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FutureShip, the maritime consultancy subsidiary of classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL), has appointed Khorshed Alam to head its newly established office in Singapore.

Commenting on the appointment, Lukasz Luwanski, Area Manager South Asia / Oceania of GL Maritime Services, said: "We are seeing greatly increasing demand for our energy efficiency enhancing solutions, such as ECO Solutions and ECO-Assistant. This new operation, under the leadership of Mr. Alam, will give our clients in Singapore and the surrounding countries a local point of contact and much more convenient access to our services."

Prior to joining FutureShip, Mr. Alam worked at APL/NOL for thirty years, holding most recently the post of Director of Engineering, Energy Management, Environment and Research Development.

During his time at APL he was involved in many state-of-the-art environmental projects, including NOx reduction, exhaust gas scrubber installations, and ballast water treatment systems. Additionally, he coordinated many R&D projects involving both Singaporean and overseas scientists and researchers. Mr. Alam has also authored many technical papers on a variety of efficiency and environmental topics and is a well-known speaker at maritime events.

"Khorshed’s extensive experience, technical expertise and local knowledge will be invaluable for us in getting closer to our clients; allowing us to better identify the services and products they require and respond more quickly to their needs," Luwanski said.

Singapore already encourages ship owners to operate green ships and to improve the energy efficiency of their existing ships through the adoption of green technology and advanced operating software.

In 2011, Singapore port authority introduced the Green Ship Programme for Singaporean flagged ships, which saw vessels which exceeded the requirements of the IMO’s EEDI (energy efficiency design index) receive significant reductions in fees and tax payments. "I am confident that as recognition of the benefits of greater energy efficiency continue to grow, not only among ship owners and operators but legislators, FutureShip can play a vital role by providing the expertise and systems needed to realise these goals," added Luwanski.

Launched in 2009, FutureShip is focused on enhancing ships' fuel efficiency both in their design and operation. With a team of around 100 experts the business aims to help ship owners, shipyards and designers in Europe, Asia and around the world to improve fuel efficiency, minimize environmental impacts, and increase profitability.