Page 36: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2021)

SHIP DESIGN MORGAN FANBERG, PRESIDENT, GLOSTEN

MEETING

THE DECARB

CHALLENGE

BY DESIGN

Photo courtesy Glosten

Naval architects and marine engineers sit on the front lines of the maritime industry’s battle toward decarbonization. Morgan Fanberg,

President, Glosten, discusses the challenges and opportunities ahead.

By Greg Trauthwein your ? eet. If you’re an owner of an aged ? eet with little capital,

Put in context the challenge ahead for ship owners you’re just trying to keep up with maintenance, and decarbon- and ship designers to meet emission targets of 2050?

ization may only mean ? nding a way to reduce fuel consump-

I started my career in 1998 and as a young marine engi- neer, the challenges that I faced were taking old boats and tion. I recently testi? ed in front of Congress to get the federal government, through MARAD and the DOE, to start funding meeting SOLAS requirements, developing ship yard pack- ages for modi? cations such as oily water separator upgrades grant opportunities so operators and owners have the capital (for example). So the challenges from my early career do not means to meet some of these challenges.

compare at all to the challenges that we’re facing with decar-

As we push towards decarbonization, what do you see bonization and the IMO emission reduction goals.

as the highest hurdle today?

First and foremost, the technology must be proven to be read-

How is Glosten investing today to ensure that it is ily available and reliable. Once that has been accomplished, the well-armed to meet the challenges ahead?

Shortly after I became president we developed a program hurdle will be cost. There’s no question about it. It must cost to formalize our R&D, because we knew we needed to use less to build and operate vessels with these new technologies, or some of our pro? ts to invest in our future. This program helps we might not meet the IMO reduction goals. Speci? c examples us prioritize. One of the projects that we just approved is to of those hurdles are carbon neutral fuels like biodiesel. They’re develop our internal expertise on all decarbonization topics, going to need a subsidy to be the same or less cost; ammonia and hydrogen will require signi? cant capital investment, both as I want our entire engineering staff to be completely knowl- in propulsion plants and the distribution infrastructure.

edgeable (on the topic for the bene? t of our clients).

From the vessel owners that you talk to, how high is Do you see a single fuel, a single technology or decarbonization on their agenda today? technique that will go furthest fastest to help meet these emission reduction goals?

It really depends on the operator and the sector of the indus-

If only I had a crystal ball it would be amazing for Glosten try that they’re in. If you operate a passenger vessel on a route suitable for electri? cation, decarbonization is a priority. You and for me. That said, we are seeing some early winners in this are certainly looking at implementing battery technology into race. The two things that need to happen for a fuel or technol- 36 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • September 2021

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