VPS: Decarbonisation must be achieved as soon as possible

 

SAFETY4SEA: What are the top priorities in your agenda for the next five years?

Steve Bee: Widening our decarbonisation-related testing and services.

S4S: What are the biggest challenges for the maritime industry from your perspective? How these will affect the industry and how are you preparing to face them?

St.B.: Decarbonisation of the global fleet is the biggest challenge. The industry will be affected by a wider range of fuels coming to the market to meet the legislation and VPS are perfectly placed to develop new test methods to ascertain the quality of such fuels, plus the potential impact upon lubricating oils. In addition, our digital data platforms will continue to develop in order to provide a constant stream of data to be available to our customers and their vessels, along with our continuous emissions monitoring capabilities.

S4S: From your perspective, what are the key barriers that the maritime industry is currently facing with regards to decarbonization? What are your suggestions to turn these into opportunities?

St.B.: Maybe a mindset issue in understanding that decarbonisation must be achieved and as soon as possible. Also, possibly the aging fleet and its challenge to meet the CII/EEXI requirements, meaning some vessels will need to be scrapped.

S4S: Considering the recent increase on the fuel contamination cases, what are the lessons learned? Have you identified any other alarming trends/ key areas that the maritime industry needs to shed its focus on with regards to bunkering operations?

St.B.: The key lesson is that prevention is always better than cure and if potential risks are better understood, then they can be mitigated. It is important to be able to prevent a high percentage of contaminated fuel, being detected prior to use, and therefore, always to be used to protect the vessel. Each fuel has its pros and cons, but if the cons are known before hand then many risks can be reduced or even eliminated.

S4S: What is your wish list for the industry and/or regulators and all parties involved for the shipping industry to address fuel contamination and ensure fuel quality?

St.B.: A transparent supply chain, with the relevant testing carried out at each stage of the production and delivery process.

S4S: If you could change one thing across the industry from your perspective, what this would be and why?

St.B.: To make marine fuel testing mandatory. This would help increase the understanding of the marine fuel management requirements and protect vessels, crew and the environment to a much higher level.

S4S: What is your key message to industry stakeholders for a more sustainable future for shipping?

St.B.: Improve transparency, collaboration and communication across the industry.

 

The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.