Dublin Castle · 15th & 16th November 2022

Anthony Gurnee

Conference Programme
Navigating to 2050
A Safe and Sustainable Maritime Future.

Tuesday 15th November 2022

Session one - Navigating Safely and Sustainably to 2050

8:00 am

Registration and Refreshments

9:00 am
Welcome and Introduction
Yvonne Shields O’Connor, 
CEO, Irish Lights.
9:15 am
Conference Opening
Minister Hildegarde Naughton, 
Minister of State, Department of Transport.
9:25 am
Session 1. Navigating Safely and Sustainably to 2050
Chairperson:  
Opening remarks from Session Chairperson
Dr. Paul Little, 
CEO, City of Glasgow College and Chair of UK Shipping Skills Taskforce.
9:30 am
Conference Keynote Address:  
Transitioning to a Sustainable and Profitable Decarbonised Shipping Future
Anthony Gurnee, 
Founder and CEO of Ardmore Shipping, Ireland.
9:55 am
Safety and Sustainability:  
Ensuring the Resilience of Future Shipping
Maja Markovčić Kostelac, 
Executive Director, European Maritime Safety Agency, Portugal.
10:15 am
Reality 2050:  
Meeting IMO targets, an industry perspective.
Chris Waddington, 
Technical Director, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).
10:35 am

Coffee break

11:15 am
Implications of Fit for 55 on the Irish Maritime Sector and Wider Economy
Prof. Alan Ahearne, 
University of Galway, Ireland.
11:35 am
Climate Challenges for the Maritime Sector:  
National and International Targets
Caoimhín Ó Ciaruáin, 
Assistant Secretary, Department of Transport, Ireland.
11:55 am
What Will It Take to Decarbonise the Maritime Sector?
Dr. Kirsi Tikka, 
Independent Director and International Maritime Advisor, UK.
12:15 pm
Unlocking the Opportunities From Tackling Climate Change in the Maritime Sector
Aoife O’Leary, 
CEO, Opportunity Green, UK.

12:30 pm

Panel discussion including all speakers above

1:15 pm

Lunch

Session two - Will technology change the future of Navigation and what are the implications for safety and sustainability?

2:15 pm
Session 2. Will technology change the future of navigation and what are the implications for safety and sustainability?
Chairperson:  
Opening remarks from Session Chairperson
Ronan Boyle, 
Director of e-Navigation and Maritime Services, Commissioners of Irish Lights, Ireland.
2:20 pm
Making Autonomy a Reality
Ann Pletschke, 
Chief Vessel Operator, Ocean Infinity, UK.
2:40 pm
Latest Thinking:  
What Regulatory Framework for Marine Autonomous Surface Ships?
Jacob Terling, 
Principal Administrator, European Commission, DG Move, Brussels.
3:00 pm
Aids to Navigation 2050:  
A View From the Danish Maritime Safety Administration
Niels Peter Fredslund, 
Deputy Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA), Denmark.
3:20 pm

Coffee break

3:50 pm
Space Services and Data for Maritime Safety
Carmen Aguilera, 
Head of Section, Operational Market Development & Safety Critical Applications, EUSPA (European Union Agency for Space Programme), Czech Republic.

4:10 pm

Panel discussion will include speakers and the following contributors:

Francis Zachariae, Secretary General IALA, France.
Dr Alan Grant, Head of R&D, GRAD, UK.
John Pottle, Royal Institute of Navigation, UK.

4:50 pm
Close of Conference Day 1
5:00 pm

Evening Reception at the Portrait Gallery, Dublin Castle.

Wednesday 16th November 2022

Session three - A Changing Offshore Seascape – Keeping it Safe

8:00 am

Registration and Refreshments

9:00 am
Session 3. A changing Offshore Seascape, Keeping it Safe.
Welcome from Chairperson:
Maria Graham, 
Assistant Secretary, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Ireland.
9:10 am
Developing a shared and safe space for offshore renewable energy in Ireland
Martina Hennessy, 
Principal Officer, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Ireland.
9:30 am
Shipping and the Use of Maritime Space in Times of Offshore Wind Energy Expansion: Lessons for Policy Makers and Industry
Kai Truempler, 
Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), Germany.
9:50 am
Development and implementation of a safety regime for shipping in relation to offshore wind developments.:  
Carien Droppers, 
Coordinating Specialist Advisor Shipping, Rijkswaterstaat Sea and Delta, The Netherlands.
10:20 am

Coffee break

10:50 am
Offshore Wind Developments and Safe Navigation:  
The Experience of the UK General Lighthouse Authorities
Nigel Hare, 
Director of Navigational Requirements, Trinity House, UK.
11:10 am
A Developer’s Perspective on the Maritime Safety Aspects of Offshore Renewable Energy Development
Adam Cronin, 
Head of Offshore – DP Energy.

11:30 am

Panel discussion will include speakers and the following contributors:

Robert Mc Cabe, Chair of the Irish Seafood and Offshore Energy Working Group.
Cormac Greburers, Head of the National Maritime College of Ireland.
Noel Cunniffe, CEO, Wind Energy Ireland.

12:15 pm

Lunch

Session four - Ports and Regional Infrastructure in 2050

1:00 pm
Session 4. Ports and Regional Infrastructure in 2050
Chairperson:  
Opening remarks from Session Chairperson
Liam Lacey, 
Director, Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO).
1:05 pm
The European Maritime Space:  
How the Maritime Transport Sector Is Part of the De-carbonisation Solution
Prof. Kurt Bodewig, 
Co-ordinator, Motorways of the Sea - DG MOVE, EU Commission, Brussels.
1:30 pm
National Ports Policy Review
Mary Dunning, 
Principal Officer, Dept. of Transport, Ireland.
1:50 pm
The Role of the Ports for a Climate Neutral Economy by 2050
Pat Keating, 
Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce and Shannon Foynes Port, Ireland.
2:10 pm
The Role of Ports in Supporting the Energy and Sustainability Transition
Michael Robinson, 
Port Director, Belfast Harbour, Northern Ireland.
2:30 pm

Coffee break

3:00 pm
Green Hydrogen Unlocks a Secure, Sustainable and Equitable Energy Future
Catherine Sheridan, 
EIH2, Chief Operating Officer, Ireland.
3:20 pm
Offshore Large-Scale Subsurface Energy Storage:  
A Key Element in Ireland's Transition to Net Zero
Dr. John O’Sullivan, 
COO and Co-founder, dCarbonX, Ireland.
3:40 pm

Panel discussion with speakers

4:20 pm
Conference Closing Remarks
Yvonne Shields O’Connor, 
CEO, Irish Lights.