Transforming shipping in practice : decarbonization, digitalization and Arctic navigation
Files
Editor
Chong-Ju Chae, World Maritime University
Description
This book comprises a total of 20 chapters across 3 parts, detailing the maritime digitalization, decarbonization, maritime AI application and seafarers in the era of technology development which including technologies, regulations, and policies presented during WMU Maritime Affairs Conference 2026.
Part 1 focuses on Decarbonization, Part 2 covers Digitalization, and Part 3 addresses Arctic Navigation to convey the key messages from experts speakers of the WMU Maritime Affairs Conference 2026.
Part 1 (Decarbonization I and II) contains 7 chapters including 2 keynote speaker’s contribution.
Chapter 1 highlights essential of pragmatism for maritime decarbonization and emphasizes taking practical, incremental steps now rather than waiting for a utopian consensus that may never materialize.
Chapter 2 introduces maritime sector's dual transformation of decarbonization and digitalization requires a structured Safety Assurance Framework to validate new technologies before large-scale deployment. By combining goal-based criteria, rigorous evidence generation across testing stages, and cross-jurisdictional governance, this approach treats safety evidence as critical enabling infrastructure rather than a mere compliance cost.
Chapter 3 highlighted philosophy for selelcting the Green Shipping Corridors to help achieve Paris Agreement and IMO net-zero targets.
Chapter 4 Examining synthetic fuels for Mediterranean Ro-Pax ferry decarbonization, this study uses a multi-criteria decision-making approach to evaluate various energy alternatives across safety, technical, and economic criteria. It concludes that while onshore power supply and bio-LNG are most practical currently, operators must maintain technological optionality through resilient, adaptable transition pathways rather than relying on a single future fuel.
Chapter 5 examines Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS) as a practical bridge technology to help ships comply with the IMO Net-Zero Framework while zero-emission fuel supply chains mature.
Chapter 6 Examining alternative marine fuel implementation in Malaysian ports and proposes a four-pillar action framework to strengthen institutional coordination, regulatory readiness, and green energy orchestration for industry-ready bunkering.
Chapter 7 Examining liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a practical transition fuel for small and coastal vessels in Korea, this chapter evaluates its advantages across technology, regulation, and policy dimensions. It highlights that LPG can serve as a realistic bridge fuel for smaller vessel segments through a phased approach, provided it eventually integrates green-LPG pathways like bio-LPG and e-LPG.
Part 2 (Digitalization I and II) contain 6 chapters including 1 keynote speaker contribution.
Chapter 8 highlights key technologies like E-Navigation, the Maritime Single Window, and Maritime Autonomous Surface Vessels (MASS) in relation to IMO regulatory frameworks and safety standards. It concludes that while digitalization improves operational efficiency and reduces human error, achieving a truly secure transition requires accelerating binding global regulations, addressing legal and cybersecurity gaps, and upskilling maritime personnel.
Chapter 9 proposes a progressive framework that coordinates desktop, part-task, full-mission, and cloud-based simulation modalities as complementary learning environments. It argues that maximizing educational value depends on functional congruence between learning objectives, scenario design, and student assessment, positioning digitalisation as an organizational process that improves progression and alignment with onboard practice.
Chapter 10 Addressing maritime cyber risk as a governance issue, this chapter combines a neutrosophic AHP expert evaluation with a system dynamics model to establish board-owned cyber policies as the key boundary for acceptable exposure. It demonstrates that formalizing practices through board-approved interventions significantly improves explicit-policy maturity and reduces incident-driven indeterminacy compared to purely compliance-driven or incident-response approaches.
Chapter 11 Examining the International Maritime Organization's non-binding 2026 MASS Code, this chapter highlights how autonomous shipping seeks to align safety standards with conventional crewed vessels while laying the groundwork for future binding instruments. It further explores how the crewless MASS concept—operating from a Remote Operations Centre—challenges longstanding legal obligations regarding the duty to render assistance to people in distress at sea.
Chapter 12 examining how digitalization in maritime operations transforms the industry and challenges traditional legal frameworks. By emphasizing the need for clear accountability, transparency, and regulatory authority over mere technical execution, it explores how maritime law can adapt to modern technological changes.
And Chapter 13 Examining the shift toward an interoperable, paperless maritime information environment, this chapter analyzes the legal and technical challenges surrounding electronic trade documents like electronic Bills of Lading (eBLs) under frameworks such as the IMO Digitalisation Strategy, MLETR, and the UK ETDA 2023. It concludes that legal recognition alone is insufficient for trusted international use, arguing that a truly global digital maritime ecosystem requires the convergence of legal harmonization, technical and legal interoperability, reliable authentication, and cyber resilience.
Part 3 (Arctic Navigation I and II) includes 7 chapters addressing Arctic Navigation.
Chapter 14 Examining the co-evolution of Arctic shipping and geopolitics through four historical periods and It concludes that geopolitical dynamics neither uniformly promote nor constrain Arctic shipping, but rather drive a continuous feedback loop between strategic competition, economic networks, and international cooperation.
Chapter 15 analyzes how climate change, U.S. unilateralism, and China-Russia rapprochement heighten regional risks - including nuclear threats - and concludes that a new governance framework is urgently needed to address these escalating geopolitical dynamics.
Chapter 16 examines Canada's evolving Arctic shipping landscape and its comprehensive regulatory framework - integrating domestic laws, international standards like the Polar Code, vessel monitoring, and Indigenous partnerships - to demonstrate how effective environmental stewardship and maritime safety are maintained amidst rapid climate change.
Chapter 17 Examining the intersection of autonomous shipping and harsh polar environments, and It reveals critical contradictions across five key areas - including command authority, ice detection, and search and rescue - and recommends addressing these pending issues during the MASS Experience-Building Phase.
Chapter 18 Examining how voyage-planning and navigation tools can protect Arctic marine biodiversity from increased shipping, this chapter highlights the underutilization of whale-distribution data required by the Polar Code and emphasizes the urgent need for the shipping sector to integrate seasonal biodiversity information into operational decision-making.
Chapter 19 Examining the institutional, legal, and operational frameworks for search and rescue (SAR) in the changing Arctic, this chapter analyzes the 2011 Arctic SAR Agreement alongside global conventions and highlights the critical role of Indigenous and local communities. It concludes that effective Arctic emergency response relies on a resilient, networked capability linking national authorities, commercial actors, and local populations to operate seamlessly when human life is at risk.
Chapter 20 Examining the prospects and technical demands of Arctic shipping amidst climate and geopolitical shifts, this chapter explores key engineering requirements - such as ice-class design, winterization, and experimental validation - alongside South Korea's national R&D initiatives for polar vessels. It concludes that rather than replacing conventional trade corridors like the Suez Canal, Arctic shipping will evolve into an operationally selective domain led by nations capable of combining advanced technology, rigorous evaluation, and strict environmental compliance.
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.21677/261103
ISBN
978-91-990756-3-1 (online) 978-91-990756-4-8 (print)
Publication Date
12-1-2026
Publisher
World Maritime University
City
Malmö
Keywords
Maritime Decarbonization, Maritime Digitalization, Arctic Navigation
Disciplines
Environmental Policy | Transportation