Danish shipping companies are ready to invest in new vessels and green fuels, yet they expect to predominantly operate on green fuels only after 2035. This was emphasised by the largest Danish shipping companies in a recent survey conducted by Danish Shipping.

Why? A lack of green fuels. Large investments are needed across the entire value chain—from renewable energy and green fuel producers to shipping companies that currently lack the necessary green fuels to power their vessels.

Additionally, international climate regulations for shipping are required to create stronger incentives for green operations across industry. This is why Danish Shipping recently convened the Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs and key re­p­re­sen­ta­ti­ves from the entire value chain to discuss the urgent situation. At the same time, Danish Shipping urged all stakeholders, particularly the Danish government, to prioritise this agenda at European level and bring the issue to the negotiating table in the EU.

“We face a critical situation in our hopes of achieving our green ambition of climate-neutral shipping by 2050. We simply do not have the luxury of waiting much longer for more affordable and accessible alternatives to fossil fuels. We urgently need much larger volumes of green fuels to power our ships. Every link in the chain understands the gravity of the situation and is ready to act. Now, we must collectively find ways to ensure that good intentions translate into real action,” said Anne H. Steffensen, CEO of Danish Shipping.

Danish Shipping has launched “10 Recom­men­da­tions to Accelerate the Production of Green Fuels for the Shipping Industry.” Among the recom­men­da­tions are a diplomatic push for ambitious global regulations, financial support schemes in both Denmark and the EU for the shipping sector’s green transition, the need for strategic partnerships in green fuel production, and the crucial expansion of renewable energy.

“The shipping sector accounts for three per cent of global CO₂ emissions. If we do not ramp up green fuel production, we simply cannot achieve a green transition—let alone comply with the regulations already in place. Furthermore, there is a significant risk of becoming critically dependent on China, which is far ahead of the EU in green fuel production, much like in the solar and wind industries,” said Anne H. Steffensen.

Achieving these goals requires massive investments throughout the value chain and collaboration between industries and authorities at both national and European levels.