APM 2024: Keynote panellists highlight focusing beyond alternative bunker fuels in net-zero pathway

Keynote panellists at the Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) 2024, consisting of leaders from profiles such as ship owners, ship operators and port authorities, on Wednesday (13 March) highlighted that while for years the maritime industry has been focusing on bunker fuels, this was no longer the case today. 

This was emphasised during the session, titled A Net Zero Carbon Maritime Industry – Will We Ever Get There?, where panellists delved into the challenges, opportunities, and ultimate feasibility of this ambitious goal. 

The panellists agreed there needs to be multi-solutions driven by the entire ecosystem in order to achieve net-zero in the industry. 

While they acknowledge the challenges currently faced by the industry, the panellists were largely optimistic that net-zero is very much possible. 

Beyond focusing on alternative bunker fuels, they addressed the need for improvements in training and developments for seafarers and frameworks for industry players to reference such as Life Cycle Assessments.

The panel was led by Kenneth Lim, Assistant Chief Executive (Industry & Transformation), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), who also officiated the opening ceremony of APM 2024 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore on 13 March. 

APM 2024 opened across six halls of the Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore. The three-day exhibition and conference features over 15,000 global brands on the floor and 150 conference speakers from some of the maritime industry’s key leaders in the region and beyond.

In his welcome address, Yeh Chien Ee, President, Asia Pacific, RX Global, said, “The world stands at a crossroads of sustainable development. Maritime is challenged to be fully decarbonised by 2050 which requires massive investments.”

“Beyond cleaner fuels, the industry also needs to move faster towards digital solutions like data analytics and further automation to improve efficiency as well as sustainability.” 

“To support the ecosystem towards a future ready world, access to APM conference and exhibition is offered free to all attendees. This is also our humble way to thank you and give back to all our partners who have been so supportive of APM over close to 34 years, especially during the difficult pandemic years.”

APM 2024, organised by RX Global, will run until Friday, 15 March. With the theme ‘Future of Vessels, Solutions for Tomorrow’, the exhibition floor and conference sessions address the industry’s urgent need for digitalisation, efficiency, and sustainability amid today’s increasingly complex maritime needs. 

Note: Interested attendees can still register here for free access to the exhibition and conference floors. Latest information on APM 2024 including the agenda until 15 March can be found on the event website.

Photo credit: RX Global
Published: 14 March 2024