by Anny Zade
We have been more than fortunate to accommodate the responses from our Vassilios Kroustallis, Senior Vice president of ABS, on some significant topics considered by the current marine market industry.
This interview comes at no more than better given today’s 14th Annual Capital Link Operational Excellence in Shipping Forum,in Athenaeum Intercontinental!
How do you approach your clients in terms of advisory and consultative services?
ABS works closely with our clients to support their operations with timely information on regulations and ABS rule development, as well as providing advisory services that reflect industry trends.
Regularly present at IMO committee meetings and working groups, our Regulatory Affairs team, headquartered in Athens ensures that shipowners have all the information they need to sail safely and in compliance, wherever they operate.
Our activities also reflect the most pressing industry issues, in particular the challenge of decarbonization. ABS has established a global network of sustainability centers, headquartered in Athens with offices in Houston, Copenhagen and Singapore to provide context to the energy transition and explain the decarbonization options available to shipowners.
How do the Greek Shipping market view the digitalisation services? How do they view the ABS’s support in energy transition and environmental compliance?
Digitalisation and decarbonization are of course closely related. Greek clients appreciate the practical benefits offered today by digital services in helping them comply with existing regulation and improve operational efficiency.
The cutting edge of sustainability today is data-led digital tools powered by artificial intelligence. And because no advance is truly sustainable unless it is first safe, ABS is bringing our domain expertise on safety and combining it with data and data science to transform the industry. We call it digital class, and it is the future of our industry.
In terms of the broader energy transition, while we wait for the infrastructure for alternative fuels to be developed and rolled out globally, the immediate challenge is safely delivering sustainability advances so that marine assets remain compliant and competitive
Our Greek clients appreciate having the services they need on their doorstep. In addition to regulation and sustainability specialists, the Athens office is home to the Global Ship Systems Center, a cutting-edge facility that brings together industry-recognized technical leaders to support clients throughout the entire lifecycle of their assets
Can you give examples of practical innovative technology solutions that ABS offers to its clients?
ABS is innovating with technology across our organisation and in collaboration with leading players in the industry all over the world. Digital tools are a great example of how we can offer new capabilities to owners and operators.
For example, meeting decarbonization targets requires a shift in how the industry monitors its emissions data. In response, ABS has created the Carbon Diligence Platform, which offers a comprehensive set of supporting applications and solutions to improve operational and environmental performance.
The platform, essentially a digital advisory service, is customizable to client specifications and can be integrated with third party platforms. Subscribers experience seamless, rapid access to emissions validation and critical decarbonization KPIs, helping to make faster and smarter decisions.
We have also launched new tools to support vessel operations, providing new levels of on-demand insight into the ports and regions clients are about to sail into. The ABS Port State Control Tracker assesses the port state control risk for the upcoming call. If the risk is high, it informs the master and shares the onboard pre-inspection checklist, identifying areas of potential concern. This allows time to prepare and authorize additional overtime as needed, minimizing the risk of costly detentions.
This is one component of a wider move to sophisticated, data-led and fully optimized voyage planning, which shows huge promise for further reducing emissions and improving safety in international seaborne trade.
ABS Wavesight, our software-as-a-service subsidiary, brings together a host of digital tools to help owners plan and execute an optimised voyage in the context of real-time situations on the water. By bringing together detailed data about weather, sea conditions and local regulations we are able to plot the best course; safer, more efficient and fully compliant.
How do you think ABS fares within the competition from major class societies whose headquarters are based in Europe?
We do not focus on our competitors. That’s not what the industry expects or needs. We are laser-focussed on our own performance, on configuring our services to respond to the scale of change that is making shipping an extremely challenging environment for vessel operators today.
It is an approach that works. The ABS-classed fleet has grown to 280 million gross tons and retains the number one position in terms of global orderbook share. We work with designers, shipbuilders and other specialists to develop new concepts that will safely support the energy transition.
Our success is rooted in deep and long-standing client relationships and a commitment to providing the service and quality they expect.
How does ABS influence the shipping market and how does it influence the international regulators such as the IMO?
As a classification society, ABS doesn’t influence the shipping market. Our role is to develop rules and standards that benefit our clients as well as supporting the development of practical regulation for the industry as a whole.
We work with the IMO (and the European Union) to make sure that vessel operators have access to the best possible information on regulatory requirements, compliance options and applicable technology.
This is a continuous process that ABS is deeply committed to. We are determined to help our clients – and the broader industry – understand the impact of the challenges ahead and to engage with the process of transition. The result will be a shipping industry that is safer, smarter and more sustainable.
For any comments, please feel free to respond.
