POSIDONIA 2020 on track to be the biggest ever

The 2020 Posidonia exhibition is on track to set new records in exhibitor numbers and floor space for its upcoming edition this summer, as the world’s most prestigious exhibition in the biennial maritime calendar is entering its sixth consecutive decade of continuous service to the ocean-going Greek shipping community and the international maritime industry. Between June 1 and 5, over 2,000 exhibitors from over 90 countries and tens of thousands of trade visitors from all over the world are expected to walk the 50,000sqm of the Athens Metropolitan Expo, as the exhibition floor and the adjacent conference halls will be brimming with decision-makers and officials of the global shipping community. Greek shipping’s continuous newbuilding appetite, currently set at some 200 newbuildings on order, continuous upgrade of fleet and exploration of new propulsion options, as well as an increased drive for digitalisation, spearhead the continuous growth of Posidonia. But new environmental regulations and their implementation will be on everyone’s mind. Hence, one of the key questions eagerly awaiting an answer at Posidonia 2020 is the impact the first six months of low sulphur regulations implementation will have had on the spirits of an otherwise high-flying sector, which transports 90% of global trade. The Union of Greek Shipowners’ (UGS) President, Theodore Veniamis, said: “This year’s Posidonia Exhibition is taking place at a time that marks major changes in the global shipping industry. The implementation of the global sulphur cap in marine fuels, with whatever challenges this has raised, and the ongoing discussions at the United Nations International Maritime Organization (UN IMO) about the adoption of short and mediumterm measures for the reduction of the CO2 emissions from ships are two of the most important issues that the Union of Greek Shipowners has been actively following. At an EU level, the environmental agenda of the European institutions is also a critical issue that needs awareness and attention on behalf of the shipping industry.

“The shipping industry, indispensable as it is for world trade in essential goods and other cargoes, is fully committed to the climate change agenda for full decarbonisation and has already taken important initiatives in this direction through the UN IMO global regulations. However, full decarbonisation of the shipping sector cannot be achieved without new fuels and propulsion technologies available globally.”

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