Published on: 23 November 2023
British Marines technical team attended various key industry stakeholder meetings at METSTRADE 2023 discussing important industry topics looking to ensure the industry regulatory and standardisation is fit for purpose for the future.
Meetings included:
ICOMIA Future Marine Propulsion Working Group
This is a new working group of ICOMIA members looking to explore what direction the marine leisure industry is taking with regards to decarbonising propulsion. Looking not only at alternative fuels for reducing the carbon emissions, but also on all other aspects of design that affect energy efficiency of the vessels, such as hull form and foiling mechanisms. The working group discussed industries’ needs for future regulation and standardisation to ensure that barriers to using new technologies are minimised. Items such as the development of new standards to allow hydrogen and other alternative fuels to be designed and certified on recreational craft. Requirements and standards for foiling vessels, particularly stability requirements and complications were also discussed. Currently excluded from the Recreational Craft Regulations the need to incorporate these vessels to avoid market confusion was explored.
ICOMIA Technical Committee
This meeting centred on the new report being launched at METS (see below) and how this is only the start of the journey and industry campaign. Next steps to look at the wider decarbonisation of the vessels (other than propulsion) were discussed. Potential further LCA studies and tool creation on vessel overall construction were explored with important distinctions being made between the different methodology, and making sure the tools are used correctly and the importance of a global approach and how certain LCA’s are likely to form part of future regulatory commitments.
Industry recommendations or ‘wish list’ to take to the EU commission as and when a review of the Recreational Craft Directive takes place is also underway along with likely timescales of when the review will take place, and potential issues this is causing industry and possible solutions.
ICOMIA Sustainability Committee
This meeting had large overlap with the technical committee meeting with discussions centring on the next steps to look at the wider decarbonisation of the vessels (other than propulsion) and potential further LCA studies and tool creation.
ICOMIA’s Pathways to Propulsion Decarbonisation for the Recreational Marine Industry report launch
One of the most important pieces of work carried out to date looking at decarbonising the marine leisure industry, supplying the data needed to make the correct decisions, full details of this report and its launch can be found on British Marine’s decarbonisation webpage – Pathways to Propulsion Decarbonisation for the Recreational Marine Industry | British Marine
ISO TC8SC12 (Large Yachts) standards meeting
With British Marine member Ben Geary newly appointed as chair of this ISO group, this meeting looked to reinvigorate the Large Yacht ISO group. This was an open invitation to industry to look at the role that ISO standards play in the large yacht industry, fitting around Class and Flag requirements to fill any gaps to help industry. Current ISO standard work includes a new standard looking at creating a methodologic framework to assess large yachts (30m+) on their environmental performance/credentials.
Other potential new standards discussed included for helipads design (aimed at private yachts) and training for crew using the helipads.
