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Studies on the prospects of the use of alternative fuels in the maritime industry have rarely been assessed in the context of developing countries. This study assesses seven energy sources for shipping in the context of Bangladesh with a view to ranking their prospects based on sustainability as well as identifying the energy transition criteria. Data were collected from maritime industry experts, including seafarers, shipping company executives, government representatives, and academics. The Bayesian Best-Worst Method (BWM) was used for ranking nine criteria related to the suitability and viability of the considered alternative energy sources. Next, the PROMETHEE-GAIA method is applied for priority analysis of the seven energy alternatives. The findings reveal that capital cost, alternative energy price, and safety are the most important factors for alternative energy transition in Bangladesh. Apart from the benchmark HFO, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), HFO-Wind, and LNG-Wind hybrids are considered the most viable alternatives. The findings of the study can guide policymakers in Bangladesh in terms of promoting viable energy sources for sustainable shipping. • Nine key criteria are identified for alternative marine energy evaluation. • Capital cost, alternative energy price, and safety are three most important criteria. • Application of Bayesian BWM and PROMETHEE methods. • LNG, HFO-Wind hybrid, and LNG-Wind hybrid are most preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing countries, despite being the major suppliers of maritime manpower, lag in their future-proof competence development. This study explores whether the current maritime education and training (MET) practices for marine engineering education in a developing nation are perceived as sufficient by the early-stage marine engineers. The current competence requirements set by the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW'74 as amended) are compared and contrasted against the current MET practices as well as the future needs for remotely controlled autonomous ship operations. Bangladesh, a maritime nation in the Southeast Asia region was selected as a developing nation for this study. An online survey was conducted among early-stage professional marine engineers. The analysis of 62 valid responses revealed that current MET practices are significantly perceived to be satisfactory for acquiring non-technical competencies, such as being proficient in the English language, but are less satisfactory for instilling technical competencies such as of electrical and electronics, knowledge regarding seaworthiness of ships, as well as medical first aid. In addition, the findings highlight the perceived gaps in existing marine engineering education as well as the need for future studies focused on re-training the future maritime workforce that could potentially improve MET strategies and practices in the developing nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]