Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - High costs are putting obstacles in theway of ocean carriers trying to go green, heard a seminar on sustainablemaritime transporation last week.

A representative from the Vietnam Maritime Corporation (VIMC) said the CarbonIntensity Indicator (CII) measures how efficiently a vessel transports goodsand passengers.

CII is calculated in grams of CO2 emitted per cargo-carrying capacity andnautical miles, and is categorised into five levels: A (major superior), B(minor superior), C (moderate), D (minor inferior), and E (inferior performancelevel).

To receive a rating of C, a vessel must cut CO2 emissions in three consecutiveyears from 2023 to 2026 by 2% per year, which cannot be done without engineupgrades and the use of LNG or Methanol in place of HFO fuels.

Unfortunately, the conversions are beyond the financial capability of mostVietnamese shippers, leaving them with no choice but to run some of theirvessels at a lower capacity and idle some others to comply with CII standards.

"The conversions are unfeasible for Vietnamese shippers as well as othersmall-scale shippers in the world owing to high costs", said therepresentative.

The representative was concerned that the conflict between the global fleetrejuvenation required by CII standards and the shippers' financial situationwould result in a bottleneck in maritime transportation worldwide.

From January 1, 2023, it is mandatory for all vessels to calculate theirattained Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) to measure their energyefficiency and to initiate the collection of data for the reporting of theirCII and CII ratings.

VIMC has sent an appeal to the International Maritime Organisation, asking fordifferent time frames for vessels in different regions to give small-scalecarriers more time to adapt to the new system.

For instance, carriers in developing countries would need longer time frames toreplace their sub-standard vessels with new green ones. Too abrupt a transitioncould lead to mass bankruptcies among those in weak financial position.

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said IMO raised the target of greenhouse gasemission reduction in maritime transportation to keep pace with the global actionon green growth.

As such, his organisation is eager to support Vietnamese carriers in the effortto improve their energy efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. Healso believes that Việt Nam will do a good job in the green transition given thecountry's fast economic growth and long coastline.

A representative from the Vietnam Ocean Shipping JSC (VOSCO) said theCII-compliant costs incurred by global carriers could amount to 3 trillion USDin the next decades.
He also said the "going green" in martime transportationwould require various country-specific strategies rather than an universalstragegy for all./.