Page 6: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2011)

6Maritime Reporter & Engineering News EDITOR?S NOTEAnyone in the business of building ships and boats need not hear from me, or probably from anyone else ever again, that business has been tough for the past 36 months. Time and again, in conversations with construc- tion companies next door and around the globe I have heard and we have reported in print and online regarding prevailing market conditions. With a ubiquitous lin- gering sluggish global economy and financial problems in major trading countries, I?m afraid time in the trough will be longer than many envisioned when the world economy crashed nearly three years ago. But all is not bleak.In mid-July the International Maritime Organization (IMO) mandated some stringent new rules regarding the environmental impact of the shipping industry, specifically the new Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). While the system is far from perfect and we count equal numbers of supporters and detractors, the takeaway is this: the world is increasingly focused on the amount of pollutants commercial marine vessels ? from towboats to tankers and everything in between ? are pumping into the water and air. [Never mind the fact that time and again it has been proven that water- borne transportation is hands-down the most economical and energy efficient (and in many cases, the only) means to move large quantities of cargo from ?point A to point B?]. Populations in coastal cities worldwide, and particularly in the great state of California, increasingly target pollution from ships, and the groundswell of political mandates and new regulations continues to build. While this is hardly welcome news for vessel owners, it is surely an opportunity for vessel builders and equipment suppliers which are progressive in providing to the industry solutions to make their vessels more environmentally benign. Last month was our ?Environmental? edition, but in fact each edition could carry the same tagline, as the issue has woven itself tightly into the fabric of all that you do. Offshore wind power is a growing specialty in the maritime niche, and on page 10 in our ?By the Numbers? section we break down the growth of this industry in Europe, which is the clear market leader. While many in- dustries contract, offshore wind power in Europe is growing, with installations up 34% in the first half of 2011. More offshore wind installations mean more specialty vessels purpose designed to install, maintain, and decommission these unique structures.Jeffrey S. Moller of Blank Rome LLP tackles the complexity of legal issues surrounding emissions from ships in his article,?Stretching the Bounds of State Sovereignty,? starting on page 16. The matter of states en- acting their own rules; rules generally much more stringent than those mandated by IMO, is certainly not a new topic, but each passing day the legal quagmire thickens, and expert advice from firms such as Blank Rome LLP becomes that much more valuable. This being our ?Shipbuilding? edition, you will find many references within that explores how leading builders are developing novel solutions to meet vessel owner needs. For example, last month Mitsubishi Heavy Industries introduced its new Hybrid Car Carrier design, a ship that aims for zero emissions while at berth, equipped with a hybrid electric power supply that combines solar power panels with lithium-ion batter- ies. So it appears that while the world economy heals, as always, the truly innovative companies are the ones that will emerge strengthened. Founder: John J. O?Malley 1905 - 1980 Charles P. O?Malley 1928 - 2000 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News is published monthly by Maritime Activ- ity Reports, Inc. Mailed at Periodicals Postage Rates at New York, NY 10199 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster send notification (Form 3579) regarding undeliverable maga- zines to Maritime Reporter/Engineering News, 118 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010. Publishers are not responsible for the safekeeping or return of editorial material. ©2011 Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. 118 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010 tel: (212) 477-6700; fax: (212) 254-6271ISSN-0025-3448USPS-016-750No. 8Vol. 73 MemberBusiness Publications Audit of Circulation, Inc.www.marinelink.com MARITIMEREPORTER ANDENGINEERINGNEWS All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers.ON THE COVERPictured on this month?s cover While designing and building ships has taken a decided turn towards higher technology in the 125 that ships have been built at Newport News Shipbuilding, the company to this day relies on its tried and true Apprenticeship Program to build and maintain a talented pipeline of shipbuilders for the future. Pictured is Newport News Shipbuilding Ap- prentice Jessica Henderson working on pipe. For insights on some leading ship-yard apprenticeship programs, please turn to page 42. (Image: Huntington Ingalls Industries)Gregory R. Trauthwein, Editor & Associate Publisher [email protected] Aug.11 # 1 (1-9):MR Template 8/8/2011 11:12 AM Page 6