17 April 2024 (Lloyd's List) - GREECE has unveiled a package of commitments to ensure its coastal shipping and ports network dramatically reduces its carbon footprint during the next few years.

Announced by the country’s minister of shipping and island policy Christos Stylianides at the Our Ocean conference in Athens, the pledges included public spending of up to €860m ($915.6m).

Stylianides said that he was fully aware of “the heavy duty to ensure that the Greek maritime sector does its best to respond to and meet the needs of our oceans and to guarantee their sustainability”.

Greece was determined to “take the lead” at both European and global level “as the largest shipowning nation,” he said.

The government was committed to replacing the country’s passenger shipping fleet of almost 200 vessels to reduce the environmental footprint.

A study leading to an overall strategy for renewal of the fleet will be completed by June 2025, he said.

An initial budget of €80m has been earmarked to introduce low-emission ships on public service coastal connections, including state-subsidised routes.

However, this amount could be ramped up to as much as €360m.

“Today we are putting together a public-private partnership to construct green vessels that do not rely on fossil fuel,” said Stylianides.

It was a long-term project with a time-horizon “of three to four years,” he added.

According to current plans, the largest portion of the budget that has so far been announced will go towards investing in the greening of Greece’s ports infrastructure for which there is a budget of €500m.

By 2030, at least 12 Greek mainland and island ports will be equipped with cold ironing, he said.

At international level, Greece will be participating in the Clean Energy Marine Hubs Initiative, said the minister.

Stylianides said that it was especially important to ensure that the world fleet had an appropriate workforce as it sought to transform itself into a zero-carbon industry.

“Both reskilling and upskilling are necessary to keep up with the continuous changes that occur on shipping,” he said.

“The maritime industry is required to implement new technologies within specific time limits, set by international organisations. Therefore, it is mandatory for seafarers’ training to be totally aligned with these new standards,” he said.

Digitalisation, the use of greener fuels, new equipment, and new technologies would all create a “new working environment on board ships”.

“It is imperative for maritime education to provide seafarers all the necessary skills for them to be able to adapt to this new working environment and this is of course aligned with job stability and security,” he said.

“Competent seamen with up-to-date skills are always in need and the need for such qualified personnel will definitely increase in the future.”