International Maritime Organization News

The decarbonisation of international shipping is a priority for IMO and by mid-2023, the organisation aims to have in place a revised and strengthened Strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. Low- and zero-carbon ship technology assessment A new IMO project aims to provide an assessment of the state of availability and readiness of low- and zero-carbon ship technology and marine fuels, in order to help inform Member States as they work towards the revision of the IMO GHG Strategy...

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decision to ambitiously cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in half by 2050 is at the top of shipping companies’ agendas. To ensure that ships contribute as little as possible to GHG emissions, all stakeholders must use cutting-edge technology. This offers a closer look at the technologies that are available for regulatory compliance and energy efficiency improvement. Air Lubrication System The air lubrication system creates a carpet...

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 79) of the International Maritime organization (IMO) has made progress towards revising the Initial IMO GHG Strategy, working towards adopting a strengthened revised Strategy in mid-2023 at MEPC 80. "I note and welcome the progress made on these matters. It cannot be stressed enough how crucial it is that we keep the momentum and deliver an ambitious and fair, revised IMO GHG Strategy at MEPC 80 next year," said IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim,...

The conclusion of a successful five-year initiative to protect the marine environment in South-East Asia from the negative effects of ships and shipping has been marked at a high-level meeting (25-27 October) in Viet Nam with the adoption of a MEPSEAS-Halong Statement by the participating countries.   The Marine Environment Protection of the South-East Asian Seas (MEPSEAS) project has seen seven partner countries - Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Na...

Vallianz Holdings, an established provider of offshore marine and engineering solutions for the global energy industry, is accelerating the digitalisation of its fleet of offshore support vessels (OSV) with a comprehensive package of connectivity services from Inmarsat, the internationally renowned company in global, mobile satellite communications. With its headquarters in Singapore, Vallianz operates an OSV fleet worldwide that will benefit from industry-renowned connectivity through Inmarsar...

A new mandatory safety code for ships carrying industrial personnel – aimed at ensuring the safety of people transported to work on offshore facilities including wind farms – has been adopted by IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 106), which met from November 2 to November 11, 2022. The new Chapter XV of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the associated new International Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel (IP Code) were devel...

The World Maritime Day Parallel Event (WMDPE) has opened in Durban, South Africa (12 to 14 October 2022). In his opening speech, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said: "After a two-year pause in parallel events due to the pandemic, it is an enormous pleasure to be able to welcome you all here to Durban for the 2022 World Maritime Day Parallel Event.” “The Parallel Event was instituted to provide an opportunity to take the World Maritime theme "on the road" and it is undoubtedly one...

Parties to the treaties which regulate the dumping of wastes at sea have adopted a statement identifying the need to carefully evaluate marine geoengineering techniques, which may have potential for mitigating the effects of climate change but may have adverse impacts on the marine environment. The statement identifies four techniques which need priority evaluation, involving either carbon dioxide removal (CDR) or solar radiation modification (SRM). The statement was adopted by the 44th Consul...

Parties to the treaties which regulate the dumping of wastes at sea have adopted an amendment to ensure that the dumping of sewage sludge at sea would be prohibited worldwide. The amendment to the London Protocol will remove sewage sludge from the list of permissible wastes - wastes which may be considered for dumping at sea. The amendment was adopted by the 44th Consultative Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Convention and the 17th Meeting of Contracting Parties to the London Protoc...

The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has signed a partnership agreement with the Commonwealth Secretariat, under which both organisations commit to strengthening the maritime and port sectors in selected developing countries, through activities which will promote and facilitate the adoption of sustainable maritime transport systems and practices. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Thursday (29 September, 2022) by IMO Secretary-General, Kitack Lim...

The International Maritime Organization is shining a spotlight on the role of emerging technologies to support a green transition of the maritime sector into a sustainable future. During the World Maritime Day 2022, on 29 September, celebrations will focus on the theme of 'New technologies for greener shipping', providing a platform to showcase inclusive maritime innovation, research and development, and the demonstration and deployment of new technologies. Authority comment In his message on...

30 shipping banks and 17 marine insurance providers and brokers announce that the Poseidon Principles will add additional trajectories to report climate alignment with a 1.5C future. This new commitment will align the Poseidon Principles with the ambition of the UN and the latest available climate science. Emissions reduction trajectory The Poseidon Principles have committed to adopting an emissions reduction trajectory in line with net-zero commitments, as soon as such a trajectory or trajec...

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has highlighted the significant progress on the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the critical role of seafarers in delivering global trade, during a visit to Odesa, Ukraine. In Odesa, on Monday (29 August), Secretary-General Lim was able to gain first-hand experience of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and hear how ship safety and port management is being implemented. Maritime humanitarian corridor "I appreciate the UN and all other stakehold...

Becker Marine Systems is perfectly positioned to present itself at SMM 2018, the international trade fair for the maritime industry. With its versatile high-performance rudders and efficient energy-saving products such as the Becker Mewis Duct, the Hamburg-based company is managing to convince more and more customers of its innovative products. Additionally, with innovative product developments such as the Becker LNG PowerPac, Becker Marine Systems is continuing to down the path of a more susta...

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim on Friday (22 July) welcomed the signing of an agreement between, the Russian Federation, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the United Nations to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor to allow ships to export critical cargoes of grain and foodstuffs from Ukraine. The agreement was signed in Istanbul, Türkiye after several weeks of talks. IMO participated as part of the UN delegation. Much-needed grain Mr. Lim attended the signing ceremony in Istanbul. "I am...

Thirty women from maritime administrations across the globe have completed the first-ever Leadership Accelerator Programme (LEAP) run by Maritime SheEO, designed to equip women with leadership skills and the confidence to progress in their careers. A virtual graduation ceremony for participants was held on 30 June 2022. The programme, which ran over eight weeks, was announced in November 2020 and launched on International Women's Day in March 2022. It was part of the IMO's Women in Maritime pro...

International Maritime Organization (IMO) representatives at the United Nations Ocean Conference 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal (from June 27 to July 1, 2022) have highlighted the IMO’s ongoing commitment to preserving the world’s ocean and combating climate change. IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim emphasized shipping’s truly international nature. He said, “The ocean truly sustains us all, and the maritime sector connects us all. A greener, resilient maritime sector is essenti...

Seafarers are sharing their maritime voyages across social media to mark the Day of the Seafarer 2022.  The maritime world is changing, fast. Ships are now operating greener, with greater digitisation and with more diverse crews. As the lifeblood of the shipping industry, seafarers are at the heart of this evolution, implementing new regulations, learning new skills and adopting safer, more efficient working practices. As the world’s merchant fleet traverses the oceans, the crews onboard...

Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) and its subsidiary - Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have received an Approval in Principle (AiP) from DNV for their newly developed waste heat-derived LNG fuel supply system - Hi-eGAS (Hyundai High Efficient Gas Supply System) for 300K VLCC. Currently, LNG fuel propulsion ships have used boilers to make hot steam, which has converted LNG into a gas at room temperature, to supply a ship’s engine. However, this process has the disadvantag...

Ship charterers and operators representing over 15% of total bulk cargo transported by sea in 2021 deliver on their commitment to the Sea Cargo Charter, a global framework for aligning ship chartering activities with society’s goals. Signatories to the Sea Cargo Charter commit to measuring and publicly disclosing the alignment of their chartering activities with the ambition to reduce total GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 50% by 2050, as set out by the International...

IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee progresses work on GHG reduction; approves the Mediterranean Sea emission control area. IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee has reiterated its commitment to review and strengthen the IMO Initial Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from shipping, to adopt a revised strategy in mid-2023. MEPC 78 session The MEPC 78 session (6-10 June) made further progress with the discussions towards the revision of the Initial GHG Strategy, as initi...

To navigate the challenge of net-zero carbon emissions, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming) has joined The Silk Alliance, in order to develop and formulate potential measures for vessel decarbonisation, among members of maritime supply chain. The Silk Alliance is aimed at establishing Green Corridor Cluster and paving the pathway towards maritime decarbonisation. The Silk Alliance Initiated by the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, The Silk Alliance consists o...

International Maritime Organization’s GHG Working Group finalises guidelines to support implementation of carbon intensity measures and agrees to further develop a ‘basket of candidate mid-term measures’, including technical and carbon-pricing elements Draft guidelines to support implementation of ship carbon intensity measures coming into effect in 2023 have been finalised by an International Maritime Organization (IMO) Working Group.  12th session of the ISWG-GHG 12 T...

Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh has restated the Agency’s commitment to ensuring effective pollution prevention and control in the Nigerian Maritime domain, in order to continue to create an enabling environment for the sector to thrive. Dr. Bashir Jamoh who made this assertion while speaking at the 7th meeting of the National Standing Committee on International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund implementation in N...

IMO’s Facilitation Committee has adopted amendments to the Facilitation (FAL) Convention, which will make the single window for data exchange mandatory in ports around the world, marking a significant step in the acceleration of digitalisation in shipping. Other amendments adopted include lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic and add new and amended Recommended Practices to prevent corruption and illicit activities in the maritime sector. Facilitation (FAL) Convention The Facilitati...

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim has urged further financial support for a UN-coordinated operational plan to address the threat of a major oil spill from the FSO Safer, moored off Yemen, after a pledging event in The Hague saw donors pledging US$33 million in new funding. Contingency planning efforts "In the face of an impending environmental disaster, we must do all we can to prevent it. We must act now," Mr. Lim said. "The time is now. The risks are hig...

The first International Day for Women in Maritime on 18 May 2022 provides a platform to highlight and celebrate the achievements of women in maritime and identify areas of improvement for gender balance. IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said: “There is still a gender imbalance in maritime – but times are changing. It is recognised that diversity in maritime benefits the entire sector. Women in maritime are working everywhere to support the transition to a decarbonised, digitalised a...

Maritime UK is joining the global maritime sector, in order to celebrate the inaugural International Day for Women in Maritime. The theme is ‘Training-Visibility-Recognition: Supporting a barrier-free working environment’. The day celebrates women in the industry. It is intended to promote the recruitment, retention and sustained employment of women in the maritime sector, raise the profile of women in maritime, strengthen International Maritime Organization’s commitment to th...

Gender diversity in maritime is extremely fragmented by sector, according to data from the newly- published 2021 IMO-WISTA (Women's International Shipping & Trading Association) Women in Maritime Survey Report. IMO-WISTA report findings The report, launched on the first IMO International Day for Women in Maritime, contains information about the proportion and distribution of women working in the maritime sector from the IMO Member States and the maritime industry. The data...

Maritime industry can achieve vast majority of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target through digital technologies, according to a major new report into decarbonising shipping. The maritime industry, which carries over 90 per cent of world trade, accounts for 2.5 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions globally. To hit the target of a 50 per cent reduction in global shipping CO2 emissions by 2050, as set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), it is estimated that the sector...