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As global pressure mounts for the maritime industry to cut greenhouse gas emissions, one engineer is helping shipping companies chart a more efficient — and more sustainable — course. 

Mark Kirby, a two-time Cedarville University graduate, is pioneering affordable innovations that could reshape how the shipping industry measures and manages its environmental impact. As a product engineer for Louisiana Cat, a regional dealer for Caterpillar Inc., Kirby is helping clients reduce emissions without overhauling their operations or budgets. 

Kirby earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2003 and completed an MBA in innovation and entrepreneurship in 2023 — both from Cedarville. At Louisiana Cat, he helps meet customer needs with Caterpillar’s industrial equipment, including construction and marine machinery. 

When the International Maritime Organization announced its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by or around 2050, the pressure on shipping companies intensified. With vessels typically lasting about 20 years, emissions reductions must be incorporated into ships being designed today. 

“Companies have to be very careful with what they choose to do right now,” said Kirby.  

Traditionally, emissions are tracked using onboard sensors retrofitted to vessels. However, those systems can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and provide readings for only a few polluting gases. 

Kirby’s prior work in sustainability reporting helped him identify a better approach. “I found that companies didn’t really need hyper accuracy — they needed a number that was reproducible,” he said.  

By leveraging Caterpillar’s existing fuel consumption data and accepted regulatory models, Kirby developed a system that calculates emissions for more than 20 polluting gases — at a fraction of the cost of traditional sensors. While the method doesn’t reduce emissions directly, it provides companies with a benchmark for improvement.  

“You have to know where you are to plan on where you’re going,” said Kirby. “From there, you look at what tweaks you can make to your operations.”  

But Kirby’s contributions don’t stop at emissions tracking. He’s also helping marine transport companies overcome horsepower-based emissions regulations that limit how many barges a vessel can push. Higher engine power requires more emissions control equipment, increasing both costs and the physical space needed on board. 

Using hybrid propulsion technology, Kirby found a way to add power to a vessel’s propeller without increasing emissions-related costs. “The hybrid solution adds a motor and a power intake on the gear box to add power to the propeller without adding power to the engine and requiring additional emissions equipment,” explained Kirby.  

Kirby credits Cedarville University for preparing him to solve real-world problems. “Mechanical engineering gave me the foundation — the understanding of physics,” said Kirby. “The innovation and entrepreneurship degree helped me understand and anticipate the needs of my customers.” 

That program also emphasized value innovation — designing solutions that shed expensive features while increasing effectiveness. In Kirby’s work, that meant eliminating costly emissions equipment and using smarter, data-driven alternatives. Looking ahead, Kirby sees a wave of changes coming to the energy and logistics sectors.  

“Realistically, there’s going to be a traditional means for storing energy, but I think that there will be a lot of efficiencies gained through the new technologies,” said Kirby. “I think that a lot of traditional technologies will be replaced.”  

But Kirby’s motivation isn’t just to create or sell products.  

“The most important thing is to realize it’s not about me. What I do is about other people, meeting their needs and solving their problems. That’s what’s most important.” 

Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it ranks among Ohio's largest private universities and is recognized by The Wall Street Journal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.