I (Research Assistant Petar Sofev) was invited to present my research on bunkering infrastructure to support zero-emissions shipping as part of the GST Rising Star competition of one of the leading conference series Green Ship Technology, held in Copenhagen on 20-21 March. In the audience were high-level representatives from the IMO, EU Commission, industry associations, classification societies, ship owners and technology providers. I was among the few delegates from academia and used the occasion to discuss the important role academic research and Social Sciences play when developing ambitious projects for the maritime sector.
The project focuses on transforming the challenge of potential capital and technological lock-ins resulting from investment in LNG bunkering infrastructure by exploring the feasibility of developing cost-efficient dual-purpose and modular infrastructure for refuelling ships that is able to supply both LNG and hydrogen by 2025 (the year by when EU member states are obligated to have put in place sufficient LNG bunkering points along maritime ports under the EU Directive 2014/94/EU). This project is a fantastic opportunity to utilise the multidisciplinary expertise of the Blue SDU research network, which I specifically highlighted in the presentation.
You can access my presentation slides from the event by following this link, and of course, do not hesitate to get in touch with me at sofev@sam.sdu.dk if you would like to get involved in any capacity.