The rise of LNG propulsion was on display at Donso Shipping Meet (DSM) with the presence of Sirius Shipping’s 5,800-cbm LNG bunkering vessel Coralius (built 2017) making its debut in the harbour.
The ship was developed together with Skangas and Dutch shipowner Anthony Veder.
LNG was one of the topics of discussion highlighted by the event's delegates alongside electrification, hybridisation, big data, ship automation, integration, the 2020 sulphur cap and its impact on marine fuels, among others.
Stena chief executive Dan Sten Olsson summed up the central challenge facing shipping.
“Despite the fact that shipping is the most environmentally friendly mode of transport, in the long term we still have to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. In the future, we have to focus on the entire life cycle [of vessels] from the very beginning to exhaust gas and propeller,” he said in his opening speech.
Avic International Ship Development chairman Sun Yan told Studio DSM that the Chinese shipbuilder shares the same spirit as Donso owners.
“It is critical in China, so we share the same approach to new technology and to pioneering these kinds of new equipment,” he said, highlighting Terntank’s series of newbuildings fitted with two-stroke, dual-fuel engines.
Sun said Avic’s strategy is to focus on niche markets, specifically chemical tankers at its Dingheng yard and ropax tonnage at Weihai, including river cruiseships. He said the big potential in those segments reflects consumption patterns in China and increased leisure time.
The Coralius slipped away in the early evening as a record 1,800 people sat down to dine in a giant banqueting tent on the Donso waterfront.
Sirius chief executive and DSM foundation chairman Jonas Backman welcomed guests from 35 countries. Some 90 shipowners and 260 exhibitors attended.
“Two years ago at the start, we said there will be 1,800 people on the island of Donso, and today we are 1,800 people. It’s fantastic,” he said.
