On October 17th, the 2023 annual meeting of the China Classification Society (CCS) Mediterranean Committee was held in Athens, Greece. The meeting was chaired by Mr. George Procopiou, Chairman of the CCS Mediterranean Committee, with the participation of over 40 regional committee members and relevant industry representatives, including Vice Chairman Panagiotis Laskaridis, Yu Zenggang, Chairman of COSCO Piraeus Port Authority S.A., George Xiradakis, Chairman of the Greek Shipping Finance Association and other shipping related partners.

CCS Senior Vice President Cai Yanxian led a delegation to attend and deliver a speech. Mr. Xiao Junzheng, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Greece, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, Former Minister of Maritime and Island Policy in Greece, and other officials attended the annual meeting as special guests. 

Wang Baochun, General Manager of the Athens Branch, delivered a welcoming speech. He expressed warm welcome to the guests that participated in this annual meeting, showed sincere gratitude to all members for their full support for CCS’s business development in the Mediterranean region, and promised that CCS will continue to provide excellent services and full support to shipowners. 

George Procopiou, Chairman of the CCS Mediterranean Committee, reviewed the close cooperation between China and Greece in shipping, shipbuilding, finance, new business, and other areas. He highly acknowledged and praised the achievements of CCS in recent years and its important role in the international shipping and shipbuilding industry. He expressed sincere gratitude for the high-quality and efficient services and technical support provided by CCS to Greek shipowners. He expected that the CCS Mediterranean Committee could play a more important role as an exchange platform connecting China-Greece shipping. 

In his speech, Ambassador Xiao Junzheng said that 2023 is the tenth anniversary of the “Belt and Road” initiative of China. China-Greece maritime transport cooperation led by the Port of Piraeus has yielded fruitful results, and the business of CCS in Greece has developed steadily. Chinese economy will maintain long-term robust development, and the trend of economic globalization is irreversible. It is believed that China-Greece maritime cooperation will also have broader prospects. In the next step, it is recommended that China and Greece continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in shipping finance, ship manufacturing, ship survey, etc.

Cai Yanxian expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Chairman, to the Ambassador and all committee members for their long-term support and trust in CCS. He elaborated on the profound impact of the current situation and future trends on the maritime industry from three aspects: decarbonization, Digitalization and the impact of Chinese factors in the current international environment, and deeply analyzed the challenges and opportunities faced by the shipping industry. He said that CCS is willing to work together with the Greek shipping industry to face difficulties and challenges, and seize development opportunities to achieve win-win cooperation. 

Lin Jianfeng, Deputy Director of CCS Operation Classification Business Department, reported on the development of CCS from CCS fleet development, PSC performance, statutory authorization, green, safety, environmental protection, intelligent technology R&D, digital transformation, etc. He comprehensively presented the achievements of CCS in various aspects to the attending committee members. In addition, he made an in-depth analysis of the shipbuilding situation in China, and looked forward to the future prospects of CCS assisting shipowners in further development in the shipping industry.

CCS EU affairs expert Lin Zhengjin delivered a special report on “EU legislation and policies for greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the maritime industry”, mainly interpreted the “EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) Directive”, “Fuels EU Maritime  Regulation”, and “EU Renewable Energy Directive” that are closely related to the maritime industry, and analyzed the impact of relevant laws and possible countermeasures.

In her special report on the topic of “marine methanol and ammonia fuel”, Dr. Wen Miaomiao, a CCS expert, analyzed the risks, technical solutions, sustainable fuel supply, etc. of methanol and ammonia as marine fuels. She also carried out case studies on specific ship types, fuel tank arrangements, power system modifications, etc., and proposed possible solutions.

In the discussion session, the representatives at the meeting made in-depth and enthusiastic discussions on hot topics including the current status and direction of greenhouse gas emission reduction legislation, ship emission reduction pathways, shipyard design and R&D, alternative fuel engines, green fuel preparation, etc.  between the IMO and the EU. 

Currently, the world is at a new crossroad, and the international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes. With increasing instability and uncertainty of the regulations and technologies, the shipping industry is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. In this context, it is of special significance to convene the Mediterranean Committee meeting, and the participating guests jointly discussed the opportunities and challenges faced by the maritime industry based on this, which is helpful to making decisions from a strategic and long-term perspective and strengthening collaboration.

During his visit to Greece, Cai Yanxian also attended in the Global Maritime Forum Summit 2023. He led a delegation to visit important clients of CCS in the Greek region to make in-depth exchanges on the issues of common concern including new shipbuilding cooperation, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, green fuel production, etc., further deepening the friendly cooperation between CCS and its clients in the Greek region.