The future of short sea shipping? It’s green if it’s up to Sander Schakelaar. As Managing Owner of JR Shipping (Harlingen), he is realistic about the impact of the contribution of his own shipping group. But every step, so he emphasizes, and even the smallest step, is one on the right direction to sustainable shipping.
“Everyone sees the urgency of less polluting shipping. However, the transition to sustainable sailing is particularly promising if it involves a bonus for all parties involved, in the form of returns. The solution from our partner Value Maritime delivers that bonus. Filtering with a green and financial dividend. That’s the proposition. Existing container feeder vessels can continue to sail on conventional fuel. This saves shipping companies and container shipping services a lot of money. Investors see the value of existing vessels increasing. And the biggest winner is our living environment.”
Value Maritime Filtree System as game changer
Sustainability as an ‘earning model’. Sander Schakelaar and his team have been looking at different scenarios for a long time. The introduction to Value Maritime’s innovative filtering technology, in 2019, was a game changer. Value Maritime achieved first successes with their new exhaust gas filter system – the Filtree System – applied to multipurpose vessels. Schakelaar immediately saw long-term opportunities for his fleet.
“Together with Value Maritime we mapped out the possibilities for a fleet-wide program. Based on the reality that due to the underlying crisis years, ship owners can only invest to a limited extent in new installations. Our main goal was generating sustainability with return prospects in the long run!”
Innovative in every way
The breakthrough came at the end of 2020. Value Maritime optimized its Filtree System with a water purification technique and a Carbon Capture module. In addition, a unique plug and play operational lease formula removed all barriers.
“The sum was quickly made,” says Sander Schakelaar. “The extra options make the system 100% sustainable and even circular. Due to the innovative financing and service concept, sustainability is interesting for all parties in our container feeder market:
- Ship owners accelerate sustainability and have an excellent proposition for charterers
- Charterers can sail on regular fuel and comply with strict sulphur emission regulations
- Investors see an increase in both the exploitation and the sale value of existing vessels, increasing final returns
Towards a sustainable container feeder fleet
The partnership between the Value Maritime an JR Shipping Group gained momentum in 2021. Recently, the first vessel in the JR Shipping fleet, MV Endeavor, was fitted with the complete Filtree System. Soon the second vessel of JR Shipping, MV Energy, will be renewed. And that’s just the beginning.
“The shipping industry faces a historic challenge,” says Schakelaar. “According to the Green Deal, climate neutral seagoing vessels must already be sailing by 2030 and CO2 emissions must be reduced by at least 70% by 2050 compared to 2008. Every step helps. Our shipping company is responsible for the operation of 15 container feeder vessels. Together with our investors, we are committed to move towards a sustainable container feeder fleet.”
