Flexibility Seen as Key to Shipping's Fuel Transition: SMI CEO

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday September 24, 2026

Shipowners should maintain flexibility in their fuel choices as the shipping industry navigates an uncertain decarbonisation pathway, Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of Sustainable Markets Initiative says.

Jordan-Saifi said shipping needs international collaboration on investment in future fuels, bunkering infrastructure and technologies.

However, she said regional initiatives could continue to drive progress despite difficulties in reaching global agreement.

Jordan-Saifi highlighted the potential to “hyper-scale” clean technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs), while acknowledging that the regulatory framework for such technologies still needs to develop.

She also welcomed shipowners already investing in fuels such as ammonia.

Dual-fuel vessels and ships capable of using different energy sources could be particularly useful as the industry faces uncertainty over which fuels will ultimately emerge at scale, she said.

“There’s probably no one silver bullet,” Jordan-Saifi said.

She also pointed to investment interest in shipping, including the strength of some shipping stocks, but said uncertainty remains a major challenge for investors.

Jordan-Saifi said the private sector should continue moving forward where it can, rather than waiting for a single global solution.

“If China and Europe are ready, if we can build and strengthen green shipping corridors, then allow leaders to lead and the rest to follow,” she said.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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