The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) on Wednesday (7 May) said it held a table-top workshop with Britannia P&I Club in Singapore where attendees planned a response to a spill scenario of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as part of a new training exercise called HYDRO NEXUS. 

The half-day event saw team members from Britannia successfully responding to a spill of LNG bunkers from an alternatively fuelled vessel, who were assisted by the ITOPF team on how best to approach the response, taking into account the risks and hazards presented by this substance.

“The Britannia team were guided by ITOPF’s experts on the steps of an alternative fuel and HNS (Hazardous and Noxious Substances) response, including information gathering, risk assessment, appropriate PPE selection, and use of different techniques and equipment used in these spill scenarios,” it said on its website. 

“One key component of the exercise was to demonstrate the potential impacts and claims that the P&I insurers may face during an alternative fuel/HNS incident. Teams collated costs for loss of life and personal injury, clean-up and preventive measures, property damage, economic loss and environmental damage claims.”

Photo credit: International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation
Published: 9 May, 2025

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Thursday (8 May) announced a knowledge partnership with Asian Development Bank (ADB), signed during the launch of its Sustainable and Resilient Maritime Fund (SRMF) at its annual meeting in Milan.

The partnership—GCMD’s first with a multilateral development bank —complements its diverse pool of centre-level partners. 

The partnership aims to advance green financing pathways that support a sustainable and resilient maritime sector by leveraging ADB’s strength in mobilising resources across its global network and GCMD’s expertise in addressing operational complexities through real-world pilot projects.

SRMF aims to enable a future-ready maritime transport system through these focus areas: invest in resilient port infrastructure, accelerate adoption of alternative fuels, close financing gaps, and foster regional policy harmonisation.

By lowering fuel consumption, EETs are considered a “no-regrets approach” to reducing emissions in the maritime sector. Yet, EET adoption faces significant hurdles primarily arising from the challenges to accurately quantify fuel savings, which translates to an uncertainty in return on investment.

To address this gap, GCMD is currently developing and testing methodologies to validate fuel savings through the deployment of onboard sensor installations. By providing clear attribution of fuel savings to specific technologies, GCMD aims to implement Pay-As-You-Save (PAYS), a financing model proven in other sectors. Under PAYS, upfront investments in EETs can be repaid over time, with payments directly tied to verified fuel savings. This approach aligns stakeholder interests and fosters risk-and-reward sharing.

ADB and GCMD are partnering to combine their complementary strengths—exchanging knowledge from GCMD’s pilots and ADB’s financing expertise—to address barriers in green financing. By grounding green financing in verified emissions reduction data, the collaboration aims to build investor confidence, unlock capital for bankable, scalable decarbonisation solutions, and accelerate the widespread adoption of EETs in the maritime sector.

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of GCMD, said: “At this critical juncture, the IMO’s announcement of a global emissions pricing mechanism sends the clearest signal yet that urgent action is required—not only to advance decarbonisation, but also to safeguard the long-term commercial viability of shipowners. 

“Energy efficiency technologies (EETs) can play a vital role by reducing fuel consumption, thereby lowering the penalties shipowners will face under IMO’s framework. We believe that the Pay-As-You-Save (PAYS) model can uniquely accelerate and scale the adoption of these critical solutions. 

“In this context, we value the opportunity to leverage ADB’s extensive global network to drive meaningful progress, particularly in unlocking financing to support sustainable growth of the maritime industry.”

Mr. Hideaki Iwasaki, Director General, Sectors Department 1, ADB, said: “ADB’s partnership with the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation reflects our shared commitment to unlocking private capital and accelerating the deployment of clean technologies in the maritime sector.

“Through the Sustainable and Resilient Maritime Initiative and associated new funding arrangements being developed, we are supporting our client countries to modernise ports, strengthen regional trade connectivity, and de-risk investments that drive greener, more resilient supply chains. Together with GCMD, we aim to bridge the gap between innovation and implementation.”

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 9 May, 2025

European shipping company Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), part of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group, on Thursday (1 May) signed an order for four new LNG -powered RoPax vessels from a Chinese shipyard.

The vessels will be built by Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China.

This new order, combined with a previous order, will allow GNV to expand its fleet with eight new units between 2025 and 2030.

“Work will begin in 2026, with the first ship delivered within the first months of 2028 and the following ones every six months,” it said in a social media post. 

“The new units, with a capacity of 2,500 people, over 500 cabins, and 3,500 linear metres of garage space, will be the largest and most spacious in the Mediterranean by tonnage (71,300 tonnes).”

The new vessels will all be powered by LNG, ensuring a reduction in CO2 emissions of over 50% per unit compared to the previous generation. 

“This significant operation provides a strong push towards the transition to more sustainable and environmentally friendly models,” the company said.

GNV added the four newly ordered ships will represent an evolution compared to those from the previous order, which includes GNV Polaris and GNV Orion (shown in the image).

Photo credit: Grandi Navi Veloci
Published: 9 May, 2025