Articles

Matteo Bocci moderating discussion panel on synergies at macro-regional and sea basin strategies days 2024

Synergies between the 7 EU regional cooperation strategies highlighted during joint DG Regio and DG Mare event

There are four macro-regional strategies in the EU, fostering cooperation in approx 75% of all EU member states. In addition, there are three EU sea basin strategies, which are cooperation structures for protecting the sea basins. These strategies come from different origins but share similar goals and the view that some challenges cannot be solved on the national level alone.

From 12-14 June 2024, all seven EU territorial strategies came together for the first time, to exchange information, thoughts and ideas on regional cooperation in Europe under the slogan ‘Strategies4Cooperation.’

Five parallel interactive workshops were organised to discuss the following themes: Enlargement, Climate Change, Clusters and Innovation, Embedding and Civil Societies engagement.

Amongst the many events, a panel discussion was organised by the EU Sea Basin Assistance Mechanism titled ‘Synergies amongst the strategies; taking stock and looking ahead’ .

This panel was moderated by Matteo Bocci (EU Assistance Mechanism) and consisted of Ms Andra Kuzmina (Latvian Presidency for the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region), Ms Mathilde Konstantopoulou (Greek Presidency for the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region), Mr Markku Markkula (Vice Presidente of the Committee of the Regions) and Ms Isabelle Perret (French Presidency of the EU Sea Basin Strategy for the Atlantic)

Some key conclusions from this session:

  • There are as many shared commonalities as well as specificities amongst the strategies as relevant enablers of cooperation (e.g. same targeted stakeholders, different governance models and levels) 
  • There are clear ways to foster more synergies between the strategies (e.g. observer roles in each other’s governance structures) 
  • Shared actions should be explored across key topics/sectors (e.g. skills, pollution, decarbonisation & Marine Renewable Energies, smaller islands) 
  • Stakeholder cooperation could be promoted more across mutual events 
  • Information could be shared and duplication avoided through a better exchange beween the strategies (e.g. build on best practices and good examples) 
  • Good to maximise use of (limited) financial resources – e.g. by making them more impact-oriented

You can find a complete summary of all 29 conclusions in this pdf

The 5th Macro-Regional and Sea Basin Strategies Days 2024, was co-organised by DG REGIO and DG MARE.

For more information on the Macro-regional & Sea Basin Strategies Days 2024 including speeches and outcomes, visit the the event page.

Photo-exhibition
During this event, a photo-exhibition was organised showcasing the two most relevant projects per strategy.

For the WestMED Initiative, photos were displayed from award winners Starfish 4.0/ NEMO (winner 2021) and ‘We are Blue Schools‘ (winner 2023)

Photo exhibition during macro regional and sea basin strategies days 2024 with photo from the project we are blue schools displaying a group of children

We Are Blue Schools | Ocean literacy | Group of children displaying their ocean related artwork on the Balearic Islands | Photo (c) We are blue schools

Photo exhibition at Macro-Regional and Sea basin days 2024 with photo of the NEMO tracking device being tested by a local fisherman

StarFish 2.0  |  Small Scale Fisheries | The Nemo tracking and monitoring device by CLS being tested by local fishermen | Photo (c) George Galanos

 

photo exhibition during the macro-regional and sea basin strategies days 2024 in Brussels

Overview of the photo-exhibition with examples of projects from the seven EU cooperation strategies

 

 

screenshot from the explainer video on EU sea basin strategies with a geograhical map showing the logos of all three initiatives

Explainer video Sea Basins Strategies and the Assistance Mechanism

This video showcases how the European Commission is propelling the blue economy forward through targeted Sea Basin Strategies in the Atlantic, Black Sea, and Western Mediterranean.

Witness how these strategies foster innovation, competitiveness, and inclusivity within the sector, supported by essential enablers like blue skills and sustainable investments.

EMD 2024 workshop maximising synergies with moderator Matteo Bocci and panellists posing

EU Sea Basin Asistance Mechanism explores synergies between cross-cutting EU Blue Initiatives at EMD 2024

This workshop that took place on May 30, 2024 during the European Maritime Day in Svendborg Denmark, was  aimed at exploring how the EU Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism can further enhance  effective cooperation with strategic blue economy initiatives promoted by the EU in the ‘cross-cutting’ areas of research and innovation, ocean literacy and green energy transition.

Moderation was done by Matteo Bocci, from the Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism and contributions were made by:

  • Margherita Zorgno, Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership
  • Olga Mashkina, EU4Ocean Coalition
  • Ana Peralta, EU Energy Transition Partnership
  • Gaetan Coatanroch, Mission Oceans and Waters Implementation Platform

The workshop allowed the different initiatives to share the main activities and results achieved so far in their areas of intervention, and then look ahead to identify concrete actions for further cooperation– also by building upon the results of the High-Level Panel 1 held on the same day.

Key Highlights and Outcomes of the workshop:

As concrete outcomes of this workshop, the different initiatives involved agreed to establish concrete roadmaps for cooperation in the year ahead, particularly in the area of Ocean literacy and blue skills, which emerged as a cross-cutting topic of interest to all the initiatives involved.

  • The Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism (with a concrete Pillar on the Atlantic sea basin focused on this topic) is exploring the possibility of creating a cross-sea basin working group on blue skills and ocean literacy. In this sense, it is encouraging other “blue” initiatives to feed it with practices and relevant experiences.
  • From the R&I point of view, SBEP incorporates blue skills as a cross-cutting theme within its scope of work, and has supported projects focused on, e.g., “upskilling” in the tourism sector. Moreover, the foreseen Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on marine/water is expected to have a focus on education and skills.
  • From the angle of energy transition and decarbonisation in different maritime sectors, as highlighted by the Energy Transition Partnership, the development of a new set of “blue skills” is crucial. The blue economy is challenged by an ageing workforce (this is particularly true for the fisheries sector), and a lack of workers for many related economic activities, including in more “emerging” sectors (i.e. blue biotechnologies, marine renewable energies, etc.) In this sense, the initiative ‘Fishers of the Future’ was launched as a EU-wide participatory project to examine the future role of fishers in society up to 2050.
  • The issue of ocean literacy is the main axis of activity for the EU4OCEAN coalition, and particularly when it comes to involving the younger generations and “training the trainers”. As such, this initiative is supporting integrated outreach actions with the aim to attract and engage such groups to the vast opportunities of the Blue Economy job market. In this sense, the project “Blue Generation” has the goal to inspire and engage young people between 15 and 29 years to pursue a sustainable career in a Blue Economy sector.

In conclusion, the workshop highlighted the vital role of collaborative efforts in advancing the EU’s blue economy initiatives, particularly through focused areas such as ocean literacy and blue skills development. As a key result, the different initiatives committed to continue working together to further operationalise future joint actions.

Group of people discussion in Mahon Menorca during WestMED national event on 17 april 2024

Decarbonizing ports, fishing and recreational vessels. Expert proposals at participative WestMED Spain workshop in Mahón, Menorca

Haga clic aquí para el español


On April 17, 2024, the workshop ‘Prototypes for the decarbonization of Ports, Fishing and Recreational Vessels‘ took place in Mahon, Menorca (see agenda).

This Spanish National Event was organized by the Spanish National Hub of the WestMED Initiative Assistance Mechanism of the  in collaboration with the Maritime and Logistics Cluster of the Balearic Islands. It was attended by 46 national and international experts on the decarbonization of ports, fishing vessels and recreational vessels.

The event targeted all Spanish-speaking Mediterranean and/or Atlantic stakeholders in the port, fishing and yachting sectors, as well as representatives from national and regional administrations. People came from a wide range of organisations including clusters, GALPs, associations, marine recreation, marinas, fishing ports, technology providers, port infrastructure developers, researchers, energy sector, shipyards (see list of attendees).

This workshop was selected by the European Commission as an official ‘EMD in My Country‘ event, as part of a larger EU-wide campaign consisting of many other events across the Union, designed to raise awareness about the importance of the oceans and seas.

Background
As with other economic activities in the EU, there is a growing need for our maritime fleets to transition and move away from fossil fuels as soon as possible. This is not only a contribution to the objectives of the European Green Deal, including the reduction of GHG emissions, but also to the profitability, sustainability and resilience of the sector (EU Commission, 2023). The challenges faced by fleets in undertaking an energy transition range from regulatory to technological.

The objective of this workshop was to discuss the challenges that decarbonization poses for recreational and fishing ports and vessels. It provided an opportunity to harnass the participants’ perspectives on fishing vessels and recreational vessels as well as their ports and facilities focused on this challenge.

By using the principles of  ‘design thinking,’ participants identified and discussed possible prototypes, energy sources, technological solutions, regulatory frameworks, general opportunities and challenges to move towards decarbonization.

Setting the stage
The stage was set by several leading experts and policy makers, outlining the context and sharing the latest developments.

Mr. Héctor Pons Riudavets, Mayor of Mahon, opened the event and stated that « we need prototypes and public-private technologies adapted to the current reality to achieve our decarbonization goals ». Next, Mr. Antonio Ginard Lopez, Director General of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, highlighted that the Balearic Islands are already addressing the challenge of decarbonizing their ports with several activities and work axes.

Ms. Iolanda Piedra, president of the Maritime Maritime and Logistics Cluster of the Balearic Islands, stressed that Spain wants and needs to be a European and global reference in marine decarbonization.

Mr. Omar Collado, national coordinator of the WestMED Initiative on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, indicated: « All maritime sectors need to collaborate to achieve a sustainable Blue Economy. We need concrete, realistic and truly sustainable projects and technologies to move towards the energy transition that the EU needs ».

Mr. Francisco Manuel Fernández, from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, stressed that the ideas that will be developed through the participatory workshop are essential to advance the decarbonization of the fisheries sector. He emphasized that most Mediterranean fisheries in Spain are artisanal fleets and that providing decarbonization solutions to these fleets is a challenge we need to address.

Roundtables
After a short break, participants were split and divided over three thematic roundtables according to predifined preferences.

TABLE 1: Decarbonization prototypes for fishing and recreational ports
TABLE 2: Decarbonization prototypes for fishing vessels
TABLE 3: Decarbonization Prototypesfor recreational vessels

Each table was then asked to:
1: Identify of challenges/barriers/strengths
2: Prioritise the top 3 challenges
3: Identify a roadmap for these 3 prioritized challenges

Results
A brief summary:

Table 1: Proposals for ports to become energy generators
Three proposals were selected: a mobile platform that allows energy generation (eco-deck), a turbine farm that harnesses the power of waves to generate electricity and a project to generate green hydrogen in ports based on the example of the port of Vigo.

Table 2: Projects for the decarbonization of the fishing vessels
Prototypes were proposed for the digitalization and analysis of the energy needs of each type of fishing gear (data platform). A project for testing a hybrid solution (electric and diesel) on a 10-meter vessel was also proposed.

Table 3: New models of green energy powered vessels
Different projects were selected, such as the adaptation of catamarans to a hybrid model (biodiesel and electricity), the development of an application to monitor the autonomy of ships, the electrification of passenger ships or the construction of a ship powered by biodiesel and hydrogen.

Each table then shared and discussed their findings with the full group of participants.

The day was concluded by summarising key take-home points and outlining next steps.

Next Steps
The full results will be compiled in a document entitled « National Event from WestMED Initiative in Spain: Prototypes for the decarbonization of Ports, Fishing and Recreational Vessels » which will be delivered to the EU Energy Transition Partnership so that they can take them into account when developing their roadmap for 2024.

This document can be requested, free of charge, by contacting the WestMED National Hub Spain.


Media coverage
This event was widely covered by the press: on television (IB3/ Noticies) and in online media

Online articles
Pressreader Spain
Menorca.info
Xunta de Galicia 1 | Xunta de Galicia 2
Galicia Press
CostaOeste
NoticiasVigo
Govclipping
La Voz de Galicia
Cluster Marítimo Español

 

Poster announcing EU sea basins strategies presence at EMD 2024

EU Sea Basins Strategies featured at the European Maritime Day 2024

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Svendborg, Denmark, this annual event, hosted at the International Maritime Academy (SIMAC), promises to be enlighting for the maritime world.

On May 30-31, EMD 2024 will attract Ocean Leaders from across Europe to converge, deliberate, and establish collaborations focused on addressing pressing challenges and promising opportunities within the blue economy and marine ecosystem.

Kickstarting the festivities on May 30, the High-Level event on the main stage will feature prominent policymakers, including Charlina Vitcheva, Director General at DG MARE, along with representatives from Denmark, France, Portugal, and Moldova. This session, scheduled from 10:30 to 11:45, will spotlight the remarkable success of the EU Sea Basin Strategies as pivotal drivers of the Blue Economy, offering valuable insights into fostering sustainable maritime growth.

Later that day, from 15:00 to 16:15, a workshop led by the Sea Basins Assistance Mechanism (that includes the WestMED, Atlantic and Black Sea) will disclose synergies amongst EU « blue » initiatives. Expert speakers from EU4OCEAN, Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership, and the Energy Transition Partnership for EU fisheries and aquaculture will shed light on collaborative pathways for sustainable marine development.

EMD 2024 serves as an interactive in-person conference and exhibition. A place where businesses, governments, NGOs, academia, and EU citizens connect and discover. Through engaging discussions, workshops, and pitch sessions, stakeholders actively help shape the maritime agenda, tackle current challenges, and chart a course for future opportunities.

 

EU Sea Basin Synergies Workshop info and registration  (Registration for the conference required)

EMD2024 info and registration

Leonardo Manzari and Irene Alonso at UfM Stakeholder Conference 2024

WestMED goes full Mediterranean at the UfM stakeholder conference 2024

The WestMED Initiative actively participated in the 2nd UfM Blue Economy Stakeholder Conference, which took place in Athens on February 19 and 20, 2024.

Background
The WestMED Initiative follows up on the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Declaration on the Blue Economy endorsed by the Union for Mediterranean (UfM) which took place on the 17 November 2015, inviting the participating countries to explore the added value and feasibility of appropriate maritime strategies at sub-regional level, and build on the experience of the 5+5 Dialogue.

In October 2016, Foreign Affairs Ministers from Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia encouraged further work on an initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy, alongside the UfM Secretariat.

In the UfM Ministerial Declaration on Sustainable Blue Economy (2021), Ministers “welcome the successful completion of the launch of the ‘Initiative for the sustainable development of the blue economy in the western Mediterranean’ (WestMED)”, and “recognise both the WestMED initiative as successful examples of cooperation, focused on clear goals, priorities and measurable targets and as a catalyst for the development of sustainable blue economy projects in the region”.

The endorsing countries pursue the same priorities under the UfM Working Group and the WestMED Steering Committee: fostering the promotion of the blue economy, achieving a safer maritime space and improving the maritime governance.

Conference involvement
On the occasion of the 2nd UfM Blue Economy Stakeholder Conference, the WestMED Initiative assisted the UfM both in terms of organization and participation.

At  institutional level, the new WestMED Portuguese Co-Presidency represented by Ms. Marisa Lameiras da Silva, Director General for Maritime Policy in Portugal participated as one of the key speakers in the session of marine renewable energy, providing the success case of Portugal developing offshore energy and its potential replicability in the Mediterranean.

From the Commission side, Ms. Delilah Al Khudhairy, Director for Maritime Policy and Blue Economy, Mr. Christos Economou, Head of Unit for Maritime Regional Cooperation and Mr. Manuel Pleguezuelo, policy officer and WestMED coordinator from DG MARE, participated in numerous sessions showing a strong commitment to the sustainable blue economy in the Mediterranean. The same for Ms. Anja Detant (CINEA), as project manager of the WestMED Assistance Mechanism contract, who highlighted the WestMED Initiative and the award winning projects during the ‘Spotlights on Projects’ session.

At operational level, the WestMED Assistance Mechanism participated in different workshops as experts, moderators and rapporteurs, providing technical expertise. They also supported the UfM Secretariat behind-the-scenes in the development of the Conference.

The conference served as a crucial milestone to assess progress, discuss challenges, and engage the entire Mediterranean Sustainable Blue Economy Community in shaping further deliberations at political and practical level.

A concrete example of succesful cooperation beyond the western Mediterranean was the MoU signed during the conference among the Tunisian and Greek Maritime Clusters  (with groundwork through the WestMED Cluster Alliance) to further boost the blue economy between the western and eastern Mediterranean.

 

Anja Detant at UfM conference 2024

Samir Bachouche-and Manuel Pleguezuelo at UfM Conference 2024

Manuel Pleguezuelo at UfM Conference 2024

Thanos Smanis, Isabelle Perret, Christos Economou at the UfM Stakeholder Conference 2024

UfM stakeholder Conference - speakers with thumbs up

Photos: copyright UfM secretariat

European Blue Announcement with 2 cover pages of eu blue forum position papares 2024

The European Blue Forum Stakeholder Position Papers are out!

The European Blue Forum consisting of stakeholders from all 5  EU sea basins has published its first 2 Position papers related to key issues concerning the European Seas

Paper 1: What do we need from European Seas by 2030, and are we asking too much?
Paper 2: What does a fossil fuel free sustainable blue economy look like? How can we as a community support this transition?

These 2 papers, crafted collaboratively by European Blue Forum members through insightful discussions over the past 10 months are now accessible.

The documents are set to serve as a significant statement on maritime and coastal stakeholders’ common issues, challenges and future expectations for our European Seas. They gather the needs of the European Blue Forum members and provides the main axes of action for the years to come.

The papers will be presented during a public meeting of the inter-parliamentary group SEARICA in Brussels on 7th March 2024.

Download the papers

announcement poster EMD 2024

Apply for a stand at the EMD exhibition!

The last time stakeholders had the possibility to get together as exhibitors was in 2023.

The European Commission, the City of Svendborg and the Danish Maritime Authority are happy to be able to offer this possibility once again and to give stakeholders the chance to showcase their projects and initiatives in an exhibition.

All  corresponding information can be found through the EMD website, or by direct link EMD 2024 call for exhibition.

The deadline to apply is the 22 March 2024 at 23h59. Please note that the call is launched on a « first come first served » basis and the call may therefore be closed before the deadline if the amount of applicants already reaches the threshold.

report cover

Report: A sustainable blue economy for the Mediterranean: challenges, opportunities and policy pathways

A new policy report, commissioned by the European Commission (DG Near) to the EuroMeSCo network, and developed by eco-union under the supervision of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), aims to assess the status and potential of the sustainable Blue Economy in the Mediterranean region, including an analysis of socioeconomic benefits and impacts in relevant Blue Economy activities.

This report not only encapsulates the current state of the Blue Economy in the Mediterranean but also serves as a guide for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders, pointing towards a future where sustainable practices drive economic growth while safeguarding the invaluable marine ecosystems of the region.

Download the report

Source: Eco-Union website

 

Strong interest for WestMED Spain webinar on decarbonizing small ports and vessels

For Spanish, click here | Webinar recording available below or on YouTube

On December 18, 2023, WestMED’s National Hub Spain hosted a webinar titled  “Opportunities and experiences for decarbonizing recreational and fishing vessels and ports”.

The meeting, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, brought together 97 participants with representatives from authorities (regional, national), companies, SMEs, NGOs, scientists, clusters, fishing associations, FLAGs and universities (list of participants).

Main objectives
The webinar supports the effort to decarbonize the fishing and recreational boating sector in the Western Mediterranean and help achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal, including the reduction of GHG emissions, while taking into consideration the profitability, sustainability and resilience of these sectors.

The main objectives of this Webinar were to:

• Raise awareness of the WestMED Initiative and its Assistance Mechanism
• Discuss opportunities and challenges of decarbonizing ports and recreational and fishing vessels
• Provide the perspective of the fishing and recreational boating industry (perspectives of ports and vessels) in the face of the decarbonization challenges
• Discuss possible energy sources, technological solutions, regulatory frameworks and general opportunities and challenges to move towards decarbonization efforts
• Share the efforts by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
• Share the efforts by the General Directorate of the Merchant Navy and the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility
• Interact with the most relevant stakeholders at the national level regarding the decarbonization of ports and recreational and fishing vessels

Welcome/ Opening
Jose Maria Solano, national representative of the WestMED Initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, highlighted the decarbonization efforts in Spain, both on the Atlantic and Mediterranean shores, where up-to-today, there is still no viable technology of zero emissions that allows total decarbonization of the fishing and/or recreational fleet.

Objectives and context of decarbonization in the Western Mediterranean
 Marta Pascual, Spanish national hub of the WestMED Initiative, explained the opportunities for European funding and collaboration through European projects with the support of the WestMED Initiative and, more specifically, under the advice of the Assistance Mechanism. Marta explained that the results and materials from the webinar would be sent to the Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) so that they could take them into account in the roadmap they are developing for 2024
(see presentation)

Spanish position regarding the decarbonization of the fishing fleet
Francisco Manuel Fernández Martínez, deputy director of the general secretariat of fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, expressed the Spanish position regarding the energy transition of the fishing fleet.
(see presentation)

Fernández Martínez explained the commission’s communication on the energy transition in the fishing and aquaculture sector (February 21, 2023), highlighted the state and typology of the Spanish fishing fleet and reflected on what the 3 challenges that the fishing sector faces in order to carry out decarbonization: technological barriers, knowledge and legislative barriers, and financial barriers.

He also listed the 4 main areas of action: 1) Improvement of the governance and cooperation/coordination framework between the different actors involved; 2) Overcome existing technological and knowledge gaps through R&D; 3) Improve the business environment of the activity, including those related to financial opportunities; 4) Manpower trained and prepared in the new skills that will be necessary in the Energy Transition.

Decarbonization and sustainability of the nautical industry
Jordi Carrasco, general director of the National Association of Nautical Companies – ANEN, commented that the recreational boating sector is very heterogeneous (marinas, shipyards, auxiliary industry, rental, etc.) but that the sustainability from a global approach: Advancing engines with the reduction of their emissions, controlling pollution, promoting electric and solar-powered boats, with new construction methods that work on the decarbonization of the entire life cycle of recreational boating . Mr. Carrasco commented on the results of the Ricardo Report which was commissioned from Ricardo plc by ICOMIA – International Council of Marine Industry Associations.

This report highlights that the nautical sector represents less than 0.1% of total greenhouse gas emissions and focuses on propulsion technologies in recreational vessels less than 24 meters in length (5 propulsion and fuel storage systems). energy and 9 categories of vessels). The conclusion of the report are that there is no single solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the propulsion of recreational boats and that we must focus on understanding the type of use of the boat in order to suggest different propulsion systems. It was also commented that the impact of alternative propulsion on the prices of future pleasure boats is expected to increase between 5% and 250%, depending on the technology used. This is why it is urgent to carry out an analysis of the life cycle of the sector with a comprehensive vision from design and manufacturing to the end of the useful life of the vessels.

Decarbonization in fishing vessels
Next, Miguel J. Núñez Sánchez, Transport Counselor of the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU, presented the opportunities and experiences of decarbonization in fishing vessels (industrial fishing) taking into account the great difference that exists between merchant and fishing vessels since It is a sector to which the legislation that applies is less (MARPOL Convention). In addition to this, sustainability is sought throughout the life cycle, both in the production part (fishing and transport chain) and in the life cycle analysis of the vessels.

However, the analysis and regulation of emissions in the transport chain will not be applied to fishing vessels. Mr. Núñez also commented on the difficulties of fishing vessels in obtaining an efficiency index. This means that fishing boats must generate their own efficiency indices that measure the best energy efficiency in engines, residual heat, lower powers, uses of low-consumption lighting, better cold management, etc. (different from the FuelEU Maritime or the Count Emissions index).
(see presentation)

Presentation of projects: “Study of the implementation of electric motors in the Albufera boats” and “Construction of the Albufera pilot boat
Amparo Aleixandre Puchades, Manager of the GALP of Gandía Albufera, presented two projects: “Study of the implementation of electric motors in the Albufera boats” and “Construction of the Albufera pilot boat”.

The study consisted of an environmental, economic and energy analysis and determined and categorized the use and movements of the boats in l’Albufera to know which of these boats could go from having combustion engines to electric motors. The study led to a pilot test of a boat in l’Albufera that is currently in use.
(see presentation)

Business perspectives: Torqeedo GmbH/ CASTALIA Project
In the final part of the event, two companies were invited to give their business perspective on decarbonization and show their adaptation solutions.

Carlos Martínez, Iberia & South America Manager of Torqueedo GmbH presented their advanced electric propulsion options in water as they are pioneers and leaders in the recreational boating market. Carlos explained to us what electric propulsion is for (pure electric) and what it is not for. It is not suitable for large lengths that want to move quickly, it is suitable for short distances and 10-12m boats. If we look at the life cycle, batteries pollute and that is why we have to look at the solution, but also at their use.
Next, Mr Ramón Zubiaga from Consulmar and  Samuel Gómez from the SYM NAVAL Shipyard presented their port services and the CASTALIA project, a 100% electric, zero-emission, multipurpose vessel.

(Presentation Torqeedo)
(Presentation project Castallia: SYM Blue brochure | video)

Main Conclusions

  1. There is no single or universal solution
  2. Alternative fuels are a solution with great potential to decarbonize the current recreational fleet.
  3. It is necessary to find the best solutions for each type of fleet to carry out the energy transition.
  4. The energy transition must be accompanied by the necessary funds for fleet renewal to build ships that can incorporate zero-emission technologies when they are available.
  5. It is necessary to review the concepts of the Common Fisheries Policy so that the regulations are not a brake on the modernization of the sector and the energy transition.
  6. The impact of alternative propulsion on the prices of future pleasure boats is expected to increase between 5% and 250%, depending on the technology used.
  7. It is urgent to carry out an analysis of the life cycle of the sector with a comprehensive vision from design and manufacturing to the end of the useful life of the vessels since the supply chain of materials and their energy consumption generates a significant amount of CO2.
  8. More R&D promotion is required so that technologies are competitive in autonomy, price and CO2 emissions.
  9. Security protocols and specific standards are required for new technologies.
  10. In the industrial fishing sector, there is a lack of efficiency legislation at European or IMO level.
  11. The IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy does not apply to fishing vessels.
  12. The FITFOR55 measures do not apply to fishing vessels except in the RED III Directive on fuels.
  13. There is an urgent need to improve coordination and cooperation between interested parties.
  14. It is urgent to develop capabilities and a workforce adapted to the energy transition.
  15. We need to improve the business environment, including financing opportunities.

Webinar recording (in Spanish)