As shipping firms commit to net-zero targets, experts emphasise that transforming supply chains and operational practices are essential to overcoming technological and regulatory hurdles in maritime decarbonization.
Decarbonization dominates the maritime industry’s agenda, reflecting an urgent global imperative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet tightening regulatory targets. Mükremin İnan, Supply Services Director at AVS Ship Supply Global, highlights a critical but often overlooked facet of this transition: the maritime supply chain that physically supports decarbonization efforts at ports, logistics hubs, and aboard vessels. While alternative fuels, emission targets, and retrofit technologies make headlines, the operational backbone—ensuring vessels receive the right sustainable materials and services on time—remains a nuanced challenge essential to achieving environmental goals.
The maritime sector accounts for roughly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with projections warning of an increase to 5-8% by 2050 unless decisive action is taken. International policy frameworks, spearheaded by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), have introduced mandatory emissions limits, and a global carbon pricing scheme is expected by 2028. The European Union’s emissions trading scheme and FuelEU Maritime regulation add further pressure, incentivizing shipping companies to accelerate adoption of cleaner fuels and technologies.
Industry leaders such as Maersk and CMA CGM illustrate the complexity and breadth of this transition. CMA CGM recently inaugurated its Tangram training and innovation centre in Marseille, signalling its commitment to emerging decarbonization challenges amid geopolitical uncertainties, including China-US tensions and complex supply chain dynamics. The company is investing in LNG and methanol-powered vessels, with future ambitions towards hydrogen and ammonia fuels to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Similarly, Maersk plans to introduce 12 methanol-powered ships by 2040, targeting green methanol produced from biogenic CO2 and hydrogen as a cornerstone of its emission reduction strategy.
The choice of alternative fuels—such as green ammonia, e-methanol, hydrogen, and biofuels—presents significant challenges. Transitioning from traditional heavy fuel oil requires new infrastructure and faces technical, safety, and cost barriers. For example, Fortescue’s Green Pioneer vessel partly runs on ammonia, showcasing cutting-edge innovation, but the widespread adoption of such technologies remains hindered by uncertain fuel markets and regulatory gaps. Meanwhile, biofuels offer compatibility with existing infrastructure but raise sustainability concerns and supply limitations.
Underpinning these technological and policy shifts is the indispensable role of maritime supply chains. As İnan stresses, every delivery—from cleaning supplies to safety gear—must be reassessed through an environmental lens. Switching to biodegradable or low-impact products involves more than supplier replacement; it requires compliance with port regulations, certification management, shelf life control, and crew retraining. Simultaneously, the delivery mechanisms themselves must evolve to reduce transport emissions, packaging waste, and inefficiencies. Digitizing inventory systems and optimising supply routes, though less glamorous than fuel innovations, are critical operational levers in cutting waste and emissions on a large scale.
The human element remains crucial in navigating operational realities such as last-minute crew changes, drydock maintenance logistics, and customs delays. Teams on the ground exercise local knowledge and adaptive decision-making, ensuring the supply chain functions effectively despite increasing complexities. As automation advances, the industry must not overlook this human contribution in the sustainability narrative.
However, the decarbonization journey is complicated by regulatory uncertainty and fragmented governance, which slow the adoption of zero-emission technologies. The IMO, under new leadership, calls for intensified efforts to meet a 30% emissions reduction target by 2030 and is exploring a global carbon tax to simplify compliance. Yet, inconsistent rules and the lack of incentives create ambivalence within the industry, dampening investment confidence.
The sector’s pivot to dual-fuel vessels—engines capable of running on LNG, methanol, ammonia, or hydrogen—reflects a hedging strategy amid uncertainty over future fuel standards. Major container lines including Maersk, CMA CGM, and COSCO are committing substantial capital to these vehicles, which can revert to petroleum fuel as a fallback. Despite their promise, high costs and a thin global green fuel infrastructure remain impediments.
Efforts to improve vessel energy efficiency, such as hull cleaning, advanced weather routing, and wind-assisted propulsion technologies, offer immediate environmental and cost benefits. Innovative solutions yielding up to 40% fuel savings complement longer-term fuel transitions and demonstrate the industry’s multi-pronged approach to sustainability.
The shipping industry’s growth, driven by global trade demand, paradoxically magnifies the decarbonization challenge. While technological progress and sustainability commitments gain momentum, some analysts argue that achieving meaningful emissions cuts may ultimately require reducing consumer reliance on shipped goods—a sensitive issue with broad economic implications.
In sum, decarbonizing maritime shipping demands comprehensive, coordinated action extending well beyond fuel choices. As echoed by industry experts and on-the-ground operators alike, a smarter, greener supply chain is fundamental to this transformation. The unseen logistics, timely deliveries, sustainable product sourcing, and adaptive human expertise together enable the maritime sector’s journey toward net-zero. This behind-the-scenes work may not capture headlines but is undeniably central to the success of global efforts to decarbonize one of the planet’s vital economic arteries.
Source: Noah Wire Services
