The CEO of Centrofin Management, Yannis Prokopiou, pointed out, in an interview with “Naftemporiki”, that he welcomes the decisions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is the only truly competent global body.
At the same time, however, he emphasized that various green solutions are tested, but the final outcome of this effort is still unknown.
As for the opportunity, he attributed it to the right “recipe” at the right timing.
“The companies that will have the right timing (not necessarily the first) in applying the right “recipe” to their ships will have a comparative advantage, at least for a while,” he pointed out.
He also underlined the basic rule of shipping, that is, the one that also determines shipping contracts.
“Markets in our industry have always been governed by one basic rule: supply and demand – hence the famous circularity of the freight market.
On good days (like today) ships are ordered and only a few are retired, little by little the global fleet increases, until a supply-demand imbalance is created. From then on, orders gradually decrease and ships begin to be withdrawn.
Because both shipbuilding and retirement are time-consuming processes and cannot be done overnight, it takes time (unfortunately usually years) to rebalance, and then the cycle repeats itself.”
Prokopiou also referred to another very serious issue facing the shipping industry and concerning seafarers.
“The global shortage of seafarers is a reality exacerbated by various factors, such as the pandemic, piracy and various new risks, the different perception of the new generation about the profession and the opportunities that are gradually being given for sustainable careers on land. We hope that with the programs we are already running, we will be less affected than other companies.”
