With an extensive portfolio of innovative and integrated products and solutions, Wärtsilä delivers efficiency, reliability, flexibility, and environmental sustainability to enhance the business of its customers. As our industry enters a new era of innovation and unprecedented efficiency, Wärtsilä is using high levels of connectivity and digitalisation to bring value and optimisation to all marine applications. In so doing, it is leading the industry’s transformation towards a smart marine ecosystem.
To find out about Wärtsilä’s Nor-Shipping 2019 experience we spoke to Cato Esperø, Head of Sales, Wärtsilä Norway.
How was your Nor-Shipping 2019 experience?
Nor-Shipping 2019 was a great experience for me and the rest of my colleagues in Wärtsilä. I think the events overall focus on a more sustainable shipping became a huge inspiration and motivator for all participants to help increase the industries effort in finding cleaner solutions for the future. Today we are turning to the ocean, as our emissions and energy demands rises, to require new solutions. And the maritime industry is central to realize the huge potential above and below the water – driving change and the needed transition forward. I think Nor-Shipping has a central role to play as a platform and arena where the industry can meet and discuss a sustainable development, helping leading maritime players set the courses into the future.
What was your own personal highlight from the week?
My personal highlight was to be part of the launch of ZEEDS (Zero Emission Energy Distribution at Sea), who is an initiative from six forward-leaning companies which share one common goal: To explore the fastest routes towards zero emissions shipping. The powerful coalition includes Aker Solutions, an offshore engineering and technology company, Equinor, the multinational energy company, DFDS, an international shipping and logistics company, Grieg Star, an international ship owning and operating company, Kvaerner, a leading project execution specialist, and Wärtsilä, a leader in smart technologies for the marine and energy markets.
We launched ZEEDS at the Future Innovation Day – Horizons, in cooperation with Nor-Shipping, and at the Opening conference at the Nor-Shipping venue at Lillestrøm. After the event ZEEDS has gained a huge awareness through press articles, presentations and participations in conferences. The project has managed to create a position as a discussion partner for ship owners, shipping’s associations, politicians, maritime clusters and NGO`s when it comes to questions connected to a future infrastructure of clean fuel for shipping. We could not have gained this visibility without Nor-Shipping as a platform for communication and discussion arena with the rest of the maritime industry.
Why is Nor-Shipping important to you and your business?
The ZEEDS-partners recognise that accelerating the industry’s transition to clean fuels will require a collective effort and partnership. If we are up to meet the targets set by the European Union, the International Maritime Organisation and the Paris-agreement, the industry need to partner up and really live the challenge from the sustainable development goal number 17, “Partnership for the goals”. This is where Nor-Shipping can play an important role for the global maritime industry, we need to work together, share our knowledge and insights, to find the fastest route to clean shipping, and we need good meetings points to get the discussions started.
Why did you feel it was important to sign up for Nor-Shipping 2021 as early as possible?
Nor-Shipping is the place where the international shipping industry meet, greet and showcase the innovations that deliver sustainable change for their customers. It’s a place where both the ship owners, maritime technology providers and a wider business segments cross paths to learn from one another and establish new partnerships. Its as simple as this: you got to be present at Nor-Shipping if you want to know what’s really going on in the marine business.
What are you most looking forward to at the next Nor-Shipping?
We hope that we in June 2021* are in a situation globally that we have the Covid-19 virus under control, so we can enjoy a new Nor-Shipping in full scale, if not I hope that the Nor-Shipping organisers will give us new and creative digital solutions. I am also looking forward to sharing the new developments of ZEEDS and what the group have been working on since the last time. After launching ZEEDS we have seen a new momentum in the clean fuel discussions around the world, together with the focus on the availability on enough renewable energy. One of our key elements, addressing green ammonia, was based on exactly this, the need of an endless feedstock base of core energy, to create a total new infrastructure of clean fuel supply.
We also wish to thank the Nor-Shipping platform and all the different stakeholders that have contacted ZEEDS and wanted to work with us on the journey. We are just overwhelmed by positive recognition and stakeholders from all over the world, and really looking forward to getting the opportunity to meet up with many of them again, to discuss and learn from their insights.
Any final remarks?
Clean shipping will happen. Today the marine industry has started a huge transition who is brought forward day by day. We already see new collaborations and industrial setups putting existing technology together in new ways, and from there further develop it into tomorrow’s solutions. Fuel flexibility, new clean fuels, vessel improvements and energy optimization in ships is the first steps, some is already happening, and some is just around the corner. We have started a route of continues improvements on decarbonisation, and it is moving fast.
*Please note that this article was written before Nor-Shipping 2021 was postponed to 10-13 January 2022.
Nor-Shipping 2022 – Your Arena for Ocean Solutions – takes place in Oslo and Lillestrøm, 10-13 January 2022. Make sure you’re part of the #ACTION. Sign up NOW for our newsletter!
