IBIA joins UK-backed consortium to advance skills for low-carbon bunker fuels

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) on Friday (25 July) announced its participation in a collaborative consortium that has been awarded funding through the UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition for its Skills 4 Future Maritime Fuels initiative.

The association said it is exciting opportunity to partner with University of Plymouth, DFDS, ship.energy, and the British Ports Association on this project, which aims to tackle a critical challenge in the maritime industry’s energy transition: enhancing the skills of the workforce, both on ships, within ports, and across the entire fuel supply chain to safely adopt low- and zero-carbon fuels, while adhering to both national and international regulatory standards.

Alexander Prokopakis, IBIA’s Executive Director of IBIA, commented: “IBIA is proud to be part of this forward-looking initiative, which directly supports the safe and effective transition to low- and zero-carbon marine fuels.

“As the global voice of the marine fuels industry, we are committed to driving skills development across the sector. Equipping both onboard and onshore professionals with the knowledge and competencies required to navigate the complexities of the energy transition is essential. 

“This project reflects our commitment to practical, regulatory-aligned solutions and collaborative industry progress on decarbonisation.”

The Skills 4 Future Maritime Fuels project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme in the Department for Transport. UK SHORE has allocated over GBP 230m since 2022 to over 247 projects, leveraging over GBP 107m private investment. Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the main delivery partner for UK SHORE interventions, including the flagship CMDC and ZEVI competitions.

Photo credit: International Bunker Industry Association
Published: 29 July, 2025