S3 Ep23: Jacob Armstrong, Sustainable Shipping Officer, Transport & Environment

Dr Adi Imsirovic, Director of Surrey Clean Energy, gives his insights on alternative marine fuels and the future of oil in this week’s ship.energy podcast. Dr Imsirovic has some 35 years of experience in oil trading and has held a number of senior positions in his career, including as Global Head of Oil at Gazprom Marketing & Trading and Regional Manager of Texaco Oil Trading for Asia. As well as looking at the trajectory of shipping’s energy transition, Dr Imsirovic is extremely well placed to consider the future of oil. How much oil will still be produced, traded and consumed by 2050? How will oil be priced? What will carbon pricing and carbon capture do to oil markets?  In addition to his roles in the commercial sector, Dr Imsirovic was a Fulbright Scholar, studying at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University. He taught Energy Economics as well as Resource and Environmental Economics at Surrey University for several years, where he remains affiliated to its Energy Economic Centre. He has also worked as a Senior Research Fellow the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. He has a PhD in Economics and a Masters degree in Energy Economics.  Dr Imsirovic has written a number of papers and articles on the topic of oil and gas prices, benchmarks, and energy security. He is the author of ‘Trading and Price Discovery for Crude Oils: Growth and Development of International Oil Markets’, published in 2021 and also editor of ‘Brent Crude Oil: Genesis and Development of the World's Most Important Oil Benchmark’. His next book to be published is ‘International Oil Markets in the Era of Climate Change’.

This week’s ship.energy podcast features Arsenio Domínguez, who began his four-year term of office as the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at the start of 2024. The podcast was recorded in the wake of the 81st session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and, in conversation with ship.energy’s contributing editor, Mark Williams, Dominguez underscores the importance of the IMO when it comes to establishing global regulations for the shipping sector. Dominguez also gives his views on: • How the shipping industry is progressing towards 2030 and 2040 interim emissions targets, that were adopted in MEPC 80, as well as the 2050 net zero goal.  • The Carbon Intensity Indicator. • How the IMO can retain its global primacy in shipping in the face of regional shipping regulations and emissions regimes. • His personal hopes for the industry between now and the end of the decade.

The first ship.energy podcast in April features Christophe Tytgat, Secretary General, SEA Europe  (Shipyards and Marine Equipment Association) and CESA . Christophe is a professional lobbyist with an extensive network in the European Institutions, in European lobbying associations and in the shipping and transport industry.  He is an expert in European policy and legal matters as well as in shipping-related issues with a particular focus on the following domains: shipping policy; social affairs; state aid; EU competition; security; customs; maritime law, and taxation. He has a Master of Arts degree in East European Studies from Leuven University In conversation with Contributing Editor Mark Williams, Christophe discusses his work at SEA Europe and CESA and offers his views on likely policy developments and how/if EU and IMO policies could align. He also addresses the current fragmentation and complexity of maritime funding in Europe.

Fuel cells take centre stage on this week’s ship.energy podcast. In conversation with Mark Williams, Johan Burgren, Business Manager at PowerCell Sweden AB, discusses their role in the decarbonisation of the RoPax and ferry segments – and their potential for scalability. Johan has been with PowerCell since 2017 and before that worked at Volvo from 1998. PowerCell Sweden AB was founded in 2008 as an industrial spin-out from the Volvo Group. Since 2023, the company’s share (PCELL) has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.   Johan is also Vice Chairman of the Board of the Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association (ZESTAs), a role he has fulfilled since 2021.

This week’s ship.energy podcast guest is Michael Barnard and in conversation with Mark Williams he discusses his work projecting scenarios for decarbonisation 40-80 years into the future and his recent publications around maritime decarbonisation. Whether it's refuelling aviation, grid storage, vehicle-to-grid, or hydrogen demand, his work is based on the fundamentals of physics, economics and human nature, and informed by the decarbonisation requirements and innovations of multiple domains. His leadership positions in North America, Asia and Latin America enhance his global point of view. Michael publishes regularly in Forbes, CleanTechnica and other outlets on decarbonisation, business and policy. He is host of the podcast Redefining Energy - Tech, a channel within the award-winning Redefining Energy ecosystem that European investment bankers Laurent Segalen and Gerard Reid created. His research has been published in books and peer-reviewed journals. He is regularly invited to speak at academic, technical and business conferences as well as corporate events.

In the first ship.energy podcast of 2024, Mark Williams talks to Hans Judek, President and CEO of J.E. Access Ltd. Hans discusses his CAMBIO fuel project in which he works with partners from the Americas, Europe and Asia on the conversion of biowaste from agriculture into a synthetic liquid marine fuel with an asphaltic byproduct which captures and stores carbon, thus making the process carbon negative.  In the conversation, he also addresses the relative advantages and disadvantages in using methanol, ammonia, hydrogen and nuclear as energy for shipping’s propulsion. Hans is an entrepreneur with experience over more than four decades in Japan's trade and technology transfer world. Over the last 15 years he has mainly engaged in developing projects for renewable energy production in Asia, India and Africa.

Steven Jones returns to the ship.energy podcast this week to discuss the strategic priorities of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative. As its recently appointed CEO, Steven explains how this multi-stakeholder collective is combining policy research with positive actions that its members can make within key focus areas: Oceans, Communities, People, Transparency, Finance, and Energy.  Steven and ship.energy contributing editor Mark Williams discuss the increasing transparency requirement for shipping companies, particularly in regard to fuel decisions and emissions reporting, and the role that digitalisation is having in pushing the transparency agenda.  They also address the conversations at COP28, and Steven answers the question, does the shipping industry actually need a phase out date for fossil fuels to focus activity? Steven Jones brings over 30 years of maritime industry expertise to his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI). A former seafarer, Steven has worked across maritime fraud investigations, insurance, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), and maritime security. He leveraged this frontline experience in roles with the UK Government as a specialist in services, ports and technology, and is the Founder of the Seafarers Happiness Index.  He is motivated by a passion for the sea and a desire to highlight the vital role that seaborne trade, transport, and infrastructure play in connecting the global economy. He believes in promoting sustainability and innovation to ensure the maritime sector continues enabling prosperity worldwide.