韩国法务部长官韩东勋近日表示，韩国政府将放宽签证限制，将外籍熟练技工配额由去年的2千名大幅增加到今年的3万名以上。这是韩国政府在面临以造船业为代表的主要支柱产业的熟练技工短缺和全球订单增加的背景下作出的决定。自去年年底起，韩国政府就开始采取措施增加技术工人的数量，比如把在韩工作五年以上的外籍人员所持有的非专职就业（E-9）签证升级为熟练技能人才（E-7-4）签证。此外，韩东勋还表示，韩国法务部将修改法令，使现行5个月的季节劳动居留期限最多延长至8个月。

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said the quota for skilled worker visas will be significantly increased from last year's 2,000 to a minimum of 30,000. The order was made as major industries, mainly shipbuilding, struggle with a shortage of skilled workers, including electricians and welders, in contrast to the increase in global orders. The government has been taking measures to increase the number of skilled workers since late last year, including upgrading more non-professional E-9 visa holders that have worked in Korea for at least five years to the skilled E-7-4 visas. The Justice Minister added during the meeting that the ministry will reform the bill in order for workers on the short-term seasonal visa to extend their stay to eight months instead of the current five.

新加坡船东东太平洋航运公司（EPS）与加拿大石墨烯涂料专业公司Graphite Innovation＆Technologies（GIT）扩大合作，将在其船队上应用GIT的螺旋桨涂层。由GIT推出的XGIT-PROP涂层是一种以石墨烯为原料制备的螺旋桨涂层，能够保持船用螺旋桨表面的光滑，降低其清洗频率。XGIT-PROP在减少生物附着、提高船舶推进效率的同时，还能确保有害毒素和杀生物剂不会被释放到海洋中。这两家公司于一年前开始合作，EPS将XGIT-PROP应用在液化石油气船（LPG）“QUEBEC”轮的螺旋桨上，帮助改善其船舶性能，并保持了该船的船舶营运碳强度指标（CII）评级。因此，EPS决定扩大与GIT的合作，计划在2023年和2024年期间，为15艘进入干船坞的船舶进行涂装，以实现可持续发展。

Singapore-based ship management company Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS)revealed that it has teamed up with Canada-based coatings company Graphite Innovation & Technologies (GIT)to implement the propeller coating across its fleet. This graphene-based propeller coating had a powerful ability to maintaining smooth surface and reducing the need for propeller ‘polishings’. It is designed to improve vessel performance, reduce biofouling, and ensure no harmful toxins and biocides are released into the ocean. The two companies started working together a year ago. EPS applied XGIT-PROP on the propeller of an LPG tanker, QUEBEC. Since application, the vessel has seen improved vessel performance, and has maintained its CII rating. Because of that, EPS decided to expand the adoption of the technology and plans to apply the coating on 15 vessels drydocking in 2023 and 2024 while achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

在上周举行的国际海事组织（IMO）海上环境保护委员会第80届会议（MEPC 80）上，与会代表通过了2023年船舶温室气体减排战略。以下是2023减排战略的核心重点：

①减排目标：尽快达到国际海运温室气体（GHG）排放的峰值，在接近2050年前后达到净零排放。考虑到不同国情，努力通过愿景中提出的，与《巴黎协定》第二条规定的长期气温目标一致的减排路径，逐步消除海运温室气体排放。

②指示性校核点：到2030年，国际海运温室气体年度排放总量比2008年至少降低20%，并力争降低30%；到2040年，国际海运温室气体年度排放总量比2008年至少降低70%，并力争降低80%。

③替代能源和技术：到2030年，国际海运中采用的零/近零温室气体排放技术、燃料或能源使用占比至少达到5%，并力争达到10%。

Last week’s meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee  (MEPC 80)saw member states adopt the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. Here are the emphasis of 2023 IMO GHG Strategy:   

①LEVELS OF AMBITION: To peak GHG emissions from international shipping as soon as possible and to reach net-zero GHG emissions by or around, i.e., close to, 2050, taking into account different national circumstances whilst pursuing efforts towards phasing them out as called for in the Vision consistent with the long-term temperature goal set out in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement.

②INDICATIVE CHECKPOINTS: To reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 20%, striving for 30%, by 2030, compared to 2008; and to reduce the total annual GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 70%, striving for 80%, by 2040, compared to 2008.

③TECHNOLOGIES, FUELS, ENERGY SOURCES: Uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission technoloqies, fuels and/or energy sources to represent at least 5%, striving for 10%, of the energy used by international shipping by 2030.

雅苒海洋技术与人工智能(AI)应用开发商Molflow、查尔姆斯理工大学以及来自哈尔姆斯塔德大学和哥德堡大学的社会科学家合作，开发并测试了一个基于AI的船舶半自动航线规划系统。这一名为Via Kaizen的项目已开展了三年，旨在利用人工智能及其学习能力更好地为船舶运营商设计航线。相关合作伙伴表示，这个项目能够增强行业对大数据、数据分析以及模型开发等的认识，帮助他们更好地利用数字技术实施低排放发展战略，实现船舶燃油效率最大化。此前，该半自动航线规划系统在欧洲联合汽车运输公司（UECC）的一艘汽车运输船（PCTC）和挪威船东Rederiet Stenersen的一艘成品油船上进行了测试，其广泛的结果表明，系统根据船舶预计到达时间（ETA）成功优化了航线，提高了船舶能效。

Maritime technology company Yara Marine Technologies, artificial intelligence (AI)application developers Molflow, and Chalmers University of Technology and social science specialists from Halmstad University and Gothenburg University have collaborated to develop and trial an AI-based semi-autonomous voyage planning system. The Via Kaizen project aims to help ship operators achieve more energy-efficient voyage planning. Yara Marine Technology and its partners have been deeply involved in this project for over three years. "The Via Kaizen project afforded an invaluable opportunity to explore and advance industry understandings of the role big data, data handling and model development can play in supporting lower emission strategies and maximized fuel efficiencies." The partners of Yara Marine Technology, said. The resulting system was trialed onboard two vessels, a PCTC car carrier operated by UECC and a Rederiet Stenersen product tanker. The wide-ranging results indicated successful energy efficiency optimization based on estimated time of arrival (ETA).