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New energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly technologies for the shipping industry are expected to be unveiled at one of the Middle East’s leading maritime events next month.

“With more than 90 percent of the world’s freight travelling by sea and the global fleet burning around half a billion tonnes of fuel a year, green shipping is one of the hot topics of the year,” said Christopher Hayman, Managing Director of Seatrade, organisers of Seatrade Middle East Maritime 2008 which runs from 14-16 December at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Among the exhibitors at Seatrade will be Greenwave, a UK-based charity focused on lowering carbon dioxide and other emissions by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels.

According to Greenwave, extensive wind tunnel tests in New Zealand and tank tests at the UK’s Solent University have demonstrated significant savings by improving the aerodynamics of ships. Greenwave is soon to launch its first solutions designed to reduce fossil fuel consumption and emissions by 15%.

The world’s 90,000 strong fleet of freight ships burn oil based fuels and more than 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide are estimated to be emitted by ships every year – a figure set to rise by 30 percent by 2020, according to experts. More than 25 million tonnes of nitrous oxides are also said to be emitted by ships, much of it around coasts and ports.

Ships fitted with compressed natural gas (CNG) engines would not only be environmentally cleaner but cheaper to operate, according to Jimmy Ng Hwee Khoon, Managing Director of the Singapore-based Jenjosh Group, another exhibitor at Seatrade Middle East Maritime. CNG represents a potentially huge shift in the way the world’s shipping fleet is propelled and the Jenjosh Group is launching the first fully propelled vessels using CNG main engines and generators.

“These are the ships of the future with efficiency in cost and fuel cleanliness – a truly green ship,” the company said.

Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, Seatrade Middle East Maritime 2008 will aim to provide international and regional shipping operators and financiers with an opportunity to assess the impact of the global economic downturn on the Middle East maritime industry.

The debate on shipping economics takes place at the Middle East Money and Ships conference which runs alongside the Seatrade exhibition. High level speakers specialising in maritime finance along with leading regional shipping operators will be taking part.

With more than 82 ships expected to visit Dubai in 2009, the sixth Seatrade Middle East Cruise Conference (15 December) will examine the growing importance of cruise tourism as more countries follow Dubai's lead. The potential for growth in ports and destinations throughout the region will be assessed.

In addition, with the Gulf region becoming one of the biggest concentrations of luxury private marine activity, there will also be a Superyacht Solutions Conference (16 December). The conference will assess the demand for superyachts across the region as well as current and future marina demand and availability.

The Seatrade Middle East Maritime exhibition and conferences are held every two years and have evolved into one of the world’s fastest-growing maritime events. In 2006 the event was the biggest yet notching up record attendance of 6,000 trade participants from 63 countries - 45% from outside the region. In 2008, the organisers expect participation to increase by 30 percent.

Principal sponsors of Seatrade Middle East Maritime 2008 include Det Norske Veritas, GEM, Dubai Maritime City Authority, NITC and Gulf Marine. Other sponsors are: ABS, BP Marine, ClassNK, Drydocks World, Emarat Maritime, Ince Al Jallaf & Co, Lloyd's Register, Topaz Energy & Marine, Rais Hassan Saadi Group, SAIFEE Trading, Royal Caribbean Cruises Line and Sea Cloud Cruises.

The event is supported by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, DP World, Dubai Shipping Agents Association, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, the International Association of Ports and Harbours, the Nautical Institute, the Royal Institute of Naval Architects, ImarEST, and the UAE Ship Owners Association.

For more details, please visit: www.seatrade-middleeast.com