Upcoming Saudi Maritime Congress

The maritime and logistics sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by economic diversification efforts, policy reforms, and foreign direct investment commitments.

As the Kingdom fast-tracks its way to becoming a world-leading maritime hub, all eyes are on Saudi Arabia's ambitious plans. The upcoming 4th edition of the Saudi Maritime Congress is poised to be a central event in these developments.

Taking place in Dammam from September 20-21, 2023, the Saudi Maritime Congress will illuminate the tremendous scope of opportunity within the fast-growing maritime logistics sector. Chris Morley, Group Director Seatrade Maritime, emphasizes the integral role of maritime transport infrastructure as part of the strategy to bolster the domestic ports and logistics sector, in line with the government's ambitious goal of making Saudi Arabia the leading regional logistics hub.

The Congress's comprehensive and free-to-attend conference program will provide an in-depth analysis of Vision2030 and its objectives for the maritime and logistics sectors.

Among the planned improvements are initiatives to boost port revenue, enhance rail connectivity, and quadruple the country's annual container throughput to 40 million TEU by 2030.

Mega projects like the US$500 billion Neom scheme and plans for the Oxagon port, the world's largest floating structure, signify the scale of Saudi Arabia's aspirations.

Building on the success of the 2022 event, which attracted 3,757 international visitors, this year's exhibition and conference at Dhahran Expo, Dammam, KSA, promises to be a vital gathering of maritime executives, leading suppliers of marine equipment and services, and key influencers in the KSA maritime landscape.

The two-day program features industry and keynote addresses by prominent figures such as Nancy W. Karigithu, Principal Secretary State Department for Shipping and Maritime, Kenya; Erik Jensby, Head of Business Development and Membership, BIMCO; John McDonald, EVP and COO, ABS. With over 30 speakers lined up, topics ranging from ship management to mega strategies for the maritime industry's future in the Kingdom will be explored.

The bustling exhibition will include companies like MAWANI; IMI; Transport Global Authority; Saudi Global Ports Co; Grandweld; Naghi Marine Company; DP World Middle East; ASRY, and more, showcasing the latest in maritime technology and services.

The Saudi Maritime Congress 2023 promises to be a vital forum for understanding and engaging with the Kingdom's ambitious maritime and logistics goals. By offering a platform for dialogue, innovation, and collaboration, it plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the region's maritime landscape.

Registration is free for both the exhibition and conference program, highlighting the Congress's accessibility and dedication to fostering industry growth.

 

Biofuels to play significant role in decarbonizing shipping

Biofuels face short-term production limitations but look set to play a significant role in the decarburization of shipping, according to a new DNV report.

The report titled ‘Biofuels in Shipping’ covers the current state of biofuel production, considerations for using biofuels on vessels, the regulatory status of biofuels, the potential for the fuel type and an outlook for biofuel production.

Short-term production constraints currently limit the adoption of biofuels, according to the report, and in the longer-term shipping may face challenges in securing biofuels as demand from other industries increases.

Extrapolating from bunkering of biofuel blends in Singapore and Rotterdam, DNV estimates that biofuels current account for around 0.1% of maritime energy consumption.

The potential production of advanced biofuels is limited by the supply of feedstocks such as used cooking oil and municipal waste; combined with other restrictions, DNV estimated biofuel production from the theoretical potential, down through the technical potential, economical potential, and sustainable potential.

 “We estimate that the global sustainable and economical biofuel potential lies between 400 – 600 Mtoe (million tons of oil equivalent) per year in 2030, after converting biomass to biofuel assuming a 50% conversion efficiency. This could grow to 500 – 1,300 Mtoe per year in 2050,” said the report.

DNV noted that its estimates were lower than those seen in other reports due to the report applying sustainability requirements in line with the EU Renewable Energy Directive II (RED II).

Combining two extreme scenarios – where shipping maximizes the use of biofuels and biofuel use across other sectors is low – shipping could account for 50% of biofuel energy use by 2050, said the report.  

The report noted that bio-emthanol and bio-LNG are drop-in fuels, whereas biodiesel and other liquid fuels may require some modifications to the ship, depending on the feedstock used for fuel production; operational changes may also be necessary, for instance avoiding leaving certain fuels in tanks for too long as some biofuels degrade more quickly than their fossil-derived equivalents.

On the regulatory front, biofuels can impact CII ratings, emissions under the EU MRV and EU ETS regimes, and FuelEU Maritime, all depending on various approvals and certifications of each particular fuel.

The findings of the report underlined the prevailing expectation in the industry that the future will involve a multi-fuel approach. “Biofuels are unlikely to be the only solution to shipping’s goal of transitioning to zero GHG emissions in the future,” said the report.