Since its introduction, the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) regulation has represented a significant step forward for the shipping industry. As part of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships which officially came into force from June 2025, the industry has a clear, structured process to identify and manage hazardous materials on board. This should support both safer operations today and more sustainable ship recycling in the future. However, recent trends suggest that standards are already slipping, which not only jeopardises the full potential impact of the legislation, but will also bring costly […]

For global shipping, preparation for effective decarbonisation continues unabated, despite new uncertainties in the international regulatory framework.Establishing a clear, strategic path forward towards net zero remains essential for shipowners, operators, fleet managers, compliance teams and charterers as they seek predictability and reliability throughout their operations to future proof vessels and protect long-term asset value.Although the recent International Maritime Organisation (IMO) vote to delay the adoption of the Net Zero Framework (NZF) has unsettled the industry, the shipping sector’s commitment to keeping decarbonisation strategies on track must not pause.The intensifying pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants will […]

In October, IBIA – The International Bunker Industry Association – unveiled a new logo and brand identity to represent its ‘more diverse global membership’ across both the traditional marine fuels sector as well as the new and emerging marine fuels value chains’.Bunkerspot caught up with the association’s Chair Constantinos Capetanakis and Executive Director Alexander Prokopakis to find out how IBIA believes its new brand will help to reflect, and support, the changing nature of the industry. Bunkerspot: Let’s start with the obvious – why did IBIA decide it was time for a rebrand?Constantinos: The last few years IBIA has been […]

As new European Union (EU) regulations, designed to trigger lasting behavioural change among stakeholders in the inland shipping market, take hold, hidden among them lies a concerning anomaly.Inland shipping is the most efficient and sustainable mode of ‘inland’ freight transport – yet its thousands of vessels have, until now, faced far less stringent carbon regulations compared to road freight, for example.However, that has changed. The European Union (EU) is promoting sustainable biofuels as ship fuel – through regulations like the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and the FuelEU Maritime (FEUM) regulation – to help decarbonise transport and reduce greenhouse gas […]

Offshore wind is entering a new phase of maturity, and with it a more demanding environment for vessel power systems. The cost of offshore wind projects has risen sharply since 2021. According to Bloomberg and Pareto Securities Equity Research, project costs have climbed by roughly 80% since the 2021–2022 final investment decision window. Forecasts for cumulative installed capacity by 2035 have been revised down by about 12% since 2022, with the steepest cuts in the United States and other new entrant markets, and a 5% reduction in Europe.These shifts are forcing developers and vessel owners to revisit assumptions that once […]