Decarbonising at Sea: A Practitioner’s View by Waves Group

At London International Shipping Week 2025, industry practitioners stripped away the buzzwords to discuss the practical realities of alternative fuels. Their message: decarbonisation at sea depends as much on human readiness and due diligence as it does on technology.

“You can model pathways all you like,” said Waves Group during a panel held with Britannia P&I Club and HFW at London International Shipping Week 2025. “The moment a vessel tries to bunker a new fuel in a busy port, the ‘pathway’ becomes a set of very real engineering, operational and human-factors decisions.”

The session aimed to move past policy talk and focus on what happens when ships actually start operating on alternative fuels. According Waves Group, owners are no longer choosing fuels simply based on cost or supply. “They’re optimising against regulatory exposure, tradability and earnings.” With the EU Emissions Trading System and FuelEU Maritime rules now in force, the fuel strategy for a fleet directly affects cash flow and competitiveness.

One clear theme was that dual-fuel systems are becoming the pragmatic choice for shipowners. “Optionality buys time for ports, suppliers and crews to catch up while protecting global tradability.” But Waves Group warned that not every “fuel-ready” vessel is truly ready. “The most valuable gift is space, routing and segregation for future systems because the mature tech isn’t there yet.”

The panel also addressed the risks of working with new fuels that lack well-established standards. “For several alternatives, the equivalent maturity simply isn’t there yet.”

“That gap moves risk upstream into procurement and downstream into operations.” A small procedural mistake, such as storing methanol in an incompatible tank, can lead to costly contamination.

Crew training emerged as the single most important factor for safety and reliability. “Hardware often gets the budget; people determine outcomes,” the Waves Group stressed. New fuels like ammonia and methanol demand type-specific drills and emergency procedures that many seafarers are still learning.

The message from the panel was plain: success in maritime decarbonisation will depend not on technology alone but on preparedness, verification and competence. As the Waves Group concluded, the goal is to “make good ships better, and help crews operate them safely whatever they burn.”

source : vesselperformance