Decarbonising the global maritime and logistics industries

Christopher Hudson, president of dmg events, discusses ADIPEC’s Maritime and Logistics offering

How will ADIPEC help to decarbonise the global maritime and logistics industries?

Today, all industries face a common challenge posed by the global energy trilemma, which is to support increased industrial productivity while reducing energy demand and emissions output. Recognising the importance of bringing together the wider global energy industry to accelerate efforts to resolve these complex issues, ADIPEC has made enabling the actions to overcome the new global energy trilemma a major focus of its 2024 edition. As such, ADIPEC 2024 will gather the entire wider energy ecosystem – spanning energy, technology, infrastructure, finance, government, utilities, construction, EPC, maritime and logistics, and more – to facilitate collaboration, share innovations, platform solutions and explore opportunities for decarbonisation, improved efficiency, reduced cost, and enhanced productivity.

The scale and significance of the global shipping sector specifically – it represents 90% of international trade while accounting for 3% of global CO2 emissions – shows the importance of ADIPEC’s Maritime and Logistics exhibition area. Maritime and logistics are an essential part of the global economy while also being a major consumer of energy and producer of emissions. With the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for global shipping by 2050, the sector has a big challenge ahead, which will be met in large part through new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) as well as low- and zero-emissions fuels like green hydrogen. By placing the ADIPEC Maritime and Logistics area beside our Decarbonisation and Digitalisation areas, we are facilitating the innovation and collaboration this large and central industry requires. Bringing together industry leaders, regulators and decision-makers from the global maritime and logistics supply chain, alongside leading technological experts, will help accelerate tangible, collective progress and advance global decarbonisation commitments and improve the competitiveness of companies operating in the space.

How is ADIPEC enabling the promotion of the latest innovations and technologies for the sector?

For the energy-intensive maritime and logistics sector, reducing energy consumption and emissions output in line with the 1.5C goal of the Paris Accords is no easy feat. It will require regulatory developments, new fuels, greater efficiency, better logistics and, crucially, integration of cutting-edge technologies like AI that can provide improvement in efficiency and more. By platforming companies that are advancing applications of technologies like AI, blockchain, machine learning, and the internet of things, ADIPEC is connecting those in the maritime and logistics sector to the innovators that can help them achieve enhanced performance, optimal efficiencies, and reduced emissions. The ADIPEC Maritime and Logistics area connects the people, organisations and resources needed to advance the sector and its goals.

The ADIPEC Marina Showcase will enable fleet and equipment owners to demonstrate their latest vessels, platforms and equipment, and how they are integrating cutting-edge technologies to achieve better performance and advance sector goals. This will enable visitors to learn about and be inspired by the latest products, technologies, innovations, and solutions that are driving the decarbonising and advancement of the maritime and logistics sectors. All of this shows the value of in-person events in their ability to enable product demonstrations and testing.

Can you share some highlights of the parallel Maritime & Logistics Conference?

The ADIPEC Maritime and Logistics Conference will convene pioneers, executives and regulators from the shipping world and beyond, fostering dialogues that drive cross-sector progress towards net zero, shaping the future of global supply chains and reinforcing a collective commitment to both people and the planet. Some of the topics of discussion at the conference will include the readiness of ports for an alternative energy future, balancing the urgency of infrastructure developments with the availability of new fuels, and the role of shipping in maintaining robust, sustainable global trade, particularly during geopolitical upheavals.

These topics will be explored by high-level speakers, including CEOs, ministers, policymakers, and technologists, all coming together with the common purpose of driving cross-sector progress towards net zero, shaping the future of global supply chains and reinforcing a collective commitment to both people and planet. By platforming visionaries on critical topics, the conference will harvest insights on the latest thinking, trends and solutions around reduced emissions, energy efficiencies and disruptive technology needed to advance the global maritime, logistics and shipping sectors.

As the largest energy gathering in the world, ADIPEC 2024 will host 184,000+ attendees, 16,500+ delegates and 2,200+ companies. See www.adipec.com

Originally published in 'Inside Marine' magazine