Fuels and the future: an alternative view
Mike Coomber, executive chairman of UK-based Rivertrace, urges the industry to make the best of all resources to make decarbonisation a reality
The multi-fuel future is unlikely to be a simple transition away from heavy fuel oil to green alternatives. It will also involve investment in technologies, automation and crew training.
RIVERTRACE, the UK-based water quality monitoring specialist, has evolved as the maritime industry developed away from analogue systems to digital technology.
Digital monitoring has become not only an accepted, but also an essential part of modern shipping.
In this podcast, the company’s owner and executive chairman Mike Coomber shares his thoughts on monitoring, fuels, new technologies, automation, and crewing.
He concludes that the only way to achieve decarbonisation goals is to make better use of human resources and assets operated on board.
He agrees the future will see a range of fuels, with shipowners and operators choosing the best fuel for the trade their vessels are on. However, he cautions that initial decisions are likely to change as the industry moves closer to decarbonisation goals.
Meanwhile, seafarers trained in an analogue age must be trained for the digital ship, and for these new fuels. He advocates bringing back an apprenticeship scheme, so seafarers can earn as they learn.
From the perspective of a developer of maritime technology, the world of fuels is not quite as clear as it might look through regulators’ or charterers’ eyes. Coomber offers an alternative view that challenges as well as affirms.
You can hear this podcast here.