In early October 2022, Power Knot Ocean joined over 450 international delegates at the 2nd Envirotech for Shipping Forum in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This two day forum brought together an audience consisting of shipowners, ship managers, shipbuilders, port authority, service providers, and more. The event covered IMO regulations, the race to net zero, and digitization of the industry. In this blog, we review the biggest challenges that the maritime industry faces and solutions that were proposed during the forum.

Compliance with IMO regulations

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set an ambitious goal to reduce the total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050. While there was discourse among speakers and attendees around whether the industry was already ahead of or moving with the regulation, there was strong consensus that collaboration and leadership was the key to success. We look towards leaders in different segments to showcase how they are tackling challenges with innovative solutions. 

In the cruise industry, Carnival has led the forefront of sustainable cruise waste management through the use of biodigesters. Similarly, other maritime ships have made switches from food pulpers to biodigester. The Port of Singapore is globally recognized as one of the best in the world due to the successful employment of technologies designed to optimize operational efficiency. Other ports around the world have begun to implement similar models.

Digitization of the maritime industry

Several speakers emphasized the importance of being able to measure performance. “You cannot improve what you cannot measure,” said Joris Lubbers, Technical Superintendent of Holland America. Data analytics are increasingly vital to the success of an organization’s environmental report. By identifying their own baseline of GHG emissions, ship owners can determine whether they are under or ahead of the green curve and adjust accordingly. 

Waste management, which was previously difficult to measure, can now be categorized by type and measured by weight through the use of the LFC biodigester. All Power Knot biodigesters come with lifetime access to the LFC Cloud, a cloud-based analytics program that measures digestion rates in real time. With this, ships can plan accordingly to order inventory for long ships and adjust based on the data received. Cruise ships can also optimize menus based on what type of food is being thrown into the digester and reduce excess waste. 

The seemingly endless challenges that environmental technology aims to tackle may seem daunting, but careful targeting and collaboration across the sector have proven to be effective in chiseling away at the issues. The maritime industry as a whole has begun to set sail for a net zero strategy. Contact Power Knot to learn how digitization of waste management can help meet IMO regulatory compliance and stay ahead of the green curve today.