IBIA CONVENTION: Chairman Sets Out Vision for Increasing IBIA's Visibility

Capetanakis was interviewed on stage in the morning session of the IBIA Annual Convention 2024 in Athens on Wednesday. Image Credit: IBIA

IBIA Chairman Constantinos Capetanakis has set out his vision for increasing the industry body's visibility as a medium for all stakeholders in the marine fuel supply chain to be heard.

Capetanakis was interviewed on stage in the morning session of the IBIA Annual Convention 2024 in Athens on Wednesday.

"My vision, which I'm glad to say is shared by everyone within the organisation, is full visibility," he said in the interview.

"I want to make IBIA known everywhere, by everyone.

"We can be considered a pressure group in the wider sense.

"We press for clarity, we press for scientific accuracy and we press for fairness in all matters."

But the organisation does not want to be seen as a lobbying group in its work representing the bunker industry at the IMO and other forums, he added, as the organisation will continue to represent the perspectives of a range of different fuels, technologies and market participants.

"It's not lobbying, because we're not pressing for one specific interest," Capetanakis said.

"We're not lobbying for a specific fuel; IBIA is fuel-agnostic.

"We're not pressing for a specific technology; we embrace all types of technology that have the same aim, which is reducing emissions.

"What we press for is all actors or players of this game to be heard in a concerted way, without sensationalism."

The organisation is keen to use its voice to help the industry avoid problems as they emerge.

"What IBIA is aiming for is not a utopia, it's something that can be accomplished; what IBIA is trying to do is to assist to avoid a dystopia," Capetanakis said.

"We are not claiming that we are holding the golden key to open all doors, but I think that we are holding one of the keys that can open some of the doors."