Germany’s shipyards and marine engineers have welcomed the federal government’s plans to help with funding retrofits for ships to use LNG as a fuel.
The country’s association of shipyards and marine engineers said in a release the transport ministry’s funding was “a necessary step for the broad and rapid implementation of this clean drive alternative in shipping”.
The association’s managing director Dr Ralf Sören Marquardt however cautioned stressing that funds should be prioritised for ships that commit to use German yards or equipment in their retrofitting and ships that call at German ports.
The issue of funding for retrofits forms one of the topics for the current MarPoll survey carried on this site. Worldwide, 66% of respondents to date believe there is not enough money made available from financial institutions for retrofits at the moment. The online poll, which has seen more than 500 readers cast their votes, closes in 10 days.
MarPoll results will be unveiled in the next issue of Maritime CEO magazine. Other topics for debate include the average lifespan of ships, the role of the IMO, and the future of the VLOC trades.
There is no registration and voting takes as little as just two minutes – although we do also value comments left by each question posed. To vote, click here.
