Türk Loydu at COP31! Prof. Dr. Oral Erdoğan’s speech at the “Decarbonization and Sustainable Marine Fuels in the Oceans and Seas” panel.

“Certification, Safety and Technical Readiness”

Prof. Dr. Oral Erdoğan, TURK LOYDU, PİRİ REİS UNIVERSITY

It is a great pleasure to be in beautiful Antalya, the city where I was born. I grew up by the Mediterranean. Some of my earliest memories are of its beaches. But one is not pleasant: walking barefoot and constantly finding tar sticking to our feet.

That memory reminds me that protecting our seas means protecting our natural heritage, and the experiences future generations deserve.

What will power the ships of the future? The honest answer is: not one thing, but many. Methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, biofuels, LNG, batteries, electrification and more will all have a role. But most of the ships sailing in 2030 already exist. Conversions, biofuel blends and the safe operation of today’s fleet matter as much as new designs.

The transition requires us to reconsider the overall design of ships, not simply replace one energy source with another. Many alternative fuels have considerably lower volumetric energy density than conventional fuels. Storing the same energy may therefore require significantly larger tanks. This affects tank positioning, structure, stability, cargo capacity, and propulsion and machinery configuration.

Consider engines: Large commercial vessels traditionally use slow-speed two-stroke engines for their efficiency and direct drive. Their size, however, can create space challenges with alternative fuel systems. On the other hand, medium-speed four-stroke engines may be more compact, although they usually need gearboxes.

Remember, every cubic metre on a commercial vessel has an economic value. So choosing the right propulsion system and fuel is also a matter of naval architecture and commercial competitiveness.

We should not see classification societies merely as organisations that verify compliance and issue certificates, but as technical assurance partners throughout the lifecycle of maritime technologies.

Our contribution already begins at the concept stage: fuel selection, tank location, machinery arrangements and safety systems. Conversions of existing ships require the same attention to space, stability, structure and safety. Beyond individual projects, we also support research, education and future maritime professionals through scholarships.

Our responsibility is not simply to approve the final design, but to help ensure the right decisions are made from the beginning. And independent verification builds trust in fuel claims and emissions data.

On your question about rules, let me start with the principles. IMO establishes the international regulatory framework, while IACS contributes harmonised technical requirements and common approaches among its members. This is where classification societies and IACS have a very important role. For instance IACS UR M78 Revision 4, published in December 2025, extended the requirements for gas and low-flashpoint fuel engines to ammonia-fuelled engines. In addition in January 2026, IACS published a new requirement, UR H2, covering ammonia release mitigation systems. However, technology can sometimes move faster than regulation. That makes technical guidelines, risk-based assessment and alternative design approaches increasingly important.

New fuels bring specific challenges: toxicity for methanol and ammonia, flammability for methanol and hydrogen, and leakage and storage conditions, especially for ammonia and hydrogen. Battery systems require particular attention to fire protection and emergency preparedness. The lithium-ion battery fires on board the cargo vessel Genius Star XI showed how equipment integrity, monitoring and emergency preparedness are interconnected. The lesson is clear: new energy technologies require us to reassess the entire safety framework, not just the equipment.

Our objective must be Safe Decarbonisation, and crew competence, training and emergency preparedness are part of it. We cannot decarbonise by focusing on ships alone. Ports, energy infrastructure and maritime operations must develop together. Shore power requires compatible electrical systems, while bunkering requires safe storage, transfer equipment and procedures.We need the whole picture: ready ships, ready ports, ready shipyards, reliable fuel suppliers and, above all, well-trained crews.

There is no point in building an ammonia-ready ship if the port cannot supply ammonia safely. And no point in installing sophisticated technology if crews are not trained to operate it.

Türkiye does not have to wait for this future. We have the yards, the engineers and a long shipbuilding tradition, and we are already building it. Green shipbuilding should become one of our strengths. The ZeeTug project is a concrete example. It is the world’s first battery-powered electric tugboat, and Türk Loydu was its classification society. We are not only discussing green technologies; we are already helping bring them into operation safely and reliably.

As one of the 12 IACS member societies, Türk Loydu actively participates in the international technical ecosystem. Our experts contribute to IACS activities, including the Environmental Panel and the Safe Decarbonisation Panel, and we support Türkiye’s participation in the relevant IMO technical committees.

The transition must be ambitious, but it must also be realistic. And perhaps, when future generations walk barefoot on the beaches of Antalya, let us hope their memories will be of the sea, the sand and the beauty of nature, rather than the pollution we failed to prevent.

Decarbonisation must advance hand in hand with safety. And climate ambitions must be translated into practical engineering solutions. This is where classification societies, including Türk Loydu, can make a meaningful contribution. Thank you for your attention.

Prof. Dr. Oral Erdoğan