On 6 and 7 November 2025, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the GloNoise Partnership held a workshop in London. The meeting focused on the link between a ship’s energy efficiency and the underwater radiated noise (URN) it produces. Experts from many countries came together to share new research and technical developments.
This workshop built on the first edition in 2023 and offered four main sessions:
- Updates on technical solutions to improve energy efficiency and reduce URN
- Integrated management, including costs and possible incentive schemes
- Steps towards combined design standards for energy efficiency and URN
- Predictive models to look at co-benefits for both goals
DEMASK’s contribution
During the workshop, DEMASK was able to explain the project to many participants. On Thursday, the team showed the DEMASK poster at the reception. This helped raise awareness of the project and created interest in the results that will be shared next year.
What DEMASK learned
Many different stakeholders took part in the discussions, such as maritime authorities, class societies, shipbuilders, shipowners, ports and civil-society organisations. Their input helped increase DEMASK’s technical knowledge about both energy efficiency and underwater noise. Important lessons include:
- Clear standards for underwater noise are needed. These do not yet exist, but many experts agree they should be developed.
- Measuring underwater noise can be costly for shipowners. Some of these costs could be reduced if ports or maritime authorities offer financial incentives for quieter ships.
Next steps
It is positive to see how much research is being done worldwide. Still, DEMASK believes it is important to take quick action. We already know that human-made underwater noise has a strong negative effect on marine life. That is why DEMASK will continue its work and aims to deliver practical policy recommendations by the end of next year.