Ocean Group is proud to announce that it will use HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) fuel for its port towing operations in British Columbia. This new generation of hydrotreated renewable diesel is made from vegetable oils, plant or animal residues, waste oils and fats such as used cooking oil and offers a significant environmental solution. HVO reduces lifecycle CO2 emissions by approximately 80% compared to traditional fossil fuels.

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Sustainable shipping fuels could reach cost parity with fossil fuels as early as 2035 with the help of decisive emissions policy such as carbon taxes and emissions limits, according to a new report launched today by technology group Wärtsilä.

The report, titled ‘Sustainable fuels for shipping by 2050 – the 3 key elements of success’, reveals that the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and FuelEU Maritime Initiative (FEUM)[i] will see the cost of using fossil fuels more than double by 2030. By 2035, they will close the price gap between fossil fuels and sustainable fuels for the very first time.

Transporting 80% of world trade, shipping is the engine room of the global economy. However, despite being the most efficient and environmental way to transport goods, it emits 2% of global emissions, equivalent to the annual emissions of Japan. Without action, this could increase by more than 45% by 2050.

In 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) set a target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Existing decarbonisation solutions, such as fuel efficiency measures, could cut up to 27% of emissions[v]. Wärtsilä’s report argues that sustainable fuels will be a critical step in eliminating the remaining 73% but radical action is needed to scale them. The industry suffers from a “chicken and egg” challenge – ship owners won’t commit to a fuel today that is expensive, only produced in small quantities, and may be usurped by another fuel that scales faster and more affordably. Meanwhile, it is difficult for suppliers to scale production without clear demand signals.

Wärtsilä has produced new modelling that shows a timeline of which fuels are likely to become widely available on a global scale, when and at what cost. To accelerate this timeline, the report argues that decisive policy implementation, industry collaboration, and individual operator action must coalesce to scale the production of these fuels.

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The second global Women in Maritime Survey is being conducted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Women's International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA International). This Survey is run every three years to obtain baseline data on the number of women in maritime and oceans fields and the positions they occupy.

This Survey supports implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by having comparable data that will assist in creating programmes and proposing policies that will increase the participation of women in maritime.

The Survey includes questions for companies, non-governmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and private maritime training institutes/academies. It should be completed only once by each organization. Please note that this survey is voluntary.

You can preview the survey questions by clicking here. To fill out the survey, please click here.

The survey will be open until 23:59 GMT 31 December 2024.

Thank you,

National CMAC Secretariat

Canadian Maritime Industry Aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals

A groundbreaking new study by Clear Seas, in collaboration with Green Marine and the Association of Canadian Port Authorities (ACPA), has mapped the sustainability initiatives of the Canadian maritime industry against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The research, titled "Mapping Canadian Maritime Industry Initiatives to UN Sustainable Development Goals," provides a clear overview of how the 17 UN SDGs are being applied in the maritime sector and identifies those SDGs most relevant to maritime sustainability initiatives.

Key Findings:

• Significant Alignment: Eight UN SDGs, including those focused on environmental protection, health, and economic growth, are most relevant to the maritime industry.
• Green Marine's Contribution: Green Marine's certification program contributes to 11 out of the 17 UN SDGs, demonstrating its effectiveness in driving sustainability initiatives.
• Global Sustainability Framework: The UN SDGs represent a global framework that can guide Canada's ports in further developing sustainability frameworks and approaches.

Extensive SDG Adoption: Over two-thirds of Canadian maritime companies reference the SDGs in their sustainability reporting.

Read the Report Here

Read the Full Press Release Here

A $2.4-million study for Transport Canada found a new hull paint developed in Nova Scotia and used on fishing boats reduced fuel consumption by 20 per cent and lowered vessel noise by six to seven decibels.

The results were released Monday by Graphite Innovation Technologies — the Dartmouth startup company that developed the coating — and Lloyd's Register, the global ship certification society that verified the findings. 

"We're a step ahead in terms of innovative coatings that are very sustainable. I would say they're the most sustainable coatings in the world," said Mo AlGermozi, president of Graphite Innovation Technologies.

The company uses graphene — a carbon-based nanomaterial — as the basis for its strong, slippery and non-toxic hull paint.

It was tested on six Cape Islander lobster fishing boats in Nova Scotia over 18 months.

More efficient and quieter

The study was funded by Transport Canada under a program to reduce underwater noise and greenhouse gas emissions produced by ships.

The graphene coating allows the ship to move through the water with less friction, making it more efficient — and quieter.

Measurements were taken when the hulls were fouled with marine growth, after they were cleaned, and finally, after the hulls were sprayed with the dark grey paint.

The company said its marine paint would cost the average lobster fishing boat $1,000 and would pay for itself within a season in lower fuel costs.

"Per trip, they'll be saving around 70 bucks," said AlGermozi.

Bigger fish to fry

While there are thousands of inshore boats in Atlantic Canada like the types involved in the Transport Canada study, the company is eyeing a much larger market — the worldwide merchant shipping industry.

"The most interesting thing here is the scalability of this technology. What's demonstrated on a fishing boat can be amplified on even bigger vessels. So the bigger the ship, the more savings," said AlGermozi.

"The results really matter because at any time there are at least 50,000 commercial ships right now on the water, which means a lot of fuel consumption, a lot of noise. A small, significant change means it's very big in terms of scalable basis. So it's a huge impact economically and environmentally."

Lloyd's Register lends product credibility

Lloyd's marine and offshore president for the Americas, Kevin Humphreys, said Graphite Innovations has found a new application for graphene, which is used as an additive to concrete.

"We've seen it used in some of the building industry products, but to see it here, used in paint and in marine, not coming from one of the large manufacturers, but from a small incubator and tech startup? I think it's a great story," said Humphreys.

"The market is huge."

Lloyds provided the independent assessment the shipping industry wants. He said they will also want to see the results replicated in larger vessels.

"They want to see good third-party verification using verifiable, peer-reviewed methodologies that can be reproduced. And that gives them that level of comfort as you translate the scientific results into the financial result, which is really key for them as well," he said.

Next up: Testing coatings on bigger ships

Tests on larger ships are planned for 2022.

The Ocean Supercluster — a federally funded marine innovation program — has a separate project that will test the coating on the 67-metre Polar Prince owned by Horizon Maritime, an offshore services company.

AlGermozi predicts "we will be commercializing this technology by mid of next year."

The company has to not only convince the shipping industry, but the large paint companies that could produce the volumes needed if the product does take off.

The end goal is a licensing deal with one of them.

"The market is always controlled by three or four very big coating companies. The idea here is to innovate something very attractive for them to integrate into their logistics and supply channels," said AlGermozi.

Transport Canada declined to comment on the results.

"Although the research is still underway on this project, the department looks forward to reviewing the results once the final report is complete," spokesperson Sara Johnston said in an email to CBC News after this story was published. 

AlGermozi says the results will not change in the final report.

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