At a press conference at Nor-Shipping 2013, classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL) said that the trend toward building and operating so called ECO-Ships, or highly energy efficient vessels, was irreversible, given the potential cost savings for the maritime industry. The rise of the ECO-Ship has been questioned, with some suggesting that this focus on efficiency would fade if bunker prices fell. In a presentation held at the press conference Christian von Oldershausen, GL's Chief Commercial Officer, demonstrated how ECO-ships have substantial cost advantages over existing vessels, which has been borne out in a number of container vessel optimization projects undertaken throughout the world by GL.