During Marintec China 2023 in Shanghai, a CIMAC Circle took place. The topic was “Transformation of the internal combustion engine industry”. Dominik Schneiter, Chair Digitalisation Strategy Group, CEO WinGD was the moderator. The opening keynote came from Mr. Dong Jianfu, Vice President of CIMAC NMA China, Chairman of Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute (SMDERI) and Director of National Key Laboratory of Advanced Marine Engine Technology. As experts on the podium, we welcomed:
- Dr. Marco Coppo, CEO OMT Digital, R&D Director OMT
- Ms. GU Yiqing, Deputy Director of Innovation Center, Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute
- Tao Guohua, Vice General Manager CSSC Power (Group) Co. Ltd.
In his summary of the event, moderator Dominik Schneiter emphasized that despite the different backgrounds and roles in the shipping industry, the panelists agreed that the decarbonization of shipping is increasingly becoming a discussion about defossilization and the provision of sustainable fuels. Internal combustion engines will remain in use and will be converted to the new fuels - but this also means that the pollutants produced during combustion must be addressed and avoided. Effective system integration is a must in order to further optimize energy consumption in long-haul shipping, as the new fuels are more expensive and carbon taxes will play an important role further down the line.
