Greek shipping is set to expand. At 190 million dwt, the fleet is larger than ever, and the outlook has never been better.
Nicos D. Efthymiou, the president of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS), is not short of praise for the state of Greek shipping, but he does not stop at Greece.
“Shipping is an international industry. The outlook for shipping is good. What can replace maritime transport? I think shipping will continue to be more or less the same as it is today for another two decades – at least,” he says.
“And don’t forget the Far East. They don’t just build ships, they also have a large part of the global trade. Most raw commodities are sent there. Maybe they’ll take a step further and invest in shipping and transport to and from other countries too. Shipping is so international that this is completely possible. These countries also have know-how and knowledge they have developed over centuries.”
He hopes the tanker market will remain as good as it has been lately. He expects continued growth in the dry bulk and container sectors, and underlines that it is important to improve in the dry cargo sector.
The taxi drivers of the sea
He describes the increase to 190 million dwt in the Greek-controlled fleet as ‘very encouraging’ and hopes this is something that will continue.
Most of the Greek ships are tankers and bulkers – and the tanker fleet in particular has increased. LPG and LNG carriers are also starting to appear now. Some second hand – but also some new ones. Half a dozen shipowners are already involved.
“Dry cargo bulkers are what we have most of. They trade all over. We are the taxi drivers of the sea,” says the UGS president.
“The fleet has changed totally over the past four–five years,” he continues. “Deliveries of new ships have reached record highs. We are also getting bigger ships – which are built in the Far East. More and more ships will be built in China, but I think Japan too will maintain its strong position as a builder of specialised ships. At the same time, Korea will continue to expand.
Europe and Scandinavia have maintained their shipbuilding expertise in cruise ships, supply ships and container ships. Europe has good opportunities here.”
Same problems – same approach
The UGS management was recently in Norway and had meetings with both the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and the management of DNV in a period of just under 24 hours.
“That was a good visit. It’s nice to meet people and discuss shipping issues in general,” says Nicos D. Efthymiou. He underlines that Norway and Greece are very close, also in historical terms.
“Both are leading shipping nations. We’re the two remaining shipping powers in Europe,” he says. “With few exceptions, we have the same problems and the same approach. Shipping is an international industry, after all – and if you’re in shipping, the international problems are the same. You also have your own local problems, which can vary from country to country.”
In Oslo, the Greek delegation discussed issues relating to the IMO, EU and technical factors relating to the Common Structural Rules (CSR) – and IACS.
“We discussed some outstanding CSR issues. We have discussed how to make them better. The rules are common for both tankers and bulk carriers.
“The tanker rules are much better than the bulk carrier rules, which require a lot of attention. These will be discussed by the industry. The same is true of goal-based standards being discussed at IMO. These eventually will become part of the rule making process. That’s why we want better ships being built as a result of these rules,” states Efthymiou.
Too frequent rule changes in the EU
In relation to the EU, the Greek shipowners are interested in several factors, of which the so-called Erika III package is the most important.
“After all, it’s a bit strange when the Commission produces new rules and regulations three times in the space of six years. This means that new rules are issued before we even have any idea of how the previous rules have worked. But this is clearly what Brussels wants, even though it appears difficult for those of us that are to follow these ever changing rules.”
The Greek shipowners want to underline that they comply with rules and provisions, and Efthymiou points to OPA 90 and the ISPS code as a good example.
“As regards tankers, this work has finished. Most of the ships have double hulls. The last of the single hulls are to be phased out. For bulk carriers, there is no double hull rule. The shipowners are free to make their own choices, but then it’s even more important that the IACS Common Rules are good enough. When ISPS was introduced as agreed on 1 July 2004, most of the Greek fleet was ready. Now all are complying. I hope we don’t have any security problems. Everyone should work towards reducing the threat. All efforts should aim at that.”
Fight for talent
Don’t you see any clouds on the shipping horizon?
“We are as successful as we can be. Our greatest challenge is the fight for talent. Making younger people interested in coming to the sea. This year’s Posidonia in Piraeus is a demonstration of the vitality that international shipping is full of – and of the opportunities that are lying in wait for young people from all over the world. The shipping world has come to Posidonia and Piraeus for more than 40 years in order to meet, discuss with each other – and look to the future. And this future is bright and promising – there’s no doubt about that.”