S6 Ep10: Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, IMO

As the dust begins to settle on the landmark approval of the first global greenhouse gas (GHG) pricing mechanism for international shipping, the IMO Secretary-General considers the road ahead, and urges the industry to not delay action on decarbonisation.  In this conversation, Arsenio Dominguez reflects on the eventful MEPC 83 meeting that led to IMO member states approving a ‘compromise’ text comprising mandatory requirements for the GHG intensity of the energy used by ships, with penalties for non-compliant vessels based on a tiered system.  He responds to criticisms that the new IMO Net-Zero Framework is unlikely to achieve the IMO’s own GHG emissions reductions targets, insisting that the organisation remains on track to meet its ambition of reaching net-zero ‘by or around’ 2050.  Although the approval required a vote, a rare occurrence at the IMO which generally makes decisions by consensus, the Secretary-General describes the agreement as ‘an immense achievement’ and is adamant that the measure will be formally adopted in October as scheduled.  Asked what his priorities will be in the lead-up to that extraordinary MEPC session, he outlines how he will attempt to address the concerns of member states that opposed the measure in April – and explains what will be his approach to the United States, which did not attend the discussions in London, instead sending a letter to oppose the measure and threaten retaliatory action against any fees.  Arsenio Dominguez calls on ship owners, operators and fuel producers to take action, laying out a timeline for when much-anticipated guidelines will be available ahead of the planned entry into force of the new pricing mechanism in 2027. https://www.imo.org/

In this episode, we find out more about the results of the first commercial deployment of Blue Visby, which aims to end the practice of ‘sail fast then wait’ and thereby reduce shipping’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  Led by CBH Group, a Western Australian co-operative of grain growers, the first few months of operations saw emissions avoided of about 15%, which is consistent with results from earlier prototype trials, and what was modelled by digital twin pilots before that. Blue Visby achieved those emissions savings by giving each ship’s captains an optimal time of arrival that keeps their place in the queue and allows them to slow down, reducing their fuel consumption, and arrive when their berth is ready.  In this conversation, the coordinator of Blue Visby, Haris Zografakis, reflects on whether similar emissions savings could be replicated elsewhere. He discusses the scaling up potential of Blue Visby, and the consortium’s plans to deploy the system in more commercial settings, including the Panama Canal and the ports of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and Newcastle, in Australia.  He insists on the importance for any decarbonisation solution to be ‘commercially palatable’ to enable their uptake by the industry. He explains how Blue Visby’s contractual arrangements aim to neutralise ‘split incentives’ by which some parties benefit financially from ‘sail fast then wait’ (SFTW) because they can claim demurrage.  Nearly three years after the Blue Visby consortium was launched, Haris estimates that there has been progress in industry awareness and willingness to accept new ways of working – and he believes that shipping’s decarbonisation transition will only increase the urgency to solve SFTW. 

In this special episode, representatives from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the bunkering industry lay out their hopes and expectations ahead of the IMO’s MEPC 83 meeting, which is set to approve potentially ‘game-changing’ measures for shipping’s energy transition.  Ambassador Albon Ishoda, Marshall Islands’ Special Envoy for Maritime Decarbonisation,  and Edmund Hughes, IBIA’s Representative to the IMO, concur in calling for Member States to agree a strong economic measure or greenhouse gas levy when they meet in London.  They highlight the ‘vast’ needs to both fund shipping’s energy transition and build climate resilience in developing countries.  Ambassador Ishoda explains why a GHG levy – something that Pacific and Caribbean SIDS have been demanding for years – is one of the most important elements that he wants to see in the final agreement. He also argues that the price of this levy must be ‘high enough’ so that in addition to incentivising new fuels and technologies, revenues can also be used to support developing countries that are experiencing first-hand the impacts of climate change.  IBIA’s Edmund Hughes also backs the proposal of a fund supported by a levy or another similar maritime GHG pricing mechanism. He believes this has the potential to be a game-changer, by providing the clear demand signals needed by the industry to invest in the production and bunkering of low- and zero-carbon fuels for shipping. Both guests share their thoughts on whether an agreement can be reached at MEPC 83, despite fundamental differences in opinions between countries and amid changing geopolitics. Although the GHG levy proposal has gained momentum and is now backed by more than 50 countries, it is opposed by others who cite concerns about potential impacts of a levy on economies, shipping prices, and food security.  Hughes and Ishoda also give their views on what will come after MEPC 83: how the industry and financiers might respond to an economic measure, and how a potential IMO Fund could help build climate resilience in developing countries. 

In this fifth episode of the First Movers series, Ariane Morrissey is joined by Henrik Røjel, Head of Decarbonisation and Climate Solutions at Norden, to discuss how their business and operations were transformed since the company became one of the first to trial 100% biofuels on a large ocean-going vessel in 2018.  First Movers features maritime companies that were among the first to trial and adopt new fuels or technologies. The series goes beyond initial big announcements and headlines, and asks what happens in the months and years that follow. It aims to unpack the practical challenges, and opportunities, that first movers experience as new fuels and technologies become part of their operations. In this conversation, Henrik reveals why he believes that being an early biofuel adopter helped Norden develop a competitive edge. Even though there was hardly any demand for green shipping from cargo owners at the time of the first trials, the move helped the Danish operator and its crews build knowledge and experience around the fuel. Henrik describes how biofuels have since become part of Norden’s day-to-day operations, leading to the development of a ‘book-and-claim’ service that enabled the company to obtain high-profile deals with BHP and Meta to help decarbonise their supply chains. Asked about the challenges of limited feedstocks, he explains why it ‘made a lot of sense’ for Norden to acquire a minority stake in the biofuel producer MASH Makes to secure access to sustainable biofuels at a competitive price. Henrik notes that the business case for decarbonisation measures is evolving quickly amid new regulation, describing FuelEU Maritime as a ‘game changer’ for biofuel use in shipping. He also reflects on the challenges of transitioning to future fuels, such as ammonia or methanol, for companies like Norden, which operate bulk carriers and tankers primarily on the spot market.  Listen to the previous episodes in the First Movers series:  Episode 01: Rasmus Nielsen, Naval Architect / Officer at Scandlines, one of the first companies to install rotor sails on their ships Episode 02: Andrew Hoare, Group Manager of Green Shipping at Fortescue, which pioneered the world’s first ship to use ammonia as fuel Episode 03: Jordan Pechie, President of Seaspan Marine Transportation, about the deployment of fully-electric tugboats in their fleet Episode 04: Femke Brenninkmeijer, CEO of NPRC, which spearheaded the world’s first newbuild inland vessel that can use hydrogen as a fuel

AYK Energy’s Chris Kruger is known as one of the founders of marine battery technology, having worked first in the electric car industry before moving to marine. He developed the battery for the first hybrid propulsion ferry, Princess Benedikte, and the first fully electric ferry, Ampere, in 2012. A native South African now based in Andorra, he established AYK Energy in 2018, building its first factory in 2023 China to be close to the centre of the battery industry supply chain, which he says is 10 years ahead of Europe. In this conversation, Chris draws on his long experience in the battery industry to explain some of the operational challenges associated with using the technology in a harsh maritime environment. He also gives an overview of AYK’s recent and ongoing projects, including a ground-breaking contract with Frances’ Brittany Ferries. He addresses safety concerns in using batteries onboard ships and he explains why he supports the use of lithium iron phosphate batteries in this operational environment. He also looks at what might be on the horizon for batteries as the technology advances. Achieving commercial viability is also the name of the game for technology companies – whether they be mature businesses or start-ups – and Chris offers some key insights into the processes and challenges of setting up manufacturing operations overseas and moving from concept to production. With his deep knowledge of the battery sector, he also has some interesting perspectives on how the industry is evolving, the business climate for new entrants, and whether some market consolidation may be on the cards. For more information, go to www.aykenergy.com

The new edition of the ship.energy podcast features Ingrid Irigoyen, Senior Director, Ocean and Climate at the Washington-headquartered Aspen Institute’s Energy and Environment Program, who is also President and CEO of the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA), and Dr Charlie McKinlay, who is the Fuels and Technologies Lead at LR’s Maritime Decarbonisation Hub. The podcast is released to coincide with the launch of ZEMBA’s second tender to shipowners which will focus on 3–5-year off take contracts for e-fuel-powered container shipping, starting in 2027. A key focus of ZEMBA’s work is to make advanced market commitments for innovative fuels and technologies. ZEMBA’s inaugural fuel tender to shipowners was completed in April 2024. Hapag-Lloyd was the winner, and it has been supplying ZEMBA members with bio-LNG. Ahead of its new tender, ZEMBA drew on the expertise of Lloyd’s Register’s Maritime Decarbonisation Hub to send out a request for information to assess the market readiness of e-fuels for commercial deployment in the shipping sector from a 2027 starting point. In the maritime sector, we are hearing a lot about the need for fuel demand signals to catalyse shipping’s energy transition. New or alternative marine fuels – and particularly the very low and zero carbon variants – are expensive to produce, and we are starting from a low base in terms of their scalability and geographical availability. In this podcast, Ingrid and Charlie look at the low and zero carbon fuel demand and supply conundrum, offer their perspectives on how industry collaboration is working in practice to address this, and discuss the latest ZEMBA tender process in detail. Ingrid Irigoyen is the Senior Director, Ocean and Climate, for the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program (EEP), where she leads EEP’s work at the ocean-climate nexus and serves as a strategic advisor and facilitator for multi-stakeholder initiatives seeking to address climate, ocean, and coastal challenges. She also serves as the President and CEO of the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA), a non-profit organization and first-of-its-kind buyers group within the maritime sector with the mission to accelerate commercial deployment of clean energy powered shipping, enable economies of scale for new solutions, and support cargo owner engagement in maritime clean energy policy.   Prior to joining Aspen in 2018, she was a Senior Mediator and Program Manager at Meridian Institute, where she devoted 13 years to the design and execution of collaborative multi-stakeholder sustainability solutions, with a special focus on oceans and coasts. Prior to this, among other positions, Ingrid was a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She holds a Masters of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of New Hampshire.   More information about the work and membership of ZEMBA can be found at its website: Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance – ZEMBA Dr. Charlie McKinlay is a researcher in the field of maritime decarbonisation and is the Fuels and Technologies Lead at the Lloyd Register’s (LR) Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, where he one of the key team leads for The Silk Alliance Green Corridor Cluster initiative for shipping focused on bunkering alternative fuels in Singapore. Charlie’s professional research expertise focuses on clean maritime fuels, encompassing the whole value chain, from sustainable and scalable supply chains to efficient onboard deployment. Charlie holds a PhD in Dynamic Energy System Modelling from the University of Southampton, where he researched into transition technologies for viable zero emissions shipping solutions, such as fuel cells, energy saving technologies, and smart energy management. The Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub is an independent, not-for-profit social purpose organisation, working towards our vision of a safe, sustainable, and human-centric decarbonised shipping industry for the benefit of society. Formed in 2020 with a grant from Lloyd’s Register Foundation, and in partnership with Lloyd’s Register Group, we are an evidence-led research and action unit. Our team of specialists in economics, fuels, risk & safety engineering, human factors, and analytics deliver research, insights, and implementation pathways to future fuels across the maritime supply chain. For more information, go to www.maritimedecarbonisationhub.org.  

The First Movers series puts the spotlight on maritime companies that were among the first to trial and adopt new fuels and technologies.  But rather than focusing on initial big announcements and headlines, this series asks what happens in the months and years that follow. It aims to unpack the practical challenges, tangible results, and new opportunities experienced by shipping’s first movers as new fuels and technologies become part of their operations.  In this fourth episode of First Movers, Ariane Morrissey is joined by Femke Brenninkmeijer, CEO of NPRC, a Dutch cooperative of barge owners. The company pioneered Antonie, the world’s first newbuild inland vessel that can use hydrogen as a fuel. In this conversation, Femke reflects on the key learnings from the project, which was launched with a vision for the 135-metre-long inland ship, which transports salt for Nobian from its production site of Delfzijl to Rotterdam, to be fuelled by green hydrogen that is created as a by-product of salt production. While Antonie officially started operations in late 2023, it has not been able to use hydrogen as a fuel yet – due to delays in some certifications, engineering, and deliveries of hydrogen containers.  Despite those setbacks, Femke is confident that the vessel will sail on hydrogen in the coming months, and the company is already working on two more projects for hydrogen-fuelled ships.  She recognised that being a first mover comes at a price, but she believes it is worth it for the learnings gained – not only in terms of technical and engineering expertise, but in shedding light on the importance of solid partnerships to go through the inevitable ‘ups and downs’ of spearheading innovation. Listen to the previous episodes in the First Movers series:  Episode 01: Rasmus Nielsen, Naval Architect / Officer, Scandlines Episode 02: Andrew Hoare, Group Manager of Green Shipping at Fortescue Episode 03: Jordan Pechie, President, Seaspan Marine Transportation

Could compliance with FuelEU Maritime be as simple for shipowners as it is for consumers signing an electricity supply contract? This is what Risto-Juhani Kariranta, CEO of Ahti Pool, argues in this week’s episode.  Finland-based Ahti Pool currently brings together about 250 vessels from a number of different companies. It enables owners of ‘under-compliant’ ships, or those that fall below the GHG intensity reduction targets set out by FuelEU Maritime, to tap into the ‘compliance surpluses’ of dual-fuel vessels in the pool, by compensating them for their use of green methanol or bio-LNG.  The concept works, Risto says, because both parties are set to benefit financially. In this conversation, he discusses some of the practical challenges of compliance pooling, from constant monitoring to developing contractual arrangements, and explains why he believes it will genuinely help accelerate investment in renewable and low-carbon fuels.

The ship.energy podcast gets into its stride in the New Year with a conversation between ship.energy’s Tom Barlow-Brown and Cameron Mitchell, Director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry (IoMSR). At the celebration of its 40th anniversary last September, the Registry emphasised its proactive stance on decarbonisation and crew welfare, and in this wide-ranging discussion Mitchell talks about the IoMSR’s consultancy work on decarbonisation, including a recent partnership with Berge Bulk. He also shares insights on how the Registry’s sustainability goals align with global and national energy and maritime strategies. Mitchell looks at all the energy options on the table – including nuclear down the line – and as technical innovation and digitalisation/AI initiatives gather pace, he emphasises that a strong regulatory framework is essential to underpin and facilitate the direction of travel in shipping’s energy transition. Implementing effective and comprehensive crew training on new marine fuels will also be critical in delivering shipping’s decarbonisation safely and competently. Mitchell takes a pragmatic approach to the industry’s decarbonisation – be focussed on ‘the art of the possible’ – but he also calls on industry and the regulators to keep the momentum going – it’s imperative to for all stakeholders to keep moving forward. Cameron Mitchell is a qualified Marine Engineer who has worked for Geest Line, Maersk and Farstad. He moved to the Isle of Man in 2001 and joined the Ship Registry in 2003, becoming Director in 2019. He has a Diploma in the surveying of ships and yachts and more recently he has completed the Isle of Man Government's Senior Leadership Development Programme.

The First Movers series puts the spotlight on maritime companies that have been among the first to take the plunge on decarbonisation by trialling and adopting alternative fuels or green technologies.  This series goes beyond the initial and optimistic big announcements and headlines and asks what happens in the months and years that follow. It aims to unpick the tangible results achieved and the practical challenges faced by these decarbonisation pioneers.  In this third episode of First Movers, Ariane Morrissey caught up with Jordan Pechie, President at Seaspan Marine Transportation, about a year and a half after the company welcomed the first of three fully electric tugboats into its fleet, on Canada’s West Coast.  In this conversation, Jordan gleefully recalls the surprise on the captain’s face as the tug pulled off the dock silently, and how day-to-day work was transformed as captains adapted to operating the vessels without the usual cues provided by the engines’ sound and vibration.  As for many first movers, the project was ahead of both regulation and of any government financial support programme. This meant that Seaspan had to complete a lengthy series of HAZIP and HAZOP to secure approval for the battery-powered vessels, but also that it didn’t receive any government funding for the electric tugs.  Despite this, Jordan explains that the project was successful because it made financial sense, with an 8 to 9 years payback period on OpEx through fuel savings. With several new fuel and technology options emerging, he insists on the importance for first movers to develop their green projects around their own operational needs and constraints, and to anchor their decisions in real world data. In Seaspan’s case, the company opted for batteries because British Columbia has abundant clean energy, and the technology was suited for tug operations that require high torque and high power for a short period of time.  With more green projects in the works, Seaspan’s experience also underscores how collaboration was essential on several levels: from captains feeding into the vessel design from the outset, to the shared vision of the project partners and clients, which were committed to walking the walk on environment protection.  Listen to the previous episodes in the First Movers series:  Episode 01: Rasmus Nielsen, Naval Architect / Officer, Scandlines Episode 02: Andrew Hoare, Group Manager of Green Shipping at Fortescue