#MWLPA22: Astican and Zamakona Show Their Solidity Before International Operators
by Puertocanarias Wed, 06/22/2022
The shipyards of the Port of Las Palmas, Astican and Zamakona, are prepared to face the challenges imposed by the new regulatory framework on energy transition in the maritime field in the coming years. This was explained today by Germán Suárez, on behalf of Astican, and Roberto Hernández, on behalf of Zamakona, before those attending the Maritime Week Las Palmas 2022 (#MWLPA22). During this morning's conference session, national and international operators received detailed information on the facilities and services of both shipyards, facilities that they were able to visit this afternoon during a visit to the Port of La Luz and Las Palmas.
This is another segment of activity, that of naval repairs, which has been announced within the framework of this international maritime summit organized by Petrospot, apart from bunkering and the supply of all kinds of goods. After presenting each shipyard its singularities and strengths, the message that has been sent by both is that they already offer guarantees in the face of the changes that both when building and repairing ships they will have to face when shipowners are forced to change of fuels due to the new regulations on polluting emissions that will affect maritime traffic.
Germán Suárez explained today that Astican foresees an increase in activity as a result of the energy transition. The ships will have to use new fuels that reduce the carbon footprint and this will require important modifications that will have to be carried out in the shipyard. Shipowners will have to comply with regulations, both European and globally required. In his opinion, right now the maritime industry lacks concrete solutions to be able to comply with the new legal framework. Suárez also considers that ports are not, in general, prepared for the supply of new fuels, so that in the coming years he foresees substantial and simultaneous changes in the maritime industry as a whole.
For his part, Roberto Hernández, from Zamakona, stated that this shipyard is already prepared both to build ships that meet current environmental sustainability requirements and to carry out modifications to ships already in use that will have to change their propulsion systems. Hernández added that Zamakona is already betting from the Port of Las Palmas on renewable marine energies, as is the case of wind power, a sector in which this entity plans to participate both at the level of construction and repair. The director of Zamakona also explained to the operators present today at the Maritime Week Las Palmas the advantages enjoyed by the location of his shipyard in Las Palmas, between three continents, with the forecast of a significant increase in activity in the oil & gas sector in the West African Basin.