Decarbonisation of shipping depends on technological advancement – Sovcomflot
LNG to remain an optimal solution for reduction for CO2 emissions from ships for the coming 15-20 years
There are no ready-made solutions for achieving the IMO goals on reduction of emissions by 2050, Igor Tonkovidov, President and CEO of Sovcomflot, said at the Transport Week 2021 forum in Moscow.
“At the Climate Conference in Glasgow some countries asked IMO to impose new, tougher standards for GHG emissions in the global shipping industry. However, with technological solutions available today it will be hard to achieve the goals set by IMO for 2050. For that purpose we will need either a new energy converter with efficiency exceeding that of a combustion engine or new types of fuel with a low carbon footprint. That is something to be invented”, said the speaker.
Igor Tonkovidov underlined that Sovcomflot’s strategy has long been taken into consideration further toughening of international regulations. From 2015, the company has been working on practical application of cleaner fuels by its fleet. Sovcomflot actively promotes and supports the related initiatives in the framework of IMO and ad hoc industrial associations of Russia.
“We count on liquefied natural gas to ensure the industry’s compliance with the regulations on reduction of emissions for the coming 15-20 years”, said Igor Tonkovidov.
According to him, Sovcomflot and its partners are jointly expanding the network of LNG bunkering points on the key routes of seaborne trade while planning to continue introduction of LNG into its fleet.
The fleet of Sovcomflot currently numbers six Aframax tankers powered by LNG with five more ‘Green Funnel’ tankers under construction (to be delivered in 2022-2023). According to Sovcomflot, from the beginning of 2021 the company has reduced CO2 emissions from its ‘Green Funnel’ tankers by 18.5% compared to emissions from conventional tankers.
