Accelleron is launching a Net Zero report, calling on shipping to join forces with other industries and pool demand for carbon-neutral fuels.
According to Accelleron, the call to decarbonise shipping has sparked a technological renaissance in the past decade that has enabled vessels to slash emissions in a variety of ways and be powered by carbon-neutral fuels. But the production of such fuels at scale and at affordable prices has yet to materialise. With over US$ 100bn invested in maritime decarbonisation, carbon emissions have continued to rise, widening the gap to the IMO’s approaching targets.
Accelleron’s report combines proprietary modelling with insights from peers across the shipping value chain to determine the current stalemate and map a comprehensive way out:
- Pool demand for hydrogen-based fuels with other hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, steel, power and agriculture to trigger scalable investment in production and infrastructure.
- Empower ports to enable change by bringing together industry to aggregate demand, orchestrate supply chains and reduce risk for investors.
- By catalysing cross-sector cooperation, shipping can be driver of the energy transition in hard-to-abate sectors rather than a passenger.
Daniel Bischofberger, Accelleron CEO, said: “The stakes are high as we strive to meet shipping’s 2030 emissions reduction target. Success hinges on implementing energy-saving technologies and going viral with fuel efficiency. But that’s just the first step in decarbonisation. The bigger challenge is developing carbon-neutral fuels, which are critical not only for the decarbonisation of maritime but for sectors contributing over 70% of global emissions. Solving this will require unprecedented cross-industry collaboration and a shared commitment to accelerating fuel development and adoption.”
Accelleron says its report is a call to action – and an invitation – to build the solutions already known to be possible.
The report will be launched at London International Shipping Week on 16 September, with a panel discussion, followed by a Q&A, with:
- Patrick Verhoeven, MD, International Association of Ports and Harbours
- Mark Simmonds, Director of Policy and External Affairs, British Ports Association
- Chris Waddington, Technical Director, International Chamber of Shipping
- Isabelle Ireland, Head of Operations, Intercontinental Energy
- Matt Dunlop, Group Director, Sustainability and Decarbonisation at V. Group, Strategic Partner, Secondee, Mærsk Mc Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
- Christoph Rofka, President, Medium and Low Speed, Accelleron
- Martin Crawford-Brunt, CEO Lookout Maritime, and Council Member, Baltic Exchange (Moderator)
The panel will explore questions such as:
- Why shipping’s decarbonisation has stalled despite major technological advances
- The scale of investment required for green hydrogen as the foundation of shipping’s net zero future
- How fragmented demand is blocking progress and what we can do about it
- The critical role of ports as nexus for cross-sector demand aggregation
- How shipping can act as a catalyst for the wider cross-sector energy transition
