Pragmatic solutions and visionary thinking at International Bulk Shipping Conference

Riviera’s first International Bulk Shipping Conference held in association with international law firm Stephenson Harwood fostered crucial debate and relationships around decarbonising one of Maritime’s hardest-to-abate sectors. Technical and economic analysis was shared as well as intelligence on new market opportunities. Delegates actively engaged in lively Q&A sessions and discussions around collaboration across the value chain were mirrored in the buzzing networking breaks in the exhibition area, with reports of sales agreements initiated and concluded on the day.

Across a full conference programme, experts provided outlooks on demand trends for major commodities like iron ore and coal that shape bulk trades. Africa’s accelerating emergence was highlighted as well as the extent unlocking its potential hinges on infrastructure investments and managing local partnerships judiciously. Speakers also assessed the feasibility of various low carbon technologies and fuels to meet looming IMO emissions regulations.

The effects of impending environmental regulations like the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) on existing fleets were scrutinised. There was much discussion on retrofitting options to optimise energy usage versus the benefits of new build designs leveraging alternative fuels. A paper on The Blue Visby initiative, which aims to tackle maritime emissions through enhanced supply chain coordination and digitalisation, attracted great interest from conference participants, spurring several questions on functionality.

Key questions emerged from the conference touching on marine vetting and inspection regimes, boosting capabilities - from augmenting inspector training, upgrading risk models, data utilisation, transparency systems, and oversight capacities.

The shared view among attendees at the end of a full day was that they left better positioned to navigate the transition following a full and varied day of presentations, discussions and networking.

Riviera’s International Bulk Shipping Conference returns in 2024.