Shipping industry

Cheese, watches, chocolate – this image of the Alpine republic is complemented by pharmaceuticals, banks and commodity trading. However, in terms of tonnage handled from Switzerland, the landlocked country ranks second in Europe and sixth worldwide behind Greece, China, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong. According to the Danish Shipowners' Association, Switzerland's shipping capacity exceeds that of countries such as the USA, Germany, Great Britain and France.

Technical innovation alone will not save the oceans—structural solutions are needed. Fuels based on green hydrogen or even sails: technology alone will not make shipping climate-neutral. The real climate and environmental problem facing the oceans is the structures created within the fossil fuel system.

Shipping has an impact on marine ecosystems and the climate. This is also being discussed within the shipping industry. “Green” fuels are favored as a replacement for fossil fuels. Given that around 3,600 ships are sailing the oceans for Swiss companies, here is a brief overview of propulsion technologies.

The safety regulations issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) weigh over a kilo in printed form. However, crews that have been reduced to a minimum are often literally exhausted to the point of collapse. This affects both operations and technical monitoring on board. Undetected defects can have catastrophic consequences. Even the most detailed regulations are of little use in such cases.

The shipping industry is under pressure. Even though the advancing climate crisis is not a high priority on land, measures such as the EU's emissions trading system and fuel measures are making greenhouse gas emissions more expensive at sea. However, decarbonized fuels are not available in sufficient quantities. As a result, nuclear technology, which was shelved after a few attempts at civilian ship propulsion, is back in the spotlight.

Ammonia contains no carbon and is being considered as an alternative fuel for the shipping industry. However, ammonia would only be 90 per cent climate-neutral if it were produced from green hydrogen. Yet there is not enough green electricity available for its production as quickly as is needed.