The Australian Commercial Marine Group (ACMG) successfully hosted the inaugural Australian Commercial Marine Conference in Sydney on Thursday, 1 August 2024. The event drew a substantial audience from across the industry, with 72 attendees representing 42 marine businesses.
This well-attended gathering included ferry operators, tourism vessel operators, marine technology innovators, naval architects and designers, ship builders, component manufacturers and safety regulators.
The conference, conceptualised by Nick Lester, General Manager, SeaLink Sydney Harbour and Chair of ACMG, delivered valuable insights to commercial operators on key topics such as the latest marine technologies, pollution regulations, lithium battery risks, and decarbonization strategies. Opened by Nick Lester, the event, which marked the recent integration of the Commercial Vessels Association (CVA) into ACMG, underscored his enthusiasm for fostering industry collaboration and advancing commercial vessel operations.
Conference highlights included Tommy Ericson, Director at Aus Ships Group, emphasising the importance of ongoing emissions reduction strategies, urging vessel operators and builders to focus on small, actionable steps for existing fleets and new builds that contribute to the broader goal of reducing emissions. This includes considering alternative fuels, exhaust treatment systems, advanced propulsion technologies, hull coating systems, solar and battery solutions, as well as optimizing weight management, load and unloading processes, and speed optimisation.
William Bratt, Director of Marine Sales & Marketing at Volvo Penta, provided insights into new IPS platform for commercial vessels, which has a future proof design allowing for ICE, hybrid and electric options. The platform includes a new feature called Eco Mode, developed using real-life statistics, which optimises fuel efficiency and extends service and maintenance intervals by automatically stopping and starting individual engines based on power needs while synchronising engine hours.
In a collaborative presentation, Tom Loefler, CEO, Hullbot, and Jessica Gatt, Managing Director, Logix Enterprises, highlighted the interdependent relationship between hull coating and cleaning, emphasising how these elements work together to reduce emissions. The combination of low impact yet high performance epoxy-based coatings on vessels with optimal proactive hull cleaning by Hullbot leads to vessel operations that results in efficiency gains on existing vessels with significant fuel savings, with each component not mutually exclusive.
Capt. John Kavanagh, Director of Legal Practice, Pacific Maritime Lawyers, drew on his thirty-five years’ experience in the marine industry, including his Master Mariner qualification, to provide insights on pollution prevention and future maritime regulations. He addressed MARPOL and the challenges Australia faces with varying state regulations and federal overlays in preventing marine pollution from both accidental and operational sources.
Whilst Chris Herbert, Sales and Business Development at HIFraser, shared his expertise and passion for vacuum sewer systems, highlighting their maintenance efficiency and advantages over traditional methods. He discussed their positive impact on vessel productivity and emphasised the benefits of water-free waste transfer.
Angus McDonald, CEO of Maritime Impulse, emphasised the importance of succinct environmental data as a leader in the process for making sound decarbonisation decisions. Presenting environmental data, including state-by-state emissions reduction targets through 2030, he urged operators to focus on three areas of efficiency gains, drop in fuels and electrifying vessels.
In a joint presentation, Steve Connolly, Director of Nautical Solutions, and Adam Gohl, Senior Marine Surveyor, AMSA, provided clear insights on lithium batteries, including a history of battery-related incidents, insurance principles, and best practices for their safe handling and maintenance. Adam further addressed myths about ‘drop in’ lithium batteries, along with relevant safety regulations and battery management systems.
Capt. Nick Yatsenko, Deputy Harbour Master at Port Authority NSW, detailed the Port Authority’s role in managing large commercial vessel movements in Sydney Harbour. His presentation covered vessel traffic, safety regulations, and incident frequency, highlighting the local weather sensors installed around the Harbour, the resulting data which is accessible on the Port Authority website.
Recapping on the many historical events held in Sydney Harbour, Adam Huie, Project Manager at Banks Events, detailed the origins of events such as the Australia Day Ferryathon, Millenium fireworks and the Tug and Yacht Ballet. He explained how these events have evolved to attract people to the Harbour, foster community engagement, and enhance social cohesion. He went on to highlight the opportunities for commercial vessels in NYE Sydney Fireworks, Vivid and Australia Day.
The conference concluded with David Good, CEO, ACMG, highlighting the commercial industry’s strides in efficiency and environmental sustainability, and underscoring the conference’s role in advancing industry collaboration and driving sector developments.
David Good also provided an informative overview the future strategic direction of ACMG in developing and Economic Impact Study of the commercial industry from design, build, maintenance and tourism impacts. Knowing the number of people employed and the economic impact of the industry will assist in lobbying on behalf of the industry well into the future.
Brad Rutherford, CEO, South Seas Cruises Group, attended the conference from Fiji and remarked on its significance. “Being isolated and remote, we are the sole operator in terms of commercial marine operations in Fiji. Establishing connections in the Australian market is crucial for us, especially in terms of technology and new trends. We have long relied on Australian consultants for technical advice, parts support, and on-the-ground engineering assistance. Attending this conference is invaluable, as it helps us realise that challenges like compliance and emissions are similar across regions, including Fiji.”
The inaugural conference, hosted onboard SeaLink M/V Starship Sydney, culminated with the Sydney International Boat Show Annual Members Networking Drinks.
Anthony Haworth, General Manager, SeaLink Marine and Tourism, offered his appreciation for the event; “Congratulations to the team at ACMG for the recent conference held aboard SeaLink’s Starship in Sydney. The line up of speakers were outstanding and the venue was of course – first class. The format of the day provided just the right blend of information and networking opportunities. A great, must do marine commercial industry event.”
David Good, CEO, ACMG commented “The commercial marine industry is so vibrant in Australia with internationally successful designers, shipbuilders, component manufacturers and operators. It is only logical that such an important industry should have an opportunity to collaborate and share ideas as they have done in this conference. After the success of this first event, it will be a fixture on the calendar from now on.”
ACMG extends our gratitude to our Major Partner and Sponsors of the Australian Commercial Marine Conference. We acknowledge and appreciate their generous support, which has been fundamental in launching the inaugural conference.
Major Partner: SeaLink Sydney Harbour
Conference Sponsor: Nautical Solutions and Spear Green Design
Supporting Sponsor: Aus Ships Group and Marine Air Flow International
Explore more information about the Australian Commercial Marine Conference here: Australian Commercial Marine Conference – Australian Commercial Marine Group
