The project was carried out in conjunction with VTG S.R.L., the Transas’ local representative, which is coveringcommercial and technical needs of the Paraguayan market for all Transas  products. The NTPRO version 5.35 installed at the CAFyM centre is an excellent training solution due to its new capabilities for operation with different types of boats and barges in river waters. The simulator’s configuration comprises four visual channels based on the Transas Seagull 6000 visualisation software, conning module, ECDIS and ARPA/Radar. An additional maneuvering console is provided with the dedicated hardware to simulate maneuvering of conventional boats and push boats.

Transas provides these capabilities right in accordance with Paraguayan market demands. The Republic of Paraguay has a special geographical position being located within the basin of the Waterway, the most commercially important river system in South America. The country is surrounded by two large rivers, the Paraguay River and Parana River, where navigation is only possible by inland waters. This causes specific training needs, which are confidently met by the Transas simulation systems with inland navigation features.

The opening ceremony of the simulation complex was held at the CAFyM headquarters and was attended by relevant authorities, such as Ambassador Eladio Loizaga (the Minister of Foreign Affairs), Guillermo Sosa (the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security), Ramon Gimenez Gaona (the Minister of Public Works and Communications), Juan Carlos Muñoz Menha (the President of the CAFyM), and military authorities and personalities dealing with river environmental issues.

During the ceremony, Juan Carlos Muñoz Menha gave a presentation on capabilities of the new Transas simulator through various exercises, detailing possible applications, and highlighted the valuable contribution and support of Transas and VTG S. R. L. throughout the whole project.

The shipping industry remains committed to ambitious CO2 emission reduction across the entire world merchant fleet, reducing CO2 per
tonne-km by at least 50% before 2050 compared to 2007. Despite the absence of an explicit reference to shipping,
ICS says that the message from the world’s governments is clear. “I am sure IMO Member States will now proceed with new momentum to help the industry deliver ever greater CO2 reductions, as the world moves towards total decarbonisation by the end of the Century,” said ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe.

More immediately, ICS will engage meaningfully in discussions at IMO – expected to begin in earnest at a critical meeting in April 2016 – about the possibility of agreeing a CO2 reduction
target for shipping. ICS is also pushing for IMO to finalise a global CO2 data collection system for ships, which ICS would like to see mandatory as soon as possible, prior to IMO deciding on the necessity of additional actions such as a developing a Market Based Measure.

ICS asserts that dramatic CO2 reductions from shipping will only be guaranteed if further regulation continues to be led by IMO. Encouragingly, as a result of the Paris Agreement, developing nations such as China and India have now accepted responsibility to curb their emissions alongside developed economies. However, the Paris Agreement still retains the principle of ‘differentiation’ whereby different Parties can offer differentlevels of commitment to reduce CO2.

“CO2 is a global problem and shipping is a global industry,” said Peter Hinchliffe. “IMO is the only forum which can take account of the UN principle of ‘differentiation’ while requiring all ships to
apply the same CO2 reduction measures, regardless of their flag State. Unilateral or regional regulation would be disastrous for shipping and disastrous for global CO2 reduction, whereas IMO is already helping shipping to deliver substantial CO2 reductions on a global basis.”

ICS says that the complexity and scale of the Paris Agreement means that many of those involved may be disappointed by certain aspects, including the absence of explicit text referring to international shipping. At the start of the negotiation, ICS had hoped there might have been an acknowledgment of the importance of IMO continuing to develop further CO2 reduction
measures, applicable to all internationally trading ships, and implemented and enforced in a uniform and global manner.

“Time finally ran out to agree a compromise on international transport acceptable to all nations, but nothing is really lost. No text is probably preferable to some of the well intentioned words being proposed at the very end of the Conference which few people understood and which could have actually greatly complicated further progress at IMO,” insisted
Peter Hinchliffe. “The Member States at IMO are the same nations that were present in Paris, but with officials that have a deep level of maritime expertise. Intensive work at IMO will continue with the global shipping industry’s full support.”