At London International Shipping Week (LISW25), Accelleron launched its first maritime decarbonisation report, Accelerating to Net Zero – Deadlock: What’s Stopping Shipping’s Carbon-Neutral Fuel Transition?.

The report emphasises the urgent need for shipping to collaborate with other hard-to-abate sectors, including steel, cement, aviation, and agriculture, to unlock the full potential of green hydrogen and e-fuels as cornerstones of a carbon-neutral maritime future.

It identifies critical bottlenecks hindering the industry’s energy transition and offers actionable recommendations to overcome them through cross-sector collaboration.

The report outlines the scale of the challenge. Industry-wide measures – such as vessel efficiency improvements, digitalisation, and retrofitting – could reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 30 per cent by 2030, exceeding near-term International Maritime Organisation (IMO) targets.

However, these actions are temporary and alone insufficient. Full decarbonisation by 2050 requires large-scale adoption of green hydrogen and its derivatives, which are currently unavailable at the required scale. Without these fuels, the IMO’s net-zero goal cannot be met.

Maritime transport alone will need 100 to 150 million tons of green hydrogen annually by 2050, demanding $2 to $3 trillion in investment. Combined with other energy-intensive sectors, total hydrogen demand could reach 500 to 600 million tons, requiring $9 trillion in cumulative investment.

Current production pipelines only account for 38 million tons, backed by less than $320 billion in committed investment. Daniel Bischofberger, CEO of Accelleron, highlights that this gap is the fundamental obstacle to the sector’s energy transition, emphasising that scaling hydrogen and e-fuels requires intersectoral coordination.

The report stresses that shipping cannot drive the hydrogen revolution alone. Pooling demand with other sectors can de-risk large-scale hydrogen projects, make production economically viable, and transform competition for scarce e-fuels into a collective push for global decarbonisation.

Stabilising pricing, reducing supply chain risks, and accelerating fuel availability depend on cross-sector collaboration. Shipping’s global footprint and logistical expertise uniquely position it to catalyse production, distribution, and bunkering infrastructure for hydrogen-based fuels.

Accelleron identifies five ‘deadlocks’ that hinder the transition to carbon-neutral fuels:

1. Fuel pathway uncertainty: Fragmented demand across LNG, biofuels, and e-fuels prevents scaling any single option. Green hydrogen is essential for long-term decarbonisation, but sectoral silos and limited consolidated demand slow its development. Shipping now competes with other sectors for premium fuels instead of surplus fossil fuels.
2. Concentrated fuel supply: Hydrogen and e-fuel production relies on large hubs, concentrating supply geographically. This challenges shipping, particularly bulk and tramp operators with unpredictable routes. Container shipping can adapt more easily, but lower energy density of new fuels requires more frequent refueling, affecting costs.
3. Green finance paradox: Although ESG funds globally are substantial, shipping receives only a small share due to fragmented ownership, long vessel lifespans, and regulatory uncertainty. Split incentives among shipowners, charterers, and cargo owners, plus the lack of long-term contracts, limit investor appetite. Green premiums suit consumer-facing cargo but not bulk commodities.
4. Regulatory ambition vs. reality: The IMO’s Net Zero Framework introduces global carbon pricing, but funding will not flow until 2028, delaying necessary investment. Misalignment between global and regional rules fragments demand and investment signals.
5. Port infrastructure bottlenecks: Adequate infrastructure – power, water, storage, and pipelines –is essential for fuel deployment. Ports must balance legacy bunkering with new fuel systems, navigate permitting and safety requirements, and prioritise resources, so not all ports can become hydrogen hubs.

To overcome these deadlocks, cross-sector collaboration is essential. Aggregating demand across aviation, steel, cement, chemicals, power, and agriculture can unlock bankable commitments, shared infrastructure, harmonised regulations, and efficient resource use.

Ports are central to this approach, acting as collaboration nodes and enabling production, distribution, and bunkering. Depending on capabilities and geography, ports can serve as producers, connectors, receivers, or exporters of green hydrogen and e-fuels.

The report presents eight key recommendations: efficiency remains the most cost-effective lever; dual-fuel ships are ready, but e-fuel supply is insufficient; biofuels are short-term stopgaps; carbon capture is crucial; new financial instruments and consolidated demand are needed to mobilise ESG capital; national policies must align with IMO frameworks; ports must lead cross-sector collaboration; and leadership is required to convene stakeholders.

Stakeholders across the value chain have clear roles. Shipowners should enhance efficiency and implement digital monitoring. Fuel producers must accelerate projects and work with multi-sector ports. Ports should aggregate demand, align infrastructure, and foster collaboration.

Governments and regulators must harmonise incentives and certification systems while providing policy stability. Investors should design blended finance instruments and pooled funds to de-risk early projects and mobilise capital.

Accelleron underscores that shipping’s decarbonisation is inseparable from the global hydrogen economy. LISW25 discussions emphasised the need for clear policy signals, harmonised certification standards, and financial mechanisms to de-risk early investments. Transparency and cross-sector data sharing are critical, and Accelleron’s expertise in digital solutions and performance analytics can play a pivotal role.

In conclusion, the Deadlock report calls for coordinated, cross-sector initiatives linking maritime transport to the global hydrogen ecosystem. Bischofberger highlights that achieving net zero is not only a technological challenge but also an organisational and cultural one, requiring a new paradigm of partnership. Shipping’s historic collaboration must extend beyond its sector to secure the fuels necessary for a decarbonised future. The full report is available on Accelleron’s website.