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< PreviousTanker Shipping & Trade | December/January 2023/24 www.tankershipping.com 8 | TANKER TOP 10 Tanker top 10: the VLCC tanker sector The resolution of the long-running Frontline/ Euronav takeover will result in one of the largest aggregations of modern VLCC tonnage in a sector lacking newbuildings and overflowing with over-age tonnage T he VLCC sector covers tankers carrying crude oil in the size range over 200,000 dwt, of which there are 897 live VLCC tankers in the current fleet with an average age of 10.8 years old. There are only 20 vessels on order, representing just 2.3% of the fleet. There are only two further VLCCs due for delivery in 2023 (joining 22 VLCCs delivered in 2023). However, there are no VLCCs scheduled for delivery in 2024, which is extraordinary. The orderbook for 2025 is currently in single figures (four vessels) and so far, expected deliveries in 2026 number 11 VLCCs. The lack of newbuilding orders is going to have a very interesting impact on the number of VLCCs available to charter. Currently, most top-tier charterers have an age limit of 15-years old, which excludes 28% of the VLCC fleet. VLCCs older than 15-years old continue to find employment in the ghost fleet that serves the illicit sanction- busting trades in crude oil, which is one of the reasons there has been no recorded sale of a VLCC for recycling (scrapping) in 2023. The last reported sale for recycling of a VLCC was in August 2022. If there is no change in deletions from the fleet, the over- age portion of the VLCC fleet will continue to grow and in five years’ time, the 15-years’ old and older portion of the VLCC fleet will reach 56%; or to put it another way, top-tier charterers will only be able to access 44% of the VLCC fleet. The current beneficial ownership of VLCCs is being distorted by the resolution of the long-running takeover/merger situation of Frontline and Euronav, which has been resolved (in part) by the sale for shares and the impending transfer of 24 VLCCs from Euronav to Frontline. However, these have yet to be delivered and still appear in the Euronav fleet. However, the addition of the 24 modern Euronav VLCCs to the Frontline fleet means that, assuming no sales out of its recently acquired vessels, in five-years’ time, Frontline will be the largest owner of VLCCs under the age of 15-years old. TST (Source for all graphs: VesselsValue; November 2023) Number Top 10 beneficial owner of the live & on order VLCCs by number of vessels Beneficial owner China VLCC Euronav Maran Tankers Bahri NITC MOL DHT Holdings Inc Frontline SK Shipping COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation 50 40 30 20 10 0 44 43 42 40 3838 25 24 22 22 Top 10 class of the live & on order VLCCs by number of vessels Class American Bureau of Shipping Det Norske Veritas Nippon Kaiji Kyokai China Classification Society Bureau Veritas Korean Register of Shipping Registro Italiano Navale Polski Rejestr Statkow American Bureau of Shipping / China Classification Society Lloyds Register Number 200 150 100 50 0 177 154 107 106 69 66 62 22 19 12 Top 10 technical managers of the live & on order VLCCs by number of vessels Technical Manager Associated Maritime Mideast Ship Management NITC Maran Tankers Goodwood Ship Management MOL Euronav Ship Management Anglo Eastern Univan Group Fleet Management Ltd COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation 50 40 30 20 10 0 44 43 39 38 29 2424 23 2020 Top 10 commercial managers of the live & on order VLCCs by number of vessels Commercial Manager COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Associated Maritime BahriNITC Maran Tankers DHT Holdings Inc Frontline MOL Dynacom Tankers Euronav Number 50 40 30 20 10 0 4343 41 3838 37 2222 21 20 NumberIn association with Social Events Awards Conference Exhibition This is the world’s premier biennial gathering of the tug, towage and salvage community, held every two years in a different leading maritime hub since 1969. 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Crude oil production has recovered from the impact of COVID-19 and stands at 100.9 million barrels per day (bpd) and demand is 100.3 million bpd, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) projecting modest increases of around 1% and 1.3% respectively in 2024. Ms Bartels highlighted OPEC’s consistent adjustments to output levels, including significant voluntary cuts by Saudi Arabia that have led to a mild reduction in output, and noted the potential for restocking of both crude oil and oil products. “We are remaining comfortably below average [stock] levels,” she said. The increase in Russian oil sales, the lifting of Venezuela sanctions, and improved Chinese demand for crude oil are going to be the main influences on tanker demand. McQuilling Partners commercial director, Stefanos Kazantzis, added the need to consider Russia sanctions, Middle East conflicts, and Venezuela when making investment decisions. On Venezuela, he noted that the lack of sour crude in the market has been a major factor in the US relaxing restrictions, which may be extended, providing a regional boost for tanker demand. Mr Kazantzis noted the relationship between the US economy and tanker demand. “Backwardation versus contango drives a lot of tanker demand,” he said. A softening of the US economy links to the US dollar foreign exchange rate, which pulls down the front end of the curve on crude oil prices. “Once there are interest rate cuts, the US dollar projects a weakened environment that will increase merging market demand at the back end,” he said. “I think you are going to see a flip in the curve, sometime in 2024, going from backwardation into contango. That is when restocking will happen.” He noted that this could occur in a low tanker supply environment, and lead to a strong tanker market. “2024 will be good, but 2025 is when tanker owners are going to see strong demand side support,” he said. Given these geopolitical and economic demand side drivers, which tanker sectors should investors consider? Looking at fleet growth, Ms Bartels noted the orderbook to live fleet ratio is low. “But recently,” she said, “there has been a little bit of an uptick.” This spike reflects interest in Suezmax tankers, LR and MR product Annika Bartels (IFCHOR Galbraiths): “Recycling activity has been incredibly low, comparable with the 1990s” (source: Riviera Maritime Media)www.tankershipping.com Tanker Shipping & Trade | December/January 2023/24 MARKET ANALYSIS | 11 tankers. These newbuilding orders will translate into a spread of deliveries across 2024 to 2027. But in the near term, the impact for the coming year is still relatively low, because deliveries are expected to be lower, Ms Bartels said. One factor Ms Bartels highlighted on the tanker fleet supply side was recycling: “Recycling activity has been incredibly low; the lowest since the 1990s, due to older vessels having an opportunity to trade elsewhere, some in illicit trades.” Mr Kazantzis offered a review of the statistical data on tanker ordering, noting that statistically, there have been consistent seven- to nine-year cycles. The question now is, will owners follow the patterns of the past? The McQuilling model sees support for lang-range and mid-size product tankers, and lower demand for VLCCs, and ordering in 2023 reflects this. The evolving logistics and favourable market dynamics favour long- and medium-range product tankers over VLCCs, but Mr Kazantzis noted the LR1 tanker is likely to be the biggest beneficiary. His presentation offered a deterministic investment analysis of the Stefanos Kazantzis (McQuilling Partners): “Backwardation versus contango drives a lot of tanker demand” (source: Riviera Maritime Media) required breakeven for a five-year old VLCC. McQuillings analysis reports a required breakeven of US$49,000 per day to achieve a 10% return on equity. He then compared this to a stochastic analysis of the probability distribution of earnings; the model reports a less than 30% chance of achieving a 10% return on equity. But, he noted, similar results were produced for the other tanker size ranges. Why? Current prices are too high compared to the historical data, producing high breakevens. In conclusion, the deterministic model indicates that Aframax tankers, LR1s and MR2s are the sectors to invest in. But when to invest and will prices fall? He noted two drivers for vessel prices – yard capacity and steel prices. Yard capacity constraints in 2024 and 2025 are higher than average, according to Mr Kazantis, but the opening up of yard capacity constraints in 2026 and a projected lowering of steel prices in 2024 could see more competitive prices emerging, compared to the high prices on offer today. Seaborne Shipbrokers head of research & valuations, Eva Tzima, noted: “Right now, there is this perfect storm helping tankers.” However, Ms Tzima cautioned that there was one element that could dampen the general positive outlook – the outcome of the US elections, especially the return of a Trump presidency. November 2024 will see that outcome, and a Trump administration may have a very different view on sanctions. Ms Tzima agreed with Mr Kazantzis on his assessment of the investment potential of LR1 tankers and also highlighted the attractiveness of smaller and older capacity vessels as secure investments, due to low ordering rates and significant value increases. However, Ms Tzima noted market reluctance towards non-conventional engined vessels, due to high premiums and industry uncertainties. With regards to the influence of alternative fuels and charter markets, Ms Bartels emphasised the competitive advantage they can provide, but the panel agreed that the industry’s reluctance to adopt renewable or dual-fuel ships without significant benefits, such as long-term contracts or substantial financing incentives, would remain a feature. Mr Kazantzis offered a solution to the dilemma, pointing out that in Europe and in California, there are regulations in place banning the sale of gasoline and diesel cars after certain years. This has shifted the burden of which fuel to use away from car owners; he suggested a similar process should be applied to shipping. It would remove one of the uncertainties in ordering new vessels if IMO were to set a mandatory date for the phasing out of conventional internal combustion engines in newbuildings. TST AFRAMAX TANKERS, LR1S AND MR2S ARE THE SECTORS TO INVEST IN ” “Tanker Shipping & Trade | December/January 2023/24 www.tankershipping.com 12 | REGULATIONS Why tanker operators must react to the EU ETS Experts explain why owners must begin to engage with charterers over the EU Emission Trading Scheme A cross two important sessions at the International Tanker Shipping & Trade Conference, held in Greece in November, experts discussed the influence of CII and the EU ETS regulations on the tanker market. The Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) implemented by IMO relies on historical emissions data and tends to penalise leading companies, while sustaining poor performers. Angelicoussis Group energy efficiency director, Zoran Lajic, agreed the current system promotes long, unbalanced voyages, which is unhelpful. He highlighted the importance of a proper data collection system to quantify losses and savings. “Basically, I see the whole story about CII as something that is an opportunity,” he said. Large companies like Angelicoussis have the resources to cope, but being unable to cope with CII is another barrier to trade. Odfjell chief sustainability officer, Øistein Jensen, said that penalties for poor CII performance were not high and the industry may be overestimating the problem. Capital Ship Management Corp, chief technical officer, Nikolas Vaporis, agreed, adding that CII is another way of differentiating companies. He emphasised the need to work with the currently approved regulations until something new is available. Former co-founding partner of Hafnia, Anders Engholm, echoed this sentiment. He noted that the industry should scold itself for not engaging earlier though, when CII was first muted, although he noted there is an opportunity to take part in a revision in two years’ time. On the question of how much achieving CII compliance might increase operating costs, the panellists refrained from giving exact figures, but Mr Jensen mentioned that retrofitting vessels to increase CII ratings had proven to be a net positive investment, as it reduces fuel consumption. The panellists agreed that charterparty agreements need adjustment to account for potential risk sharing and CII compliance. Elsewhere, a separate panel discussed new regulatory requirements and the reporting obligations stemming from shipping entering the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), which will bring similar pressures as CII. The EU ETS presents new reporting and regulatory requirements for tanker operators, with opportunities for competitive advantages through emissions reduction strategies and access to carbon markets. These new regulations could impact international trade, change vessel operations and contracts, and need to be navigated carefully to ensure compliance. Under the EU ETS regime, shipping companies, as the designated Document of Compliance holder (DoC holder), will be required to surrender to the authorities EU allowances (EUAs) based on their annual emissions. This will start at 40% of emissions in 2024, rising to 70% and 100% of emissions in 2025 and 2026, respectively, under the three- year phase-in of the scheme. European Commission Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA)’s Marcos González Álvarez explained Zoran Lajic (Angelicoussis): “CII promotes long, unbalanced voyages, which is counterintuitive to the original premise of the regulation” (source: Riviera Maritime Media)www.tankershipping.com Tanker Shipping & Trade | December/January 2023/24 REGULATIONS | 13 the EU’s decarbonisation goals, highlighting the inclusion of maritime sectors in the ETS from January 2024. Emissions from companies would need to be covered by EUAs that decrease over time. Mr González Álvarez noted that including shipping in the ETS, which has been running for other industries since 2005, will require significant reviews covering possible evasion behaviour and the potential inclusion of smaller vessels. A penalty system is in place for non-compliance. In addition, he said: “Member states need to lay down penalties for breaches in the requirements that need to be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.” Hecla Emissions Management is a 50/50 joint venture between the Affinity Shipping Group and the Willemsen Group. Hecla director, Hugo Wilson, explained the company was helping customers navigate the complex administration around ETS, while also advising on trading allowances. He noted that only about 5% of shipowners currently has an account to interact with the ETS market, presenting potential issues when the scheme incorporates shipping in January 2024, and EUAs are surrendered just 12 months later. Shipping will be entering an extremely active EU ETS market. Mr Wilson said: “It trades between EUR2Bn to EUR3Bn euros per day, almost exclusively on the futures market.” This availability of data and trading experience means that some shipowners are already familiarising themselves with EU ETS allowances, with some having procured allowances and others including a theoretical carbon cost element in their existing Dimitris Dimopoulos (INTERTANKO): “Do not accept EU allowances the day before the deadline” (source: Riviera Maritime Media) Hugo Wilson (Dekla): “Shipping is entering a market [ETS] that trades between EUR2Bn to EUR3Bn per day” (source: Riviera Maritime Media) invoices to charterers. But why is the rest of shipping being so slow to engage with EU ETS? INTERTANKO commercial manager & area manager Greece and Cyprus, Dimitris Dimopoulos, suggested that many are waiting for the European Commission’s list of shipping companies. Once the list is published, operators will commence setting up their accounts. “I do not think owners should wait till the last minute before becoming familiarised with the concept of allowances,” said Mr Dimopoulos. But how will EU ETS and EUAs be incorporated in commercial activities? Mr Wilson said market adjustments will occur, reminiscent of what occurred with the implementation of the IMO 2020 sulphur cap. He also highlighted uncertainty due to unclear agreements between owners and charterers, especially related to the settlement method. Mr Dimopoulos suggested reimbursement choices - whether these will be incorporated into the existing freight rate, through a word scale or via a surcharge clause, to cater for price fluctuations. Mr Engholm asked how allowances should be treated in commercial transactions. In response to Mr Engholm’s question about immediate payment in the form of allowances, Mr Wilson concurred that owners should not accept allowances a day before the deadline. The transfer of allowances should be coupled with freight. Both Mr Wilson and Mr Dimopoulos advised delegates that non-payment, or delays in payment, should be considered a breach of agreement similar to non- settlement of freight. TST MEMBER STATES NEED TO LAY DOWN PENALTIES FOR BREACHES IN THE REQUIREMENTS ” “Tanker Shipping & Trade | December/January 2023/24 www.tankershipping.com 14 | SIRE 2.0 SIRE 2.0 is here; are you ready? The phase-in of SIRE 2.0 continues to raise questions among owners and operators T he Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE 2.0) is now being introduced into the tanker industry and judging by the interest shown to the subject at the recent International Tanker Shipping & Trade Conference in Athens in November 2023, its arrival may not be plain sailing. During the conference, a panel discussion addressed the subject, featuring OCIMF AFNI programmes director, Aaron Cooper, himself a driving force behind the introduction of SIRE 2.0, and Tsakos Shipping & Trade, senior vetting officer, Stavi Kamakari. Providing input from the client side was Uirtus Marine Services director, Capt Patrick Joseph, who had been head of vetting at BP and was a leading light behind the development of SIRE; he now advises clients on the transition to SIRE 2.0. Rounding off the panel was INTERTANKO’s senior vetting manager, Frans Ubaghs, who has worked closely with OCIMF on developing SIRE 2.0. Statistics show that since the introduction of SIRE, incidents have decreased. “People make mistakes,” said Capt Cooper, “and people will continue to make mistakes. Mistakes are rarely malicious, but we need to understand the root causes. We want to increase our focus on significant risks.” SIRE 2.0 is being rolled out in four stages and Tsakos Shipping & Trade has been taking part in testing at stage two. Ms Kamakari said: “We strongly recommend for tanker operators not to wait for an inspection to be arranged. [They should] keep the pre- inspection data updated.” Ms Kamakari added that the pre- inspection element shall be completed by the operators no later than forty- eight hours before the SIRE 2.0 inspection. She said that a declaration has to be made that all information is accurate and up-to-date, including photographs. These will be verified by the inspector and a difference between the image and reality could lead to a negative observation. She suggested resisting the urge to include only the best images as an inspector will not find these representative when he or she goes onboard. Ms Kamakari noted that owners will need to develop an accurate internal reporting system to ensure core observations are noted and, where required, remedial action is taken and recorded. Ms Kamakari recommended that a gap analysis should be undertaken between a company’s procedures and SIRE 2.0 contents and this should be aligned with internal superintendent checklists to SIRE 2.0. Capt. Joseph, who has been working with companies to transition to SIRE 2.0, noted that many owners underestimate the task. He gave the example of the ship’s incinerator. “The inspector is expected to review the company procedure for operating the incinerator and review the risk assessment,” he said. “I found that many tanker operators do not have a risk assessment on board for operating the incinerator. They have to write a procedure for operating the incinerator, conduct a risk assessment, and have that risk assessment available on board, [then] train the people who use the risk assessment. These things take time and resources,” he said. He added that from the inspection samples he has available, the two main contributors to negative observations were recognition of safety criticality of the task or associated steps, and customs and practises surrounding use of procedures. Mr Ubaghs took the opportunity to introduce INTERTANKO’s Seafarers practical guide to SIRE 2.0. This has The SIRE 2.0 panel at the International Tanker Shipping & Trade Conference, November 2023 (source: Riviera Maritime Media)www.tankershipping.com Tanker Shipping & Trade | December/January 2023/24 SIRE 2.0 | 15 one page (where possible) per question from SIRE 2.0 so that seafarers can readily identify if the question relates to hardware or human processes, and if it is a core question or a rotational question. He said: “It is so important to be aware which questions are core questions.” There will also be an electronic version. Questions from the floor of the conference centred on timings. Capt Cooper said that SIRE 2.0 is complex and cannot be rushed. SIRE 2.0 stage two is coming to an end, with the aim of stage three to commence around mid-January 2024. Had it been a paper-only exercise, the introduction could have been sooner, but OCIMF members wanted to go down the digital route and leverage technology. Another question concerned images and suggested that this might not be beneficial. Ms Karamaki replied: “Why be afraid of this? If you operate well-maintained ships and have good quality seafarers and a good team ashore, there is nothing to be afraid of following the new mindset promoted by the SIRE 2.0.” Why was SIRE 2.0 needed at all? MIS Marine is working with OCIMF to support the SIRE 2.0 progamme and managing director, Dominic McKnight Hardy, explained that while incident numbers are plateauing, the next logical step to achieve the OCIMF goal of continuous improvement is the human element. Mr McKnight Hardy said: “The new human element aspect of the inspection programme seeks to consider seafarers in the context of the vessel and its operations – are they stressed, fatigued, able to speak out, empowered? This new aspect is built on the premise that people do not fail on purpose, and trying to understand the challenges that may provide the potential for failure.” He added: “From a technical point of view, a big change to the inspection programme is the transition to a tablet-based process. This change has allowed for a more responsive, data Capt. Patrik Joseph (Uirtus Marine): “Procedures will have to be written and risk assessments undertaken” (source: Riviera Maritime Media) Stavi Kamakari (Tsakos): “There is nothing to be afraid of” (source: Riviera Maritime Media) driven inspection process. No longer will inspections be ‘one size fits all’, evaluated based on the number of observations recorded by the inspector. The granular detail now captured provides the opportunity to generate vessel-/type-/industry-wide analytics and perform root-cause analysis of issues. In addition, inspections can now be adjusted to focus on arising areas of concern, allowing the industry to transition from reactive to proactive in its attempts to mitigate risk early on.” The tablet-based SIRE 2.0 approach will bring about improved efficiency. “There will now be less time spent on bridge admin. Certificates and documents will now be uploaded electronically in advance by the vessel operator, as opposed to being reviewed by the inspector onboard,” he said. But the actual time spent onboard will not radically shorten; rather, it will be spent with a greater focus on the crew. It will also greatly benefit the inspection of larger vessels. “A further benefit lies in inspections now being digitalised,” said Mr McKnight Hardy. “Allowing for the creation of manageable data, charterers and operators can now aggregate data and spot trends across fleets, for example, human behaviour, hardware, or process failures. The granularity of data will allow for the improved understanding of recurrent failures and root causes, allowing for positive mitigation action to be taken.” TSTTanker Shipping & Trade | December/January 2023/24 www.tankershipping.com 16 | BALLAST WATER BWMS: what seafarers want Study identifies clear parameters for an ideal ballast water management system based on seafarers’ experiences on tankers A recent study that evaluated the experiences of 50 seafarers (24 deck personnel and 26 engine personnel) working on tankers equipped with UV and electrochemical BWMS, has revealed clear parameters for an ideal ballast water management system (BWMS), based on seafarers’ experiences on tankers. The study was conducted by Mevlüt Yılmaz as part of a Master’s thesis, supervised by Dr. Ceren Bilgin Güney at Istanbul Technical University in Turkey. The seafarers included in the study worked on six different vessels and the brands of the BWMS were disguised. Two of the ships had full-stream electrochemical technology-based BWMS from the brand El-Chem 1, while four had UV-based BWMS from two different brands (UV-1 and UV-2). Based on an evaluation of issues with both El-Chem and UV BWMS, the seafarers’ list of ideal BWMS properties included the following: no need for preparation before ballasting; minimal training requirements; compact size and simple equipment; convenience for routine checks during operation; no chemical usage; easy maintenance; simple operational use; and a rare occurrence of alarms and malfunctions. These features collectively make for a highly efficient and user-friendly BWTS, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for maritime professionals. In the third phase of the study, a statistical method called an analytic hierarchy process was used to rank the seafarers’ evaluation of these systems. The eight properties were condensed into six criteria, as some properties covered similar issues. The order of importance, from highest to lowest, was as follows: rare alarms and malfunctions; easy maintenance; absence of chemical handling requirements; operational simplicity with minimal training needs; a compact size with straightforward routine controls; and no preparation necessary before ballasting. This prioritised ranking underscores the significance of a reliable and user-friendly system for a range of applications. The ranking demonstrates that seafarers consider ‘rare alarms and malfunctions’ to be the most important criterion. The thesis noted during ballast and deballast operations, which can last for days during cargo loading or unloading, that it is crucial for everything to run smoothly. BELOW: Mevlüt Yılmaz, Chief Engineer: His Master’s thesis highlights the problems encountered with BWTS in the working environment (source: Mevlüt Yılmaz)www.tankershipping.com Tanker Shipping & Trade | December/January 2023/24 BALLAST WATER | 17 Frequent malfunctions or alarms can disrupt the ship’s operations and distract the chief officer. In tankers, the chief officer must pay close attention to the level of cargo tanks during critical loading operations. An alarm from the BWMS can distract the chief officer and lead to errors in their work. Key lessons Tanker Shipping & Trade ’s associated brand, Ballast Water Treatment Technology (BWTT), asked Mr Yılmaz to explain certain facets of his work, in collaboration with input from his supervisor, Dr. Bilgin Güney. BWTT : What challenges and benefits did you encounter when evaluating the experiences of 50 expert seafarers? Mr Yılmaz: When the information obtained from the questionnaire survey and bilateral interviews was evaluated, it [became clear] that some seafarers were prejudiced against BWTS. The reasons for their prejudice include day-to-day difficulties resulting from new regulations, new equipment and more paperwork, and reduced staff levels. It is evident that seafaring has become more demanding. I empathise with seafarers who hold biases against BWTS due to the time constraints and the persistently stressful environment. BWTT: How should the results of your evaluation influence future BWTS design? Mr Yılmaz: In today’s maritime market, many brands have started to produce BWTS. This situation intensifies the competition. To establish superiority among different brands of system, they should unquestionably be designed based on the expertise of experienced seafarers. It is important that the system is easy to maintain by engine officers and easy to use by deck officers. As ships race against time in ports, system failures during cargo operations can directly impact cargo handling. BWTS that alarm too often during cargo operations, especially on tankers and gas vessels, can cause more serious negative incidents, distracting the officer in charge during cargo operations. Dr. Bilgin Güney : I hope that the manufacturers take into consideration the seafarers’ perspective. Even if they do not purchase the system, in practice, the seafarers are the real end users of BWTS. The reports from ports with challenging conditions in the experience-building phase is a sign of problems that we can expect for the future. The problems and difficulties experienced by seafarers after they come into contact with BWTS are of key importance for the successful implementation of ballast water management on board, in accordance with the rules. BWTT: What would be your advice for other researchers conducting similar evaluations? Mr Yılmaz: I recommend that researchers conducting similar studies examine the performance of the same brand of BWTS in different water conditions. A study can also be conducted on El-Chem type BWTS to minimise chemical handling by seafarers. Dr. Bilgin Güney: If you consider this question from the point of view of the subject, I agree with Mevlüt. What we have done is an introductory study, but the subject can be deepened even more. For instance, the systems used in ships operating in the same region can be evaluated, or the situation of systems using the same technology in different ports can be examined. I think that the possibility of seafarers’ experiences being taken into account in different processes paves the way for their participation in the study. TST Dr. Ceren Bilgin Güney: “I hope the manufacturers take into consideration the seafarers’ perspective” (source: Ceren Bilgin Güney) RESEARCHERS [SHOULD] EXAMINE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SAME BRAND OF BWTS IN DIFFERENT WATER CONDITIONS ” “Next >