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IMO needs to take a ‘timeout’ and rethink Net-Zero Framework, says ABS Chairman and CEO

‘The industry needs a framework but we need one that marries ambition with reality,’ says Christopher J. Wiernicki, while urging IMO to hit pause as shipping and IMO are on different trajectories.

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IMO needs to take a ‘timeout’ and rethink Net-Zero Framework, says ABS Chairman and CEO

“Shipping and the IMO are on different trajectories. There is no clear pathway for green fuel availability and scalability and infrastructure support. LNG and biofuels are mission critical to any success and should not be overlooked, over penalized or discarded in the Net-Zero regulation. Quite frankly, achieving net zero for shipping by 2050 looks like a wildcard.”

That was the message for the industry from ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki at the launch of the 2025 ABS Sustainability Outlook, Beyond the Horizon: Vision Meets Reality.

“The industry needs a framework but we need one that marries ambition with reality,” added Wiernicki. “The mechanics need to be thought through. Right now, we are not where we need to be. Emissions remain 121 percent above the 2008 baseline, compliance costs are compounding, and the signals shaping investment – regulation, fuel pricing, penalties, availability, scalability – are moving at different speeds. The IMO needs to take a timeout. We need to get this right.”

Launched at the ABS Sustainability Summit during London International Shipping Week, the seventh edition of the annual industry leading report shows that, despite progress on carbon intensity, shipping’s absolute emissions continue to climb.

“Maritime decarbonization is a three-part calculus: 70 percent fuel selection, 15 percent energy efficiency, and 15 percent performance optimization. That 30 percent beyond fuel is where software plays a pivotal role and, given the current scarcity of green and blue fuel variants globally, is where the most immediate and scalable gains can be achieved,” Wiernicki said. “Getting closer to the 2030s, we need to protect the bridge, which is LNG with methane-slip controls and credible bio-/e-LNG pathways, to extend the runway, which is energy efficiency technologies and onboard carbon capture, to cut well to wake emissions and prepare the endgame: nuclear and zero carbon fuels when they are safe, insurable and investible at scale.”  

The report also highlights the sharply increasing cost of compliance, modelling how a typical vessel trading within the EU could see daily operating costs increase from approximately USD 15,000 in 2028 to around USD 45,000 by 2035. Meanwhile, LNG is over-penalized in the early 2030s although it underpins blue fuels, keeps hard-to-abate segments compliant, and buys time for zero-carbon fuels, provided methane slip is addressed and pathways to bio-/e-LNG are opened.

The Outlook, a compilation of ABS research and advanced analysis of progress with respect to sustainability challenges at sea and the readiness of the various solutions, highlights both the important bridging role of energy efficiency technologies and an impending retrofit capacity crunch at shipyards. Finally, the Outlook acknowledges the game-changing potential of nuclear propulsion technology beyond 2035.

Note: A copy of the 2025 ABS Sustainability Outlook, Beyond the Horizon: Vision Meets Reality is available for download here.

 

Photo credit: ABS
Published: 17 September, 2025

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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July 21, 2026

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s alternative fuel bunkering infrastructure.
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July 21, 2026

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CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co., Ltd. (CIMC SOE) recently signed a contract with Sinopec (Beijing) Clean Energy Co., Ltd. to build a 12,000-cubic metre (m3) LNG bunkering vessel, according to Chinese maritime media.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2028 and will support Sinopec’s efforts to expand its presence in the marine clean energy sector.

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s LNG bunkering infrastructure.

With this signing , CIMC Pacific Offshore Engineering’s LNG bunkering vessel orderbook is further strengthened, maintaining its leading position in the global market for small and medium-sized LNG bunkering vessels.

The contract also marked another milestone for CIMC SOE, which has seen a sharp increase in orders and business performance this year amid a surge in domestic LNG vessel demand.

 

Photo credit: Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Nuclear

ABS awards AiP to Korean institute for SMR-powered container ship concept design

KRISO says AiP recognises the technical feasibility and safety of its concept design, marking an important milestone toward the development of next-generation nuclear-powered commercial ships.
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July 21, 2026

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ABS awards AiP to Korean institute for SMR-powered container ship concept design

Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) on Thursday (16 July) received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its concept design of a 15,000 TEU Small Modular Reactor (SMR)-powered container ship utilising Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) technology.

KRISO said the AiP recognises the technical feasibility and safety of its concept design, marking an important milestone toward the development of next-generation nuclear-powered commercial ships.

“This achievement demonstrates international recognition of KRISO’s technological capabilities in the rapidly evolving field of nuclear-powered shipping, supporting the transition toward low-carbon maritime transport,” it said. 

Building on this milestone, KRISO will continue advancing basic and detailed ship design, paving the way for future demonstration and commercialisation of SMR-powered vessels. 

Through continued R&D and international collaboration, KRISO remains committed to strengthening next-generation maritime technologies and contributing to the safe deployment of nuclear propulsion in the maritime industry.

 

Photo credit: Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering
Published: 21 July, 2026

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