Team, and Mr. Dimitris Vastarouhas, Technical Director and Deputy Chief Operation Officer of DANAOS Shipping.
The above experts presented key topics relevant to major environmental challenges confronting shipping today including ballast water treatment and exhaust gas emissions, while the issue of ship energy efficiency was given various dimensions ranging from innovative ship design, use of alternative propulsion fuels predominantly liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a series of promising operational measures such as slow steaming, engine optimization and propeller efficiency improvement.
The Secretary General of the Ministry of Development, Competitiveness and Shipping of Greece, N. Litinas, congratulated HELMEPA on its enduring role in promoting environmental awareness. This successful event was an opportunity for over 150 participants to grasp the complexities of environmental regulations and possible solutions for greener shipping.
Source: Helmepa