PRESS RELEASE

Shining a Light onto Regulations and Decarbonisation Solutions

Piraeus, 12 April 2023 - The recent meeting of the RINA Hellenic Technical Committee (HTC) bought stakeholders from all parts of the shipping industry together to discuss the impact of new regulations (CII), the way forward for decarbonisation, and the latest developments in digital tools to enhance operational efficiency and safety.

The shipping industry has some critical targets for decarbonisation with IMO 2030 and 2050. The challenge for operators, however, is not just which technology offers a solution for the new builds of the future but what they can do with existing fleets. This was a core theme at the recent HTC meeting, held at Vouliagmenis marina, 25km south of Athens, on 9^th March.

RINA has a new structure to its business in Greece with a new South EMEA Region and an initiative for a new Surveyor’s Academy in the country. Giosuè Vezzuto, Executive Vice President of RINA Marine, explains further, “Greece is an important area for shipping and for RINA, and we will continue to invest in this region. The new Surveyor’s Academy will train all RINA surveyors, and we aim to expand this to include places for university students and young graduates in the near future.”

Spyros Zolotas, Senior Director, Marine South EMEA Region at RINA, says, “Getting together at events such as the HTC is essential to reaching the goals of our Industry. It allows us to discuss real issues, understand concerns, and share vital knowledge and experience.”

The HTC meeting, jointly chaired by Theo Baltatzis, General Manager, Technomar Shipping, and Akis Tsirigakis, CEO, Nautilus Energy Management Corp., covered many topics, including an update on regulations, improving CII of existing ships, aspects and impacts of alternative fuels, and the new challenges for new builds. It also incorporated a presentation from Tom Sand, Vice President of Marine and Ports at ABB, on the latest electric propulsion technology, which offers a strong solution to reducing emissions.

“There are many possible solutions that will help to decarbonise the shipping industry, but, at the HTC, it was clear that many are confused about new ideas and need practical solutions that will move us forward today and allow companies to operate in the way they need. There will not be a single answer, and we must continue to explore all the options available to us,” continues Zolotas.

Digital tools are a vital part of reducing carbon emissions. The HTC also discussed the solutions available today that help make daily operations more efficient and address the industry's challenges.

Zolotas comments, “Digital tools have an important part to play. They offer ways to reduce human error and simplify operations onboard. By analysing fleet data, we can find ways to increase operational efficiency and ship performance and optimise routes, leading to lower emissions. Of course, hand in hand with digitalisation comes cyber security, which is an area also covered by the committee and one in which RINA is placing significant investment to support the shipping industry.”

The full agenda covered a variety of speakers to inform and support attendees and promote discussion around key topics:

• “Rules Update”, Dimitris Karikoglou, Senior Engineer, RINA Marine South EMEA
• “Electric propulsion in low carbon shipping”, Tom Sand, Vice President, Marine and Ports, ABB
• “Solutions to improve the CII of existing ships: a test case of a bulk carrier”, Elias Boletis, Propulsion & Energy Efficiency Senior Advisor, RINA Marine
• “Aspects and Impacts of alternative fuels”, Antonis Trakakis, RINA Marine Technical Director
• "New Buildings-New Challenges” Marinos Anastassiou, Key Account Manager New Buildings, RINA Marine
• “Digital tools to facilitate daily operations/challenges", Michela Schenone, Marine Digital Solutions Manager RINA
• “RINA Marine Cyber Security”, Michail Vrettos, Cyber Security Expert, RINA Marine

RINA holds regular workshops to support further the sharing of information and knowledge, the most recent of which covered Electronic Logbooks and Fleet Management and IACS Cyber Security Requirements.

Zolotas concludes, “We know we have an important part to play in keeping the conversation on decarbonisation moving forward. The HTC meeting contained much practical information to help shine a light on the challenges and solutions that are here today and ahead of us for the future. It is by working together that we will meet our goals.”

RINA provides a wide range of services across the Energy, Marine, Certification, Infrastructure & Mobility, Real Estate and Industry sectors. With net revenues in 2021 of 533 million Euros, over 5,300 employees and 200 offices in 70 countries worldwide, RINA is a member of key international organisations and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards. www.rina.org     

Contacts RINA    

Giulia Faravelli         

External Communication Senior Director RINA         

+39 348 6805876       

giulia.faravelli@rina.org      

Paolo Ghiggini        

Head of Media Relations & Social Media RINA        

+39 340 3322618         

paolo.ghiggini@rina.org         

Victoria Silvestri        

International Media Relations RINA      

+39 334 6539600      

+44 7825 842731       

victoria.silvestri@rina.org    

Angeliki Xylaki

Southern Europe Communication & Marketing Manager RINA

+30 210 4292144

+ 30 6974104996

Angeliki.xylaki@rina.org