A Chartered Maritime Electrical Engineer with a Master’s degree and 19 years’ experience both at sea (4 years) & ashore (15 years) within Superyachts, Cruise Ships & LNG Carriers (inc. ARC7 Ice Class). This experience ranges through design, maintenance, refit, delivery, management and emergency collision repairs (including full processing of insurance claims through to trial preparation & eventual settlement), covering Azipod, PEM & X-DF propulsion, 4 & 2-stroke dual fuel engines, LNG Cargo systems, Electrical Automation & High Voltage Power Management systems, Navigation & Safety equipment as well as all other necessary ancillaries required on board and hull repairs.
Highly experienced in all forms of drivetrains used within commercial shipping, from the perspectives of specifying, designing, operating, maintaining, overhauling and modelling the various components, whether it is large 2-stroke slow speed engines directly driving propeller shafts, 4-stroke medium speed engines driving alternators for electrical power distribution, or even electrical propulsion motors (shaft & Azimuth designs). This includes intimate knowledge of switchboard layouts and control of the distribution networks, including emergency power generation & shore power supplies, and the understanding of inefficiencies & modelling the systems for optimisation.
Passionate about taking this solid background & understanding of the marine industry & driving it towards a sustainable future. The ambition is there, and the technology is emerging, so now is the time to focus on delivering sustainable solutions to the market, to ensure a cleaner environment for everyone. Pioneering & showcasing these technologies at the earliest opportunity is required to lead the maritime world towards the global 2030 & 2050 goals.
Future proofing for Climate Change & the Energy Transition: Ports, Vessels and the Environment Thursday @ 10:00 AM
Alan Cartwright is Director of maritime consultancy Blabey Engineering Limited and Chief Engineer to the MCA-approved Certifying Authority MECAL. He served in the Royal Navy from 1975 until 1998 in a variety of sea appointments, including Senior Engineer HMY Britannia (1991-94), and shore postings including marine gas turbine R&D (1987-89) and warship refit superintendent (1996-98).
As Head of Marine Engineering to the Port of London Authority (1998-2013), Alan updated fleet operations and provided engineering advice to the PLA’s executive and main boards. He also supported the UK ports sector, the UK DfT and the MCA on a variety of legislative, technical and environmental issues.
Alan was Commercial Manager at Warsash Maritime Academy 2014-2017, developing specialist training packages and managing all contracts. At international conferences, Alan has chaired discussions on a variety of maritime subjects, as well as advising industry bodies, UK Government departments and commercial clients on innovative technology and maritime autonomy.
Alan is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the IMechE and the IMarEST, a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights.
Electrical Propulsion – Use of Lithium-Ion Batteries Thursday @ 10:30 AM
Prasad Gunawardena is Head of Maritime & Coastal Engineering and Maritime & Coastal Technical Authority at Binnies UK Ltd, part of the RSK Group. He is a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Marine Engineer and Fellow of IMarEST with more than 30 years of UK and international experience in maritime infrastructure, including ports, harbours, marine terminals and coastal engineering.
His expertise spans port master planning, marine terminal development, coastal engineering and climate resilience, with experience in the planning, design and technical assurance of container, Ro-Ro, LNG, oil and gas, dry bulk and multipurpose port facilities. He has led major multidisciplinary projects from feasibility and technical due diligence through to detailed design, technical assurance and construction-phase support.
Recent work includes leading a climate change impact assessment for Trinity House Harwich Pier, directing the multidisciplinary design of Associated British Ports' Immingham Eastern Ro-Ro Terminal, and providing specialist input to a proposed floating solar development in the UK. He brings a practical perspective on how ports and maritime infrastructure can adapt to climate change while supporting energy transition.
Future proofing for Climate Change & the Energy Transition: Ports, Vessels and the Environment Thursday @ 10:00 AM
The Technical Leadership Committee Approach to the Institute's Technical Plan Thursday @ 9:30 AM
Ralph is a Professorial Research Fellow in the Department of Statistics at LSE as well as holding a position with The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He is a fellow of the Institute for Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, the Society for Underwater Technology, the Marine technology Society, the Royal Meteorological Society and the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.
Ralph’s academic background is in ocean science and technology. Throughout his career he has worked at the interface between the public and private sectors in meeting the need for monitoring of the ocean environment in support of understanding climate change, the use of ocean resources and the protection of the marine environment. He is a former chair of the IOC/UNESCO Global Ocean Observing System Steering Committee and currently serves on the advisory bodies of a number on leading ocean science research organisations, including Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the Schmidt Ocean Institute. He is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Operational Oceanography and is a founding trustee of the Rising Seas Institute.
The Ocean Economy – Operational Oceanography and the Future of our Ocean Planet Thursday @ 2:00 PM
Future proofing for Climate Change & the Energy Transition: Ports, Vessels and the Environment Thursday @ 10:00 AM
The Challenges in Ship Management and Technology Thursday @ 1:30 PM
Maritime and Ships – Towing with the FLOW: Research into shallow water floating turbine towage: HR Wallingford presentation Thursday @ 11:15 AM
Maritime and Ships – Challenges of simulating vessel grounding: HR Wallingford presentation Thursday @ 11:00 AM
Elisabeth Wilson is an independent maritime cybersecurity and digital twins consultant, working with owners, operators, and institutions on the security and assurance of operational technology and data-driven systems. A Chartered Marine Engineer with over 25 years across the maritime, offshore, energy, and defence sectors, she holds accreditations including ISO 27001 Lead Auditor and IASME Cyber Assurance Assessor, and contributes to NATO's MSG-205 working group on digital twins. She is a long-term and active member of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST).
The Challenges in Ship Management and Technology Thursday @ 1:30 PM
Jingjing is an associate member of IMAREST and IMechE, and an engineer within the Coast and Ocean division at HR Wallingford, working in the Ecohydraulics and Sediment Transport team.
Specialising in numerical modelling, Jingjing focuses on numerical modeling of hydrodynamics, wave dynamics, and underwater noise, as well as applying machine learning to enhance these fields.
Coasts and Oceans – Underwater noise mapping and prediction using Satellite derived data: HR Wallingford presentation Thursday @ 2:30 PM
