GreenShip Technology Conference Post-Event Blog Post
By George Cook, Senior Applications Project Manager at RSC Bio Solutions
With more than 100 attendees and over 60 expert speakers, the 2016 GreenShip Technology (GST) Conference was a great event with lots of networking opportunities. This year, the event took place in Washington, DC and the attendees included ship owners, management companies, charter companies and vendors that supply products that reduce the environmental footprint of ship operations.
GST 2016 was dedicated to several main areas: managing air emissions, Vessel General Permit (VGP) spotlight, approaches to ballast water management, options for reducing emissions with alternative fuels, innovations in sustainable ship design and methods for improving energy efficiency. New proposed regulations of ballast water in 2020 and low sulfur fuels globally, have companies looking for solutions to ensure compliance. They are also working to evaluate the overall economic impact. Organizations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) gave their perspective on both. Several companies presented scrubbers for the smoke stacks which could allow ships to burn regular fuel, which would create cost savings long-term. Ballast water control revolved around methods to kill organisms before discharge into the port water.
I had the honor to participate in a panel discussion entitled “Developing the Ultimate Green Ship.” My presentation was focused on “Enhanced Performance through Next Generation Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs).” The conference chairman, Jon Stewart, President of International Maritime Technology Consultants, moderated the session. Each of the panelists gave a short presentation about technologies that are key to the future of environmentally conscious ship design, followed by questions from the audience. In my presentation, I addressed new categories of bio-based EAL technologies and their performance and sustainability benefits, how innovative industry partnerships are advancing new product development in this area, and growing global environmental regulations.
During the presentation, I also introduced the audience to FUTERRA™, RSC Bio Solutions’ newest revolutionary product line of bio-based lubricants. The first and only hydrocarbon renewable EAL, FUTERRA is Ecolabel-certified and designed to outperform other products on the market while meeting the most stringent global environmental regulations at a more attractive price point.
Beyond the presentation and hearing from other industry experts on relevant topics, while at GST, I also had the opportunity to reconnect with current customers and to establish new business relationships that I believe will extend far beyond GST.
To learn more about FUTERRA and how RSC Bio Solutions can help your company keep moving forward, visit https://rscbio.com/.
