The Covid-19 pandemic has tested the resilience of all shipping stakeholders. It has been no exception for us at Lloyd’s Register, and 2020 has spurred many changes in the way we work. Supporting our clients with the short-term operational challenges they encountered at the start of the pandemic not only cemented many of our strong relationships but it has enabled us to build a better understanding of their long-term strategic goals.
After a year like no other, TradeWinds asked 40 shipping industry stakeholders what they see for 2021 after a year beset by the coronavirus, and how the pandemic will shape shipping's future.
The pace of digitalisation has accelerated significantly this year. This evolution was always expected and the heightened confidence in digital methods has made us all more agile and accepting of the advantages of digital capability. This has also brought us closer together as an industry, given more direct and immediate online access.
A key area where digital capability made a significant contribution to keeping supply chains open was remote surveys. Lloyd’s Register has offered remote surveys for many years but the challenges presented by border restrictions, lockdowns and quarantine meant they very quickly became a vital service to ensure the safe operation of vessels, offshore assets and crews.
The industry has just scratched the surface of what is possible with remote-surveying techniques, but we have already seen many advantages, including better transparency — the surveyor, flag and client can all view the same thing at the same time — and greater flexibility, no surveyor required onboard or in a difficult-to-reach location.
Decarbonisation top of the agenda
Looking to the year ahead, decarbonising the industry will still be top of the agenda and requires immense industry focus as we work together to ensure that zero-carbon vessels are entering the world fleet by 2030. To support this transition, Lloyd’s Register has launched a dedicated Maritime Decarbonisation Hub that will bring together thought leaders and subject-matter experts with the skills, knowledge and capabilities to help the maritime industry to design, develop and commercialise the pathways to future fuels, vessels and operational models required for decarbonisation.
Decarbonisation is a paradigm shift for an industry built on fossil-based fuel and the whole supply chain will be affected. Industry-wide collaboration is fundamental to achieve this goal and many initiatives are underway, with yards, owners and charterers looking at different alternative fuels.
There is the promise of brighter times ahead. There is good reason to hope that newbuild activity will bounce back towards the end of 2021 and there is no question that the maritime industry will come out of this challenging year with extensive learnings and more efficient operations than existed before the pandemic.
