The International Maritime Organization (IMO)
In 2003, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) granted Interferry Consultative Status. This status allows Interferry the opportunity to attend all IMO meetings, to engage in debate and make formal submissions. Voting on regulations is the sole responsibility of the Member States. Since we received Consultative Status, Interferry has been represented at every meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), and many sub-committee and working group meetings.
Interferry’s involvement with the IMO is critical to ferry operators globally who are governed under IMO international shipping regulations. If shipping regulations deliberated at the IMO, the EU or any other regulatory or governmental body don’t take into account the unique nature of ferry operations in comparison to deep-sea shipping, ferry operators could be disproportionately affected by blanket regulations without the advocacy Interferry provides.
Why Does Interferry’s Representation at the IMO Matter to Domestic Ferry Operators?
While countries with domestic ferry operations are not bound by IMO regulations, most flag states look to the IMO guidelines as a blueprint when developing and modifying their own maritime rules.
Currently, many flag states are referencing and/or implementing the IMO’s greenhouse gases (GHG) regulations as they look to decarbonize their own maritime industries.
Since the ferry sector only represents between 3% to 5% of the total shipping industry, history has proven that the most successful way that domestic ferry operators can ensure that they are not governed under blanket regulations targeted at large, deep-sea shipping vessels, is for Interferry to represent the unique interests of the industry proactively and aggressively at the IMO.
The ferry sector comprises between 3% to 5% of the total shipping industry, and as such is at risk of being governed by blanket regulations targeted at large, deep-sea shipping vessels. Interferry proactively and aggressively represents the unique interests of the entire ferry industry at the IMO, and all ferry operators – including domestic ferries – benefit.
HySeas III
HySeas III is the final part of a three part research program that began in 2013 looking into the theory of hydrogen powered vessels (HySeas I), followed by a detailed technical and commercial study to design a hydrogen fuel cell powered vessel (Hyseas II 2014-2015).
The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 769417.
The project will develop, construct, test and validate a full sized drive train on land. Should this test be successful, Scottish Transport have agreed to fund the building of a roll-on roll-off passenger ferry which will integrate the entire hydrogen/electric drive train which will be subject to extensive monitoring and testing.
LASH FIRE
The ambition of the project flows is in line with that of the IMO and other regulatory bodies to greatly enhance the fire safety of ro-ro ships. LASH FIRE gives European industry knowledge to address the technical challenges of these updated rules, enhancing shipyards, system suppliers and further industries to develop and build safer and more competitive ships for sustainable transport.
The project has a holistic approach to the problem and will investigate the following:
- Effective Manual Operations: More effective fire managing operations in all stages of a fire, including risk-based screening and management of cargo, more efficient fire patrols and first response as well as effective firefighting.
- Inherently Safe Design: Improved design for critical operations in case of fire, reducing the potential for human error, accelerating time sensitive tasks and providing more comprehensive and effective decision support.
- Ignition Prevention: Significant reduction of the most probable ignition sources and of ignitable deck materials on ro-ro deck, as well as provision for automatic screening and support for risk-based loading.
- Detection: Quicker, more reliable and more robust technical means for fire detection, confirmation, localization and assessment on all types of ro-ro decks.
- Extinguishment: Quick extinguishment regardless of deck, system type or size/existence of crew.
- Containment: Elimination of significant containment weaknesses, considering smoke, fire & heat integrity.
LASH FIRE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 814975.