FUELS and the impact of digital technology were just some of the topics discussed at the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) held in Kobe, Japan, earlier this month.
Ports Australia chief executive Mike Gallacher attended and said there was time for historical reflection given it was the IAPH’s 70th anniversary, before looking to future issues.
Discussing fuels, Mr Gallacher said some ports in Europe for example were looking forward to a multi-fuel approach and the introduction of new fuels, especially with a mixture of new fuels on offer.
Whereas in other parts of the world, such as Australia and the United Kingdom, there was a different view.
“I made the point in one of my committees, for Australia with massive coastline and the mixture of vessel types… we don’t have the luxury of having a multifuel approach based in one location,” he said.
“We are going to need a more strategic understanding of what our fuel needs are if we are to bunker for shipping.”
Mr Gallacher said digitisation arose as a discussion point relevant to the fuel revolution.
“There was a discussion about the opportunity for ports to be part of that fuel revolution going forward and the role that digitisation plays in that,” he said
“They were all major pieces to the jigsaw.”
The conference occurred in the context of the upcoming (at the time) IMO meeting in London that was expected to ratify proposed regulations towards net zero emissions, a decision that was ultimately deferred.
“It did seem a lot of the focus was around the pending IMO decision. There is no doubt that was an issue that was front of mind,” Mr Gallacher said.
He also spoke of the logistical challenges associated with geopolitical conflict, for example in the Red Sea and there was a need for a more robust discussion on how the port sector operates in the current global climate.
Hope that in Australia and the Pacific Ocean region and also in Southeast Asia, there is an opportunity for our nations to be very much part of that future positive energy as opposed to relying on others to make decisions
Mr Gallacher said meeting with global port representatives, many of whom had been in the industry for decades, was stimulating.
“In saying that, there are also different views and there is a view from our part of the world that will be different from Europe,” he said.
“Onshore power was up for discussion and it was patently obvious to everyone there, there was not one example in the world of an onshore power plant being put into a port that was not funded by government.
“Several people were saying ‘we should have onshore power’. We’ll we’re not averse to it, but the question is, how do you fund it? How do you make it work?”