The maritime sector faces the dual challenge of digitalization and decarbonization. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union have already adopted measures to increase the technical and operational efficiency of ships, as well as new regulations to improve air quality. Furthermore, greenhouse gas emissions could be curbed in the mid-term if the IMO's net-zero framework is adopted. This regulatory background has profound impacts on both technology and the environment, which this session will explore.
We invite contributions on the use of advanced meteo-oceanographic forecasts, ship weather routing, and machine learning methods for optimizing speed or routes. We also welcome papers on vessel performance evaluations and the modeling of wind-assisted propulsion. This includes inter-comparing models, benchmarking practices, and evaluating the robustness of routing methods under uncertain conditions. Papers that demonstrate the use of advanced technologies such as digital twins, containerization, dockerization, and parallelization are also accepted.
Additionally, we welcome abstracts that address the climate and air quality impacts of both currently implemented and upcoming emission regulations in the shipping sector, as well as the introduction of alternative marine fuels. Topics may include air pollution mitigation, aerosol cloud interactions, ship tracks, radiative forcing, temperature response, unintended impacts of measures for mitigation of air pollution, and broader Earth system effects. We aim to bridge communities that work on measurements, emission inventories and scenarios, and modeling—from climate emulators to Earth system models.