On April 20, 2026 Fuel-Up project co-organised a webinar together with REFOLUTION project bringing together leading experts to explore the evolving landscape of sustainable fuels for the maritime sector and to examine the regulatory frameworks as well as the practical, industrial, and environmental dimensions of sustainable fuel deployment.
The webinar, moderated by Nikolaos Tsakoumis, SINTEF, featured a panel of high-level speakers, who offered a 360° view of the energy transition:
Johannes Lauterbach (Everllence) outlined the strategic shift toward decarbonizing the maritime sector through regulatory compliance and diverse fuel pathways. The presentation compared two primary regulatory drivers for ship reduction targets: IMO (International Maritime Organization) which aims for a 100% reduction target (Net Zero) by approximately 2050 and FuelEU Maritime which sets a target of 80% reduction by 2050, utilizing a gradual, ton-mileage-based approach. The presentation detailed flexible technological pathways for gaseous and liquid fuels, emphasizing the need for regulatory reliability to avoid stranded assets while transitioning to options like green methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen.
Anika Neumann and Fanny Langschwager (UROS) offered insights into how fuels derived from biomass pyrolysis oils interact with conventional fuels, focusing on their molecular composition and its impact on stability, performance, and their potential as sustainable energy solutions
Andrew Le Masurier (ITOPF) presented insights on spill risks and pollution management associated with biofuels with a focus on environmental safety and response strategies. The persistence and nature of a biofuel spill are determined by the oil type and ambient conditions, undergoing processes like spreading, evaporation, oxidation, and biodegradation and its behaviour depends on based on the feedstock (e.g., soybean, palm stearin) and the specific blend used. The presentation introduced some case studies to explain the environmental and human health & socio-economics risks of biofuel spills. Download his presentation here.
The presentation by Stine Eriksen Hammer (Norwegian Coastal Administration) focused on practical laboratory assessments of how current spill response equipment performs when dealing with biofuels. The primary goal of the laboratory and facility testing was to determine if standard oil spill response equipment is effective for biofuel spills. The findings revealed that current sorbent materials, such as cotton, can lose buoyancy and sink quickly when exposed to certain biofuels like FAME, necessitating adapted response strategies. Presentation available here.
Anders Valland (Sintef Ocean) explored the transition of the maritime industry toward decarbonization by evaluating several alternative fuels, categorized by their emission levels:near-zero/climate negative (renewable ammonia, renewable hydrogen, and biomethanol) and low emission (biomethane LBG, biodiesel, LNG, and LPG). The presentation emphasized that upcoming IMO and EU regulatory penalties will be the primary drivers forcing operators to transition toward near-zero emission fuels. Download his presentation here.
The recording of the webinar is available here.