The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) forged ties with France and French organizations to promote the development of the Philippine maritime industry.
Marina, upon the invitation and facilitation of the French Embassies in Manila and Singapore, represented the Philippines at the Sea Asia 2023 in Singapore and explored the latest technological advancements and innovations in the energy transition, efficient operations of ships and zero carbon marine fuels currently in the market.
Sonia Malaluan, deputy administrator for planning of Marina, took part in a roundtable discussion on decarbonization hosted by the French Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, Embassy of France and Cluster Maritime Francais.
Malaluan met the director general of the Ecole National Superieure Maritime (ENSM) to discuss possible collaboration on maritime education and training for seafarers. ENSM is the National Maritime University of France.
Emeric Faure, Marina’s French expert on maritime safety, security and marine environment protection, led the mission. Faure has been playing a vital role in strengthening the ties between the Philippine government and the French maritime community.
Marina officials also met the French Head of Delegation Anne Legregeois, and other officials from the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Stephane Garziano, head of the French International Register (RIF).
RIF commended the Philippines for providing competent seafarers, with special mention on Marina’s verification system and Mismo (Marina’s Integrated Seafarers Management Online), hailing the said network as “the best seafarer system they have used so far.”
Marina’s participation in Sea Asia 2023 highlighted its proactive efforts to promote sustainable development in the Philippine maritime industry and to collaborate with other countries and organizations to address areas of improvement identified by the European Commission on the country’s compliance with the STCW Convention, as amended. Marina focuses on seafarers’ training to ensure that they are not left behind as the maritime industry transitions to green shipping.
Maritime experts discussed decarbonization, the latest technological advancements and innovations in the energy transition, efficient operations of ships, and zero-carbon marine fuels currently in the market.
Experts from the Singapore Shipping Association, Gaztransport and Technigaz, Total Energies Marine Fuels, Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and CMA CGM shared their insights and best practices on energy-efficient operations of ships.
They talked about shipping companies’ journey using liquefied natural gas (LNG) without any safety issues, the availability of LNG bunkering vessels, and the use of methanol and ammonia. They also discussed the regulatory policies and safety standards on the use of alternative fuels or sources of energy and other products/solutions for voyage optimization.
Minh Di Tang, ambassador of France in Singapore, highlighted how France and Singapore could enhance their cooperation and work together.
Marina had the opportunity to meet and invite French companies and organizations to participate in the upcoming Philmarine 2023 to be held in Manila on June 20-22, 2023.
Source: Manila Times