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Argus Media: Shipping decarbonisation needs transformational change, says panel

‘Regulations have to adapt with technologies, along with fuels, along with commercial measures. All of this has to come together now,’ says a panellist.

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Nicholas Watt of global energy and commodity price reporting agency Argus Media on Friday (24 September) reported on panellists’ views of the Call to Action programme during a recent shipping conference:

Shipping associations rejected incremental efficiency improvements as the means to reach the increasingly ambitious 2050 emissions-cutting goals adopted by the industry and called for urgent transformational change during the Marine Money conference.

Earlier this week, over 150 signatories of the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonisation, including AP Moller-Maersk, Euronav, and Trafigura, called for the global maritime fleet to eliminate net carbon emissions by 2050, echoing what the US and UK announced earlier this year.

“You will never get there if you think about the individual problems you have today and trying to solve those problems to get [to decarbonisation],” said David Cummins, President of the Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, a US and Canada shipping association.

“Regulations have to adapt with technologies, along with fuels, along with commercial measures. All of this has to come together now.”

The challenge to reach this goal, or even the less ambitious goal from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to cut emissions by half in the same time frame, requires bridging a very wide gap. Less than 1pc of the global shipping fleet, which accounts for 2-3pc of the world greenhouse gas emissions, runs on unconventional fuel.

The Call to Action also supported making zero-carbon ships the default newbuilding option by 2030.

“We need to think about the future we want [in 2050] and backing up to today, understanding how to get there,” said Cummins. He floated one possible future scenario that involved crewless autonomous vessels and AI-run ports at which every ship arrives exactly at the same time another leaves the berth.

“If you take that as the future, what do you have to do to transition to it?” he said.

Given the enormity of the decarbonisation task, assuming the status quo in shipping may be misguided, according to another participant in the Marine Money conference. “The idea that ships are going to be powered by a zero carbon/green fuel and all other structural elements remain the same is something to be questioned,” said Hew Crooks, an executive at crude tanker Ridgebury Tankers. “That we are moving oil in the same quantities to the same places is a little bit debatable.”

Opportunities in green shipping

While such change in the shipping industry is likely to be bumpy for many stakeholders, it will open up opportunities for others. One such opportunity would be in the transportation of alternative fuel ammonia, whose lack of energy density — only a fifth of fuel oil — means more cargo demand for shipowners, according to Guy Platten, president of the International Chamber of Shipowners (ICS).

“[Ammonia] is going to have to be shipped from places where it is produced to places where it is needed. And it is going to need five times as many tankers/gas carriers as you do oil tankers,” he said.

Furthermore, on such voyages, ships may be able to use part of their environmentally friendly cargo to fuel their journey, another “potential opportunity,” said Platten.

A fuel quandary for shipowners

Continuing the status quo of building ships that burn conventional fuel is increasingly risky for shipowners too since such ships could be regulated into obsolescence early in their lifespan depending on how emissions rules evolve.

This risk has led to reluctance among shipowners to order new vessels, said Platten.

“We do not think anyone fuel will dominate,” said Anthony Gurnee, chief executive of product tanker company Ardmore Shipping. “We are looking for the right horse to back.”

Furthermore, the appetite among banks to finance carbon intensive projects, such as conventionally fueled newbuildings, will continue to decline, according to Johanna Christensen, chief executive of the Global Maritime Forum.

“On the finance side, the Poseidon Principles is only the beginning. In the financial ecosystem there is more and more focus on bringing investment decisions in line with the kinds of goals being set in the Paris agreement,” she said. “Financing for any type of asset including ships that are not aligned with that trajectory is simply going to dry up in the future.”

But the solution is not simply incentivizing shipowners to build more ships that can burn more environmentally friendly fuel.

Access to alternative fuel supply is the “elephant in the room,” said Platten. “It does not matter how many zero-carbon ships you build if there’s no fuel there to run them on,” he said.

Ammonia or hydrogen bunkering capability is largely non-existent at the world’s seaports.

Government backing needed for shipping change

“This idea of incrementalism is not going to get us [to the decarbonization targets]. I think there are some incremental steps that should be taken efficiency is a good example of that. But there is a wholescale transformation that needs to take place,” said Christensen.

Such momentous change will need the unequivocal support of global policymakers, said Platten.

“Everyone has got the message that we need to decarbonize. But we do need political certainty to do that,” he said. It does need governments stepping up to the plate. You cannot invest unless you have that certainty.”

 

Photo credit and source: Argus Media
Published: 27 September, 2021

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China: Yangpu records 27% on year increase in bunkering volumes from Jan to May

Latest bunker supplier at Yangpu port is Hainan Luhai Energy which received a license from the Danzhou Municipal People’s Government in April 2025.

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The Port of Yangpu located in Hainan Island recorded a 27% on year increase in bonded bunkering volume for the period between January to May 2025 due to local government initiatives, according to Danzhou Municipal People’s Government on 5 July.

During the five-month period, the port supplied 149,400 metric tonnes (mt) of bunker fuel to 288 international vessels, compared to 117,400 mt of marine fuel to 278 ships in the year before.

Explaining the 2025 figures, the government pointed out 145,400 mt of bonded bunker fuel to 275 vessels were delivered by bunkering firms under national licenses, while 4,000 mt of bonded marine fuel were sent by bunkering companies under Hainan licenses.

To date, there are four bunker suppliers operating at Yangpu port. The latest to join is Luhai Energy Technology Development (Hainan) Co., Ltd (陆海能源科技发展(海南)有限公司) which received a license from the Danzhou Municipal People’s Government in April 2025.

“In the future, we will continue to work hard to continuously optimise the bonded oil refuelling service system, increase policy publicity and promotion efforts, attract more bonded oil refuelling companies to settle in Yangpu, and continuously expand the scale of business, and promote the implementation of the bonded oil refuelling policy,” stated Li Leiming, a mid-level employee of the Yangpu Investment Promotion Bureau.

 

Photo credit: Chuanhaozi under Creative Commons Licences
Published: 14 July 2025

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Singapore retains ranking as world’s top maritime centre for 12th consecutive year

Finds report jointly published by the Baltic Exchange and China’s Xinhua News Agency.

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Singapore on Friday (11 July) said it has retained its ranking as the world’s top maritime centre, marking the 12th consecutive year it has led the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development (ISCD) Index.

Jointly published by the Baltic Exchange and China’s Xinhua News Agency, the Xinhua-Baltic ISCD Index provides an independent benchmarking of the world’s leading maritime hubs.

It evaluates factors such as cargo throughput, port infrastructure, maritime services (including finance, law and shipbroking), and the overall business environment.

The index is closely monitored by shipping lines, port investors, and maritime service providers to track market competitiveness, and inform investment location and service development decisions.

Singapore retained its top position among 43 maritime cities and regions, underpinned by its consistent performance as one of the world’s busiest transhipment and bunkering hubs, and a well-established ecosystem of professional maritime services and expertise.

In 2024, Singapore handled 41.12 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in container throughput – a record high – and saw total vessel arrival tonnage exceed 3 billion gross tons. The Port of Singapore also remains the world’s largest bunkering port, having supplied 54.92 million tonnes of marine fuel in 2024.

Home to more than 200 international shipping groups and a growing number of maritime technology start-ups, Singapore continues to strengthen its position as a global node for maritime innovation and enterprise.

This growing industry base is also creating new career pathways in areas such as port operations, digital systems management, automation, maritime law, and sustainability – as the sector transforms to meet the needs of a more digital and decarbonised future.

“We thank our industry partners, the research and enterprise community, and our unions who have been instrumental in Singapore’s journey to become a leading international maritime centre and global hub port,” said Ang Wee Keong, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

“We will continue to build on this momentum by innovating and investing in digitalisation, green technologies, and workforce development to strengthen Singapore’s position as a trusted and future-ready international maritime centre.”

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 14 July 2025

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“LNG London” marks 1,000 safe LNG bunkering ops in Rotterdam and Antwerp

Milestone is a tribute to the technical expertise and steadfast dedication of LNG London’s team, states Victrol.

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LNG London MT

The LNG London, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel chartered by Shell, owned by LNG Shipping, and operated by Victrol recently completed over 1,000 safe LNG bunkering operations across the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp.

“This landmark achievement underscores LNG London’s unwavering commitment to safety, reliability, and environmental stewardship as LNG rises to prominence as a lower-emission marine fuel compared to conventional fuel oil,” stated Victrol on Friday (11 July) over a LinkedIn update.

“With this milestone, LNG London reaffirms its pioneering role in promoting sustainable, lower-emission bunkering throughout the Amsterdam–Rotterdam–Antwerp (ARA) hub.”

Launched in June 2019, LNG London has a capacity of 3,000 m³, spans 110 m in length, and navigates inland waterways with ease—facilitating efficient LNG supply to both seagoing vessels and barges offshore-energy.

Victrol as the vessel’s operator, emphasises the outstanding performance of the crew and the vessel’s robust design. Built with stringent safety specifications, LNG London strives to maintain high operational standards. This milestone is a tribute to the team’s technical expertise and steadfast dedication.

Building on the good work of LNG London, Shell had also enhanced its bunkering network with the larger Energy Stockholm, an 8,000 m³ bunker vessel, now operating in Antwerp, Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, and Amsterdam.

Related: Europe: ‘LNG London’ bunkering vessel starts operations at Rotterdam
Related: “LNG London” conducts first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation at Rotterdam
Related: Bureau Veritas classifies Europe’s largest inland waterway LNG bunker barge
Related: Europe’s largest LNG bunkering barge on maiden voyage to ARA
Related: Shell takes delivery of Europe’s largest inland LNG bunkering vessel

 

Photo credit: Victrol
Published: 14 July 2025

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