An impressive video presented during the second part of the annual meeting of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) at the Onassis Stegi in Athens, last Wednesday, by UGS President Melina Travlos highlighted the widespread contribution of Greek shipping in all facets of society and its dynamic performance globally.
The video, screened before the introduction of Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization of the UN at the podium, showed a slew of facts and figures confirming the leading role of Greek shipping.
Greek Shipping held 20% of the global capacity; 23% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier fleet; 30% of the global tanker fleet; and 25% of the global bulk carrier fleet.
The Greek-owned fleet includes 2602 Bulk carriers, 507 Chemical & product tankers, 910 Oil tankers, 147 LNG carriers, 163 LPG carriers, 504 Containerships, 229 General cargo ships, and 71 Vehicle carriers.
Notably, Greek shipping is a pioneer in the use of alternative fuels, as it is the No. 1 largest fleet operating with this type of fuel:
6.7% of the Greek-owned fleet can use LNG dual-fuel, while the global fleet percentage is 5.3%.
It is the 2nd largest fleet with sulfur oxide (SOx) scrubber-fitted facilities, 36% of Greek-owned new tankers on order will be equipped with sulfur oxide scrubber systems, while the global fleet percentage is 24%, 35% of the Greek-owned fleet is equipped with energy-saving technologies, while the global fleet percentage is 23%.
Additionally, the video presents a part of the social contribution of Greek shipping:
130+ million euros to Greek society (2013-2023)
80+ million euros of social contribution
50+ million euros for the affected areas of Thessaly
100+1 scholarships for the academic year 2023-2024