Page 6: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2011)

6 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News

EDITOR’S NOTE

C hallenges” is a word bandied about quite frequently in the page of

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, though not strictly in the context of the technical side of our business. Whether you work on a towboat plying the mighty Mississippi or own a fleet of containerships in the Pacific Rim trade, you are faced daily with technical, political, environ- mental and operational challenges that more often than not are likely to stretch your personal and corporate resources.

The February 2011 edition is replete with challenges and solutions. This month, contributing editor Henrik Segercrantz provides an unusual double dip of feature articles, first on the Cruise Shipping industry and second on the Arctic. For any of you who know Henrik, his long career with one of the world’s preeminent cruise shipbuilders and his physical location in Helsinki, Finland, make him uniquely qualified to present both.

The Cruise Industry is besieged with challenges, perhaps more so than any other sector of the mar- itime market by virtue of the high-profile nature and high cost of its ships. In this edition, Segercrantz examines the quantum leap in cruise shipping technology, focusing on advances in propulsion that have made today’s ships “cleaner and greener,” but including insights on a number of “next-genera- tion” features that have found their way onboard the world’s new fleet of cruise ships. In the article

Royal Caribbean cites a 30 to 40 percent improvement in energy efficiency over the last 10 to 15 years, an impressive figure owed not to one action or improvement, rather though “thousands of dif- ferent actions.” Factors driving cruise ship technology is diverse, from a fickle travelling public which demands ever-evolving entertainment options; to environmental concerns at the local to global level.

The Arctic presents its own special brand of challenges to the shipping and offshore industry. From technical matters regarding the stability and safety of structures and people working in one of the world’s harshest environments, an environment with minimal infrastructure to contend with disaster response. To the political and environmental challenges of assessing, discovering and recovering – and ultimately sharing – the vast natural resource wealth that is believed to be contained under the fast- melting polar cap. Read how companies are gearing up for Arctic work starting on page 34.

I took the opportunity last month to visit the Middle East, a region that is about as far from the Arc- tic as one can get, at least from perspective of the climate. While this world region comes with its very own set of unique and widely known political challenges, I’m pleased to report that business is again booming in the region with a high level of port infrastructure, new shipyard facilities, booming oil and gas business and subsea salvage and construction projects well underway. This trip and these projects will be covered in-depth in the March 2011 edition of Maritime Reporter. The caveat in the Middle

East is always the specter of political unrest and military action, and we watch with interest the evo- lution of political activity in Egypt, and the possibility of disruption of the Egyptian-controlled Suez

Canal, one of the world’s leading pipelines for energy products.

Never a dull minute; always a challenge.

Founder: John J. O’Malley 1905 - 1980

Charles P. O’Malley 1928 - 2000

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ON THE COVER

Pictured on this month’s cover ... is just one of the challenges maritime and offshore operators may face in the expansion of business to the Arctic. While the Arctic possesses many intriguing opportunities, there are seem- ingly more challenges, including: • the technical challenges of operating in some of the harshest conditions on the planet; • the safety challenges of building a reasonable response network in the event of catastrophe; • the environmental challenge of not disrupting one of the earth’s more pristine environments; • the political challenge of dividing and sharing resources equitably.

Read how these challenges are being met, starting on page 34. (Photo Courtesy of Det Norske Veritas [DNV]; Polar Bear Courtesy of Mother Nature) “