Climate protection needs alternative marine fuels – this conviction is shared by the two industry associations VDMA and VSM. A jointly developed Power-to-X Roadmap for the Maritime Energy Transition now shows the way how climate protection can also be accelerated at sea.

The ambitious climate protection targets for shipping can only be achieved with alternative fuels. On the pathway towards a climate-neutral shipping, VDMA and VSM are working together to rapidly establish and expand the production and the use of PtX fuels – i.e. fuels produced on the basis of renewable energy – in the upcoming years. It is to expect that at least intra-European maritime transport can be climate-neutral by 2045. In the roadmap, the specific target and the steps needed to achieve climate-neutrality are presented both from a technological and a political perspective.

“International shipping is enormously efficient and provides around 90 percent of international transport performance. We must succeed in ensuring that this is CO2-neutral in the future. Ship technology is ready for this”, explains Dr. Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions, Chairman of VDMA Power-to-X for Applications and member of the presidium of the VSM.

Shipowners also see the future in climate-neutral fuels. Richard von Berlepsch, Managing Director Hapag-Lloyd Fleet Management says: “We support the presentation of the roadmap by the technology providers. In our view, the ambitious approaches are absolutely right. They are also enormously important to start the fuel switch in the industry quickly.”

For Maersk, the EU’s Fit for 55 package holds the necessary tools to deliver a decarbonization of shipping in Europe. “To succeed, the high ambitions must be kept and proposals aligned in terms of scientific and technical developments – for example when it comes to ensuring well-to-wake accounting which will be key in guiding the industry towards the right fuel choices for the future. VDMA’s and VSM’s new roadmap is very helpful in this context”, says Simon C. Bergulf, Senior Director ESG Public & Regulatory Affairs at Maersk.

From VDMA’s point of view, it is crucial that the Maritime Energy Transition can now quickly gain momentum through the right political decisions. “We want to make a targeted contribution to ensuring that emissions trading and the rules for maritime fuels are formulated in such way that they actually have the necessary steering effect. We want to achieve the maritime climate targets in Europe quicker”, emphasize Dr. Reinhard Lüken, General Manager of the VSM and Peter Müller-Baum, Managing Director of VDMA Power-to-X for Applications. Both associations are convinced: the rapid deployment of eFuels is essential for this.