DEVELOPMENT OF A HOLISTIC MARITIME ENERGY MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME AT THE POSTGRADUATE LEVEL: THE CASE OF WMU

Energy efficiency in shipping is regarded as one of the most urgent tasks to which the industry needs to respond. According to the 2014 International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Green-House Gas (GHG) Study, the average respective missions from shipping accounted for approximately 3.1% of annual global CO2 during the period of 2007–2012.

Mandatory technical and operational energy-efficiency measures adopted via Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) entered into force on 1 January 2013. It is mandatory to implement the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for certain types of new ships, as well as the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) for all ships. In order to support uniform implementation and to promote technology transfer, it is vital to educate and train personnel in Maritime Energy Management (MEM) in all the IMO member states. Notwithstanding, such educational opportunities tend to be limited to technical and vocational levels, and there was no course to educate maritime energy management professionals at postgraduate level until the World Maritime University (WMU) has launched its Master of Science course in the specific field. From the motivations to energy efficiency to modern technology, safety and security, economics, human element, and operations research, the WMU MSc programme is pioneering to foresee the need of higher education for future maritime leaders. This paper proposes an interdisciplinary approach to the course design and development in MEM and discusses the role of education to support the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).