In November 2021, Power Knot attended the Hamburg Maritime Forum, a two day international event in Hamburg, Germany featuring maritime industry experts across various segments ranging from shipowners, managers, operators, builders, shipyards, and more. Discussions were held on relevant topics such as current regulations and goals, innovative technology for meeting maritime compliance, and the latest tools and resources for ship building.

Power Knot Ocean showcased the LFC-25 biodigester, the world’s smallest commercial grade food waste digester, at the forum. The conference implemented careful COVID-19 safety measures including verifying the vaccination status of all exhibitors and attendees.

Here are three takeaways from the Hamburg Maritime Forum.

Jens Meier, the CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority, inaugurated the forum by boldly noting that, “COVID-19 was a stress test on the supply chain.” Although we are far from entering a post pandemic world, the question remains. How do we overcome COVID-19 and its impact on the supply chain?

Panel from the Hamburg Maritime Forum

Collaboration plays a key role in enabling the maritime industry to overcome challenges presented by COVID-19

The slow down from the ports is the result of pressures on the supply chain, labor shortages, and increased demand. To fully overcome these challenges, international companies must work together to combine their services and technologies.

Collaborative innovation leads to efficient use of resources and time. If we are able to manage high volume flows of transportation of goods at peak times, it prevents congestion, reduces delays, and decreases carbon emissions.

Oistein Jensen, the Chief Sustainability Officer at Odfjell SE, revealed to us some shocking statistics about the maritime industry. According to the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, there is a clear relation between CO2 and emissions.

Although the seatrade industry has set optimistic goals for carbon reduction, we are realistically behind on our commitment by 19-23 gigatonnes of CO2e. We have not yet hit the point where climate change is past the point of no return and subsequently, the entire maritime industry is in a race to zero emissions.

Power Knot showcasing the LFC-25 biodigester at the Hamburg Maritime Forum

All maritime vessels should be setting decarbonization as a goal

A shocking 90 percent of all goods are transported by sea and we are responsible for 2 to 3% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Shipping is the solution for almost all e-commerce and the industry is set to make up over 20% of total retail sales by 2024.

Ships and vessels must consider greener fuel, infrastructure, process improvement, and fleet crew to meet their carbon offset and decarbonization goals. Successful decarbonization doesn’t just stem from one key area change. It comes from a collective and cultural change that encompasses the entire vessel, from its resources to its people.

Understanding where the carbon emissions are coming from is the first step towards decarbonization. Training is an important part of sustainability. 

Digitization is the future of the maritime industry

When asked about the LFC Cloud, Power Knot’s continuous data analytics system that measures waste data from the LFC biodigester, Jon Stewart, President of the International Maritime Technology Consultants and Chairman of the Hamburg Maritime Forum, revealed that data analytics were becoming increasingly important and a necessity as opposed to a luxury in a successful maritime climate. 

Process improvement is vital in optimizing any service and operations. To achieve process improvement, key performance indicators (KPIs) must be decided and measured. A baseline, or starting point of data, must be created i to determine these KPIs. Data analytics help create reports that enable ships and vessels to measure, compare, and make data-informed decisions on how to better improve their operations. 

The LFC Cloud is used by many cruise lines to identify how much food is required by their staff and guests and the types of food that are being discarded. The LFC Cloud also shows how much CO2e is being diverted from the ocean by the aerobic digestion process inside the LFF biodigesters which convert food waste into water.

If you are interested in learning more about Power Knot Ocean’s food waste solutions or how the LFC biodigester helps cruise ships, tankers, and more convert food waste into water, contact us today.