World-beating breakthroughs in energy efficient and eco-friendly technologies for the shipping industry are to be unveiled at the upcoming 'Seatrade Middle East Maritime 2008,' the region’s leading maritime event.

“With more than 90 per cent of the world’s freight travelling by sea and the global fleet burning around half a billion tonnes of fuel a year, green shipping is one of the hot topics of the year,” said Christopher Hayman, managing director of Seatrade, the event organiser.

'Seatrade Middle East Maritime 2008' runs from December 14 to 16 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Among the revolutionary exhibitors at Seatrade will be Greenwave, a UK-based charity focused on lowering carbon dioxide and other emissions by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels.

According to Greenwave, extensive wind tunnel tests in New Zealand and tank tests at the UK’s Solent University have demonstrated significant savings by improving the aerodynamics of ships.

Greenwave is all set to launch its first solutions designed to reduce fossil fuel consumption and emissions by 15 per cent.

The world’s 90,000 strong fleet of freight ships burn oil based fuels and more than 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted by ships per year – a figure set to rise by 30 per cent by 2020. More than 25 million tonnes of nitrous oxides are also emitted by ships, much of it around coasts and ports.

Ships fitted with compressed natural gas (CNG) engines would not only be environmentally cleaner but cheaper to operate, according to, Jimmy Ng Hwee Khoon, managing director of the Singapore-based Jenjosh Group, and another exhibitor at Seatrade Middle East Maritime.

CNG represents a potentially huge shift in the way the world’s shipping fleet is propelled and the Jenjosh Group is launching the first fully propelled vessels using CNG main engines and generators.

“These are the ships of the future with efficiency in cost and fuel cleanliness – a truly green ship,” the company said.

The event also provides international and regional shipping operators and financiers with the first opportunity to assess the impact of the global economic downturn on the Middle East maritime industry.

The debate on shipping economics will take place at the 'Middle East Money and Ships conference' which runs alongside the Seatrade exhibition.

High level speakers specialising in maritime finance along with leading regional shipping operators will be taking part.

With more than 82 ships expected to visit Dubai in 2009, the sixth Seatrade Middle East Cruise Conference (on December 15) will examine the growing importance of cruise tourism as more countries follow Dubai's lead.

The potential for growth in ports and destinations throughout the region will be assessed.

In addition, with the Gulf region becoming one of the biggest concentrations of luxury private marine activity, there will also be a Superyacht Solutions Conference (December 16).-TradeArabia News Service