Prominence Maritime managing director Ioanna Prokopiou characterized the big issue of the green transition in maritime transport as a “marathon” and not a “sprint”.
Speaking at the 5th Athens Triennial Meeting, Prokopiou said the green transition takes time, while it is possible to further reduce the industry’s environmental footprint through the use of new technologies on ships using conventional fuels.
“Instead of waiting for the perfect solution, we can take steps toward sustainability using the tools we have today. High-performance engines using conventional fuels provide a practical and immediate way to reduce emissions and fuel consumption – without the high costs and infrastructure limitations of alternative fuels,” she said.
The perfect solution?
At the three-day conference co-organized by BAYES, “Centro Costas Grammenos for Navigation, Commerce and Finance” (which celebrated its 40th anniversary) and the Onassis Foundation, Prokopiou described the “must” for the ideal new green fuel.
In particular, the ideal new fuel should:
– They have a proven long-term environmental benefit.
-Comes from a sustainable energy source.
– Be available worldwide.
-Be safe to manage and use (as some of the alternative fuels discussed today are toxic and very difficult to manage).
– Have a competitive price (the price difference with traditional fossil fuels must be reduced).
-Satisfy the entire spectrum of greenhouse gas emission reductions and not just carbon dioxide.
Otherwise we run the risk of “hiding emissions under the carpet and this is not the strategy we should follow”, emphasized Prokopiou.