Conference Programme 2021

Event Overview

The sixth annual The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference will take place on 23rd November 2021. Like last year, the event will be a hybrid conference with participation both in person and online, and will be held at the World Trade Centre in Dubai, in accordance with the prevailing safety rules set by the UAE government.

The first five TMS Tanker events were all extremely successful in raising the profile of the business, both regionally and globally and this year will build further on that reputation. The Conference is well established as one of the leading occasions on the tanker shipping calendar and is aimed at key decision makers and high-level policy takers within this sector of the shipping industry. The 2021 event follows something of a roller coaster ride for the tanker shipping business with unexpected highs in the second quarter of 2020 followed by a lengthy period of extreme difficulty in many markets. Global oil and petrochemical demand levels are not expected to recover until late 2021 at the earliest time, and maybe not until 2022. The impact of coronavirus and the knock-on effects on the global economy, alongside ongoing political and trade tensions, has affected prospects for tanker shipping in a way that few could ever have predicted. Nonetheless analysts believe that short term pain will lead eventually to significant longer term gains as market fundamentals rebalance. Ultimately there seems no reason why the rest of the 2020s should not be years of growth for the tanker shipping business. While the pandemic, and its associated economic impact, is the dominant factor facing the industry there are other issues too. The global battle against climate change has ushered in new rules and regulations which will continue to impact and challenge tanker shipping. Furthermore, the acceleration of digitalisation and big data offer the opportunity to significantly lower operational costs for tanker shipping, while the use of alternative fuels is gathering momentum. The safety, security and health of crew has risen up the agenda, and cybercrime is another topic of growing concern.

The 2021 Conference will focus on key short and long term market trends in the crude, products, chemicals and gas tanker markets and takes place at a critical moment. After a period of such volatility the emphasis is on how to bring the market back to stability, and then growth, as decisions taken now will have important and enduring effects. Consequently, attendees at this year’s Conference will get a unique and privileged insight into the thinking and strategies of influential executives, and key companies and organisations. While the top issues facing tanker ship owning and operating companies, will be the main theme, the event will also assess related support sectors, such as classification, bunker supply, law, ship agency and supplies, ship technology, logistics and terminal handling and storage. The event is a must-attend, not only for tanker owners and operators, but all companies that provide products and services to this vitally important sector of the shipping industry. The intention is that attendees will leave the TMS Tanker Conference with a much clearer idea about what the future holds and be better placed to take decisions that will facilitate longer term business recovery and growth.

Tuesday 23rd November 2021

Conference Programme Outline

08:30

Registration and refreshments

09:30

Welcome by

Clive Woodbridge
Editor, The Maritime Standard

09:45

Inaugural Address by

Trevor Pereira
Managing Director, The Maritime Standard

10:00

Keynote Address

Dr. Ibrahim Al Nadhairi, CEO, ASYAD Shipping and Drydock Services

10:15

Session 1: Tanker trades – assessing the short and long term picture

Supply and demand – what will be the underlying trends shaping the market in the short and long term in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic?
What changes in oil and petrochemical trade flows can we expect to see?
How will evolving OPEC strategies affect the tanker market in 2022 and beyond?
Climate change actions- assessing the impact on tanker shipping of global environment protection initiatives.
Projecting likely crude oil and product tanker fleet growth
Scrapping – is this the key to future market stability
Evaluating the specific characteristics of the Middle East and Subcontinent tanker sector now and the future
How can digitalisation be harnessed to strengthen tanker market resilience?
Gas carrier trades -the brightest light at the end of the tunnel?

Session chair:

Clive Woodbridge, Editor, The Maritime Standard

Speakers:

Capt. Abdulkareem Al Masabi,
CEO,
ADNOC Logistics & Services

Mrs. H.K. Joshi,
Chairperson and Managing Director,
The Shipping Corporation of India

Capt. Saif Almheiri,
Managing Director,
Abu Dhabi Maritime

Mr. Shehab Al Rahma
Manager – Oil Terminals Commercial,
DP World UAE

Capt. Rado Antolovic, PhD,
CEO,
Drydocks World

Mr. Ali Shehab,
Global Director of Special Projects and Services,
DNV

Panos Mitrou,
Global Gas Segment Manager,
Lloyd’s Register

Mr. Navin Kumar,
Director,
Drewry Maritime Research

12:15

Panel Discussion/ Q&A Session

12:30

Lunch

13:30

Session 2: The importance of support businesses and services for tanker trade growth and development

Matching tanker repair, maintenance and conversion services to meet evolving owner and operator requirements
Classification societies – harnessing new tools to keep tanker shipping safe and secure
Developing smart ship management and chartering services
Maritime training and education – investing in human capital in innovative ways
Ship agencies – strengthening partnerships for tanker shipping.
Keeping vessels safe, secure and environmentally compliant
Ship finance in the post-pandemic era – funding the tankers of the future?
Crew mental and physical health – what is best practice?

Session chair:

Andrew Baird, Partner, WFW

Speakers:

Ian Edwards
Area Manager, Middle East & Africa,
DNV

Saleem Kadernani
Vice President, Commercial for the Middle East, South Asia & Africa Region,
Inchcape Shipping Services

Chris Peters
CEO,

Emirates Ship Investment Company LLC

Jonathan Hudson
Market Leader- Tanker owners & adjacent stakeholders,

Bureau Veritas

Prof. Mustafa Amin Massad
Founder & President,

Jordan Academy for Maritime Studies

Petros Doukas
Mayor, Sparta & Former Deputy Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs,

Greece

15:15

Panel discussion/ Q&A Session

15:30

Refreshment Break

15:45

Session 3 – Harnessing new technology and fresh ideas to shape the tanker shipping business of the future

Are remote surveys and inspections here for the long term and what technology is needed?
Developing alternative fuels and propulsion systems for the tankers of the future
Ensuring tanker safety and security
Hull coatings – technology and service enhancements that will cut tanker costs
3D printing – a solution for spare parts logistics?
Modernising maritime law frameworks
Big Data – where next for IT innovation?
Scrubbers and ballast water treatment – developing creative retrofit solutions

Session chair: