Defy the trend!
The issue of technology to reduce the logistics and shipping sectors’ effects on the climate lags behind developments in the pharmaceuticals and medical logistics sectors. Converting ships to, or equipping them with, scrubbers (gas separators) is nevertheless progressing.
The fact that Capital Link’s 14th International Maritime Forum on 30 March was a digital event didn’t detract from the urgency of Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen’s appeal expressed there. The CEO of DNV GL Maritime pointed out that “shipping can’t wait for the ‘perfect’ fuel that will enable it to meet the IMO’s targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. We have to ensure that measures are taken today.”
The call seems to have reached at least those shipowners who rely on the cleansing of shipping’s emissions. According to the latest survey carried out by DNV GL’s observatory for alternative fuels, the number of ships with permanently installed, or on-demand gas scrubbers currently stands at almost 4,050 units.
Although orders for this technological equipment slowed down towards the end of 2019, the latest statistics have shown that a significant increase has taken place when this figure is compared to the 3,881 ships identified by DNV GL early in 2020.
HSFO / VLSFO price splaying, oil’s falling
This trend runs counter to a fall in the price difference between HSFO and VLSFO observed over the last two months, and also to the collapse in crude oil prices. Some analysts even suspect that the number of ships fitted with scrubbers is actually higher than the figures cited, as DNV GL bases its data on manufacturers’ specifications, amongst other things. Small private vessels frequently slip through holes in the analysis. DNV GL’s report also states that the decreasing price difference between HSFO and VLSFO should not represent a disadvantage for future newbuildings.
