Future Fuels and Technology Project


The Future Fuels and Technology for Low- and Zero-carbon shipping Project (FFT Project) is a partnership project between the Government of the Republic of Korea and IMO. This project is being implemented by IMO (Marine Environment Division, MED).  

Key Goals  

The project is supporting the development of new regulation within the possible IMO Net Zero Framework to achieve the targets contained in the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy by providing technical analysis and easy access to the latest information on zero and near-zero marine fuels and technologies in support of regulatory decision-making at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). 


The project consists of three main workstreams:

  1. Technical analysis: carrying out global studies and research to identify the state-of-play and projections to promote the global uptake and dissemination of zero and near-zero marine fuels and technologies,  as well as identifying and supporting possible incentives/regulatory methods, including mid- and long-term GHG reduction measures; 

  2. Online information portal: The FFT online information portal has been developed to provide easy and user-friendly access to the latest information on zero and near-zero marine fuels and technologies among IMO Member States, policymakers, relevant organizations and institutions, and the general public. The FFT information portal can be accessed at http://futurefuels.imo.org.

  3. Pilot projects: development of outreach activities to reinforce mutual understanding and cooperation between developed and developing countries and the industry.

Workstream 1: Technical analysis


The FFT project has conducted to date the following studies:

1. Study on the Readiness and Availability of Low- and Zero-Carbon Ship Technology and Marine Fuels: This study aims to contribute to the identification of the state-of-play and projections regarding the global uptake and dissemination of low- and zero-carbon marine technology and fuels. The main findings of the study, including a summary report, were presented to MEPC 80, as document MEPC 80/INF.10  as part of the support provided by the IMO Secretariat to Member States. 

Amongst the key findings, the study suggests that achieving a more ambitious decarbonization pathway than business as usual is feasible, with a strengthened level of ambition and the implementation of further GHG reduction measures. 

For this purpose, the FFT Project contracted the consultancy firms Ricardo Ltd. and DNV. 

2. Study for the review of existing practices on sustainability aspects/certification and third-party verification issues: This study aims to contribute to the development of relevant guidance for certification schemes/standards by providing study output as a basis for discussion, as requested by MEPC 80. The final report was submitted to the 16th session of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 16) as document ISWG-GHG 16/3 which was held from 11 to 15 March 2024. 

The key message from this study is “a robust framework must be in place to ensure the sustainability credentials of fuels across different feedstock/production pathways are properly assessed and certified, ultimately contributing to achieving net-zero well-to-wake GHG emissions.” 

The FFT Project conducted this study as a follow-up to the previous study on the readiness and availability of marine fuels and contracted the consultancy firm Ricardo Ltd.

Workstream 2: Online information portal


The FFT dedicated website, launched in April 2024, works as an online information portal for promoting and sharing the latest information on zero and near-zero marine fuels and technologies for GHG emission reduction from international shipping in the mid- and long-term, particularly accelerating access to information for developing States on the latest developments in decarbonization of shipping, and how to get involved in a just and equitable transition. 

This dedicated website is regularly updated and shares the latest facts about  zero and near-zero marine fuels and technologies, including data and resources being provided by relevant stakeholders. The main focus is to provide:

1. Statistics and latest information on the uptake of zero and near-zero marine fuels and technologies, port/bunkering infrastructures, fuel prices, etc.

2. Future insight on GHG reduction scenarios and possible mitigation pathways, fuel mix, cost, etc.

3. Training materials, education, technical cooperation and events.

For more information about data-sharing collaboration, please email futurefuels@imo.org.

Funding

This project is funded by the Republic of Korea through the Voyage Together Trust Fund, and complemented by IMO GHG TC Trust Fund, as appropriate.

Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a shared blueprint for prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action in a global partnership. Among the SDGs, SDG 14 is central to IMO, but the work of IMO and the Future Fuels and Technology project can also be linked to other SDGs, as can be seen below, in particular SDG 13 on climate action.


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Related IMO projects and initiatives

This project related to the following IMO’s ongoing projects and initiatives dealing with GHG-related matters: 

  1. Norway-IMO Green Voyage 2050 Project (Global Partnership supporting developing countries): This project aims to transform the shipping industry towards a lower carbon future. The global partnership project is supporting developing countries, including Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), in meeting their commitments towards relevant climate change and energy efficiency goals for international shipping. 

  2. EU-IMO GMN Project (Capacity Building for Climate Mitigation in the Maritime Shipping Industry): This project initiative unites technology centres – Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) – in targeted regions into a global network. Together, they are promoting technologies and operations to improve energy efficiency in the maritime sector and help navigate shipping into a low-carbon future. Developing countries and, in particular, LDCs and SDIS, will be the main beneficiaries of this ambitious initiative. 

  3. The Republic of Korea -IMO GHG SMART Project (Sustainable Maritime Transport Training Programme): This project aims to support LDCs and SIDS with the implementation of the IMO GHG Strategy via building sufficient human capacity in these countries. This includes the development of a comprehensive training programme and post-training monitoring, evaluation, and refinement.  

  4. Singapore-IMO NEXT GEN This project aims to develop a collaborative global ecosystem of maritime transport decarbonisation initiatives. 

For more information on IMO's projects, please click here.

Contact

For more information on this project, please email futurefuels@imo.org (Project Manager: Mr Ji-man Seo, Project Analyst: Mrs Laura Mateos Moya).