Can the IMO get the work done in time?

With MEPC 82 underway in London this week, the pressure is mounting for the IMO to stay on course with its 2030 GHG reduction targets. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez seems confident, pointing to operational fixes like LED lights and better digital tools as ways to boost fuel efficiency.

But let’s be real - small tweaks aren’t going to solve the bigger issue of transitioning to zero-emission fuels, which are still way too expensive and scarce.

The real game-changers, like the GHG fuel standard and GHG pricing, are still in the works and won’t be finalised until the autumn of 2025, with implementation likely by 2027. That leaves us just three years to make serious progress. Major container liners like Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company are sounding the alarm, urging the IMO to stick to these timelines, but even they know it’s going to be a race against time.

Meanwhile, Dominguez is calling for a safer Red Sea, highlighting how attacks there not only threaten crews but also disrupt global shipping, make ships sail longer, burn more fuel and emit more GHGs. It’s a stark reminder that even as we push for greener shipping, security can’t be overlooked.

IMO member states have got their work cut out for them this week, and we’ll see if they can move beyond talk and make the tough calls needed to meet these deadlines.

In other news, shipping is lagging the IMO’s 5% target for zero-emission fuels by 2030, with projections indicating the sector may be “off track” by the mid-2020s, a study led by the Global Maritime Forum (GMF) found. The report projected a 12-month deadline to ramp up the green fuel supply needed to meet this target.

Norwegian chemical company Yara International can now import up to 3 million mt/year of ammonia through its new terminal in Brunsbüttel, Germany. Some of this imported ammonia, including green and blue variants, can be directed towards shipping, Yara said.

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has approved an ammonia fuel supply system for marine applications, developed by US-based Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases. The system is suitable for both retrofit projects and newbuilds.

September was a “slow month” for alternative-fuel ships, with only nine LNG- and eight methanol-capable orders, senior DNV consultant Kristian Hammer reported. Currently, there are 607 LNG-capable ships in operation and 565 on order for delivery by 2033. Methanol fleet includes 43 operational ships and 313 on order for delivery by 2029.

By Konica Bhatt and Erik Hoffmann

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