Shipping still in dark over clean fuel solutions

Shipping companies are still waiting for "real green" fuel solutions as part of decarbonization efforts to clean up the industry, a leading industry official said.

Shipping, which transports around 90% of world trade and accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions, is under growing pressure from environmentalists to deliver more concrete action, including a carbon levy.

"We are still awaiting engine and shipbuilders to come up with real green solutions," Haralambos Fafalios, chairman of the Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee (GSCC), said in a speech at an annual event in London this week: "We need a simple incentive such as a fuel levy as a medium-term measure until safe alternative fuels become available in the long term."

The industry has been testing a number of cleaner fuel options including ammonia and methanol as well as trialing wind sails in...