Page 8 - 2024 - Q2 - Minerva in Focus

MINERVA IN FOCUS Maritime Headlines

Environmental According to a survey by ISWAN on the also suggest that the potential for the rapid
impact of the rapid adoption of new tech-
adoption of new technologies and regula-
regulations' nologies and regulatory regimes in seafar- tions to have a detrimental impact on those
ers mental health and job satisfaction, the
who are tasked with implementing them is
impact on the adoption of new environmental regulations currently being overlooked.
is clearly having a major impact on seafar-
Having seafarers’ concerns about decar-
wellbeing ers’ working lives. bonisation acknowledged and acting on
Overall, just over 70% of respondents re-
their suggestions for change would be an
of seafarers ported that environmental regulations relat- important step in empowering seafarers to
ing to decarbonisation have a big (43.7%)
be proponents and drivers of the journey
or moderate (26.6%) impact on their work. towards zero carbon, rather than becoming
#Wellbeing ISWAN’s survey suggests that many sea- another factor that risks driving many out
farers and shore-based staff understand of the industry.
and support the urgent need to decarbo-
nise shipping. However, the survey findings Source: ISWAN

Exercise A new study from the Massachusetts In- smog formation and fine particulate matter
stitute of Technology (MIT) has thrown a
generation. These pollutants can exacer-
caution with spanner into the plan to transition ships bate respiratory problems, increasing the
risk of heart attacks, strokes, and asthma.
from diesel fuel to ammonia. While ammo-
ammonia nia offers the alluring prospect of slashing However, the MIT study doesn't entirely
dismiss ammonia's potential. Green am-
greenhouse gas emissions, MIT research-
switch ers warn that without stricter regulations, monia, produced using renewable energy
sources, offers a near-zero carbon foot-
the switch could come at a cost to human
health. print, representing a significant improve-
#Ammonia The problem lies in the unwanted guests ment over traditional diesel fuel.
that appear when ammonia burns. Unlike The study also highlights the need for
diesel, burning ammonia creates nitrous transparency and data sharing. Collabora-
oxide, a greenhouse gas with a staying tion between researchers and the maritime
power 300 times greater than carbon di- industry is crucial for obtaining real-world
oxide, as quoted in the MIT study by lead data from operational ammonia-powered
author Anthony Wong. This translates to a ships. This data would allow for more ac-
magnified heat-trapping effect, potentially curate assessments of the climate and
negating some of the climate benefits am- health impacts associated with a large-
monia offers. scale switch to ammonia fuel.
Additionally, ammonia combustion produc-
es nitrogen oxides (NOx), a key player in Source: Baltic Exchange

6 ISSUE 28 / Q2 2024