The effects of global warming continue to persist worldwide. As a result, all industries have a part to play in reducing their impact on the environment, and shipping – a major contributor to global emissions – is no different. However, the maritime industry continues to adopt more comprehensive regulations which aim at drastically mitigating its environmental impact and ultimately achieving the IMO’s 2050 GHG reduction targets.
The most recent example is the introduction of FuelEU Maritime, which is designed to reduce the carbon intensity of marine fuels, promoting the uptake of renewable fuels to reduce the industry’s reliance on traditional fossil fuels. As of January 2025, vessels are required to decrease their average greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of their fuel use by 2%, relative to the industry average, which will continue to increase gradually over the coming years to reach an 80% decrease by 2050.
To comply with these targets, the industry is looking to cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels, where clean hydrogen has emerged as a promising option. If an adequate supply of green hydrogen is established, the technology could make a significant impact in reducing carbon emissions from maritime operations. Inland navigation vessels and short-sea ships are particularly well suited to hydrogen fuel cells as an energy source, whilst larger vessels, like cruise ships, can adopt hydrogen as a fuel
at berth.
However, before hydrogen can become a viable and scalable fuel solution, the industry must overcome significant challenges related to safety, storage, availability and regulatory frameworks.
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