EMEA News
Clear Policy Framework Required for Alternative Marine Fuels, Say German Shipowners
German shipowners through their organisation, VDR, have called for clarity from policy makers to expedite the development of alternative marine fuels.
In a statement sent to Ship & Bunker, the organisation said that shipping's fuel needs are "diverse".
VDR said that it was "for the development, production and availability of all climate-friendly alternatives" rather than any specific fuel.
With liquified natural gas, VDR said that "it can serve as a transitional fuel to reduce emissions in the short term". The long-term focus, however, "must be on the use of synthetic, climate-neutral, and affordable fuels from renewable sources," the statement said.
Moving forward, "all stakeholders must step up", it said. The statement added that "policymakers need to set clear frameworks and harmonize global standards, the industry must continue to drive investments, fuel producers must deliver climate-neutral and affordable fuels in sufficient quantities, and ports must provide the necessary infrastructure."
VDR along with other German shipping stakeholders had highlighted LNG's role in shipping's energy transition.
LNG is one of a number of alternative marine fuels under consideration by shipowners and operators to reduce the sector's carbon footprint. Critics of the fuel point to its fossil fuel origins.
