‘Technical neutrality’ under threat at IMO, warns SEA-LNG lobby

At the upcoming Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 83) at IMO headquarters from 7 to 11 April, the Committee is expected to agree on new measures to bolster climate action and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, with a view to adoption in October 2025.

These proposed ‘mid-term measures’ include: a technical element, namely a global marine fuel standard to regulate the phased reduction of GHG intensity of marine fuels; and an economic element, on the basis of a global pricing mechanism for GHG emissions from ships.

But the SEA-LNG lobby is fearful that IMO’s ‘technical neutrality’ is under threat and that it may abandon its strategy of being fuel and technology ‘agnostic’ as to how GHG emissions reduction is achieved. It says it is disappointed to read in the document ‘Safeguarding a Multi-Pathway Future for Shipping’ that a limited number of stakeholders have sought to undermine the progress already made at the IMO by proposing a differential treatment of LNG and other low-emission options within the proposed GHG Fuel Standard (GFS) mechanism.

SEA-LNG COO Steve Esau notes: “At this critical point, the IMO should not be drawn into discussions that would distort fuel markets. Ship operators should be able to choose their own decarbonisation pathways without undue hindrance from the IMO.”

“It is often forgotten that all fuel families, be they ammonia, methanol or methane share a common, incremental pathway to decarbonisation from fossil to e-fuel via bio / blue. Rather than attempting to persuade regulators to tilt the playing field in favour of specific fuel solutions, the industry should focus on mobilising the common feedstocks for these fuels, principally green hydrogen which is the building block for e-ammonia, e-methanol and e-methane.  Once green hydrogen is available at scale and lower cost, the market will decide which e-fuels are relevant for different shipping sectors.”