The First National Workshop on Energy Efficient Operations of Ships was held in Suva, Fiji from 24 to 27 October 2017 (see Annex I). The three and half day workshop was attended by representatives from the Fiji Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT), the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF), the Fiji Port Corporation Limited (FCPL), the Fiji Ships and Heavy Industry Limited (FSHIL), the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), Patterson Shipping/Searoad Shipping, Seaquest Fiji Ltd/Sealand Processors, Inter Link Shipping Line Ltd, Government Shipping Services, Tokalau Shipping, All Barging and Marine (Fiji) Limited, Billett Wright & Associates (Fiji) Limited and Solander Pacific Limited.

The objective of the National Workshop was to inform the participants on new energy efficient technologies, tools and methods to monitor and reduce fuel oil consumption of Fiji’s domestic shipping fleet. This workshop aimed to contribute to national efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions and meet Fiji’s Nationally Determined Commitments (NDC). This workshop elicited great interest in improved ship propulsion efficiency, especially in Energy Saving Devices (ESD).

The first day of the workshop focused on a high level discussion on the reducing fuel oil consumption and uptake of new technologies that will contribute to the overall objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Fiji as stated in its NDCs. Group discussions were conducted on the drivers, needs, barriers and relevant actions which became the highlights of the workshop.

The second two days focused on the technical topics, which was attended by the technical staff, covering the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). These have been adopted for existing ships in an attempt to monitor, via Energy Efficiency Operational Indicators- EEOI, and improve their efficiency. During the discussion, the participants were informed about techniques that are already used and some that are relatively easy to implement; such as slow streaming, improved voyage planning, trim optimisation, hull coating and propeller cleaning.  They were made aware of a plethora of technologies available for retrofitting on existing vessels; main engine tuning, propeller and rudder upgrades, fin and duct energy saving devices, to name a few.  As was clearly relayed to the participants, not all solutions can be applied to all types of ships, and individual saving measures cannot simply be added together.  In the current situation in Fiji, uptake of many of these technologies is limited due to the cost of implementing them and a lack of knowledge regarding their effectiveness on specific ship types/sizes/routes.

In the longer-term, improvements in shipping efficiency in Fiji will be achieved through the integration of innovative technologies on existing vessels and continuous improvement of optimal operational performance. The maritime industry in Fiji considers practical approaches to reduce overall GHG emissions would be the way forward and on the final day, all the participants agreed to implement relevant actions to progress towards a Green Maritime Industry (ships, shipyards and ports) and support a long-term objective for low-carbon maritime transport that contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions in Fiji and the Pacific. Furthermore, they agreed to be involved in MTCC-Pacific pilot-projects on energy efficient operations of ships and data collection that will assist in implementing immediate actions that are adapted to Fiji registered vessels, ports and shipyards. Lastly, they agreed to collect and share relevant data on fuel consumption through protocols with MoIT and MTCC-Pacific and requested MTCC-Pacific to provide templates and assist in the collection and reporting, ensuring confidentiality and accessibility of information.

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