At the annual advisory board meeting of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), CEO Christopher Wiernicki drew a positive balance. For the future, he appealed for the use of alternative fuels.
High-ranking representatives of the Coast Guard (USCG) and the US Maritime Administration (Marad) also had their say at the meeting.
“Safety is more than just compliance,” Wiernicki told the ABS Advisory Board members in his message. “It is now synonymous with reliability, collective relationships and people. Safety is also increasingly becoming a systems issue and is no longer just rooted in regulations or specific component procedures. Only through a proactive, system-oriented approach to safety can the maritime industry move towards a low-carbon future while ensuring the well-being of its seafarers and the protection of the marine environment.”
ABS remains “number one”
The ABS continues to be “number one in the global order book”, Wiernicki announced, referring to an audited fleet of 11,500 ships with 298 million GT. The American classification society continues to be one of the leading voices in the industry and provides insights into pioneering technologies. At the same time, it has an industry-leading performance in terms of port condition and fleet safety.
“Technology is advancing very quickly and we are moving into an era where we need short, medium and long-term plans,” the CEO continued. “ABS has an eye on today and an eye on tomorrow and is making the right investments to support our safety mission and our customers.”
Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, said: “Safety at sea requires a collaborative effort by all stakeholders. Leadership and partnership, especially with the Coast Guard, ABS and Marad, serve us well in supporting US maritime governance, safety and security.”
Working together for a modern maritime network
Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips, Rear Admiral of the US Navy (Ret.), said, “With the accelerating pace of technological change and the challenges associated with building our maritime workforce, collaboration is critical. Marad remains committed to a modern maritime transportation network in the U.S., with a particular focus on recruiting, training and retaining mariners – along with important investments in our ports, waterways and infrastructure.” He said they are grateful to the ABS and the Coast Guard for their continued leadership and will continue to work together on the safety and overall health of US shipping.
The session also included a discussion on next-generation ship design, clean energy initiatives, the role of retrofitted carbon capture and energy efficiency technologies, cybersecurity, and fuel availability and scalability, among other topics.
“We believe that carbon capture, clean hydrogen, electrification, digital technologies such as machine learning and renewable energy sources such as nuclear power will be the most important solutions for shipping in the future,” said ABS CEO Wiernicki.
Advisory Board members were also given an overview of digital solutions that support compliance in the rapidly changing regulatory landscape. In addition, the discussion focused on industry challenges and opportunities arising from the increasing focus on technical investments, business automation, cyber security and risk management.
