In this issue

Welcome to our first issue for 2021. Despite reports of the pandemic sending a ripple through global maritime trade in 2020, the hope is that this year will see a return to growth. Although shipowners are increasingly moving to low-sulphur fuel oil, questions have been asked about how bad fuel oil blends can have affect ship performance. We ask: is this a major problem that shippers need to be aware of?

In a debate feature, we discuss whether these future challenges will be best addressed by an international governing body like the IMO or if shipping should be governed on a more regional level. We speak to two companies about their connected but separate approaches to decarbonising shipping. Firstly, Daphne Technology tells us about the future of scrubber technologies and challenges the market may face in the future. Secondly, start-up ZeroNorth speaks about how real-time data can be used to optimise vessel performance.

Also in this issue: an ongoing project to revitalise the historic port of Djibouti; global shipping firm Wilhelmsen’s project to build a zero-emissions vessel running on hydrogen; and a more in-depth look at what the new Biden administration has in store for the US shipping industry.