The Global Maritime Forum (GMF) presents the fifth edition of the Mapping of Zero-Emission Pilots and Demonstrations Projects report, which focuses on various zero-emission pathways.
This study includes zero-emission pilots and demonstration projects from the global maritime ecosystem focusing on ship technology, bunkering and infrastructure, and fuel production solutions that can help the maritime industry decarbonise by 2050. The terms ‘pilots’ and ‘demonstration projects’ refer to projects or services in their early stages of development and exclude those that are commercially available.
This fifth edition documents a major milestone in shipping’s decarbonisation journey, as many of the activities, technologies, and projects formerly covered by this report have matured beyond piloting and demonstration and begun to focus on commercial deployment and are thus excluded from this year’s report.
Key takeaways
- The Mapping of Zero-Emission Pilots and Demonstration Projects now includes 340 registered projects, up from 236 registered projects in the fourth edition.
- Ammonia and hydrogen combustion engines and fuel cells dominate ship technology projects. With methanol-powered vessels entering operations in multiple segments, these projects are now mostly considered mature and have been excluded from the report.
- In bunkering and infrastructure projects, onshore bunkering is prioritised over offshore, with a focus on hydrogen and ammonia infrastructure. This reflects the complexity and necessity for robust onshore systems before advancing to offshore. Additionally, there is a clear trend towards integrating fuel production with bunkering infrastructure, particularly for hydrogen.
- Innovative fuel production projects are mostly in the concept stage, facing lengthy timelines and obstacles such as environmental approvals, large investment needs, and market demand issues. These projects need strong market signals, financial and political support to ensure the needed progression.
- Collaboration levels across these projects remain high, with many companies and countries involved in individual projects, particularly in Europe.
- Government bodies play a crucial role in supporting projects, but information about the extent of their support, funding, and overall project costs remains unclear.
- Despite high levels of collaboration between companies from different countries, there is a significant lack of involvement from some developing countries, especially small island developing states and least developed countries. This extends to government participation in projects as well.
- There has been a decrease in publicly funded projects and geographical differences in funding availability remain, with European funds predominating.
- Improved availability and exchange of information related to projects’ progress and results could help accelerate learning and consolidation around key technologies.
The progression of these projects underscores continued momentum in maritime decarbonisation, as the industry moves from testing and demonstration to implementing viable, commercial zero-emission solutions, marking a crucial step toward sustainable shipping.
The total number of projects considered in scope for this study amounts to 340, 104 of which are new projects added in this edition. Most of these new projects are recent, with 64% announced in 2023 and 2024, while the remaining 36% started before 2023.
Similar to the last edition, there is still a predominance of ship technology projects; however, there is a wider balance on project representation this year, with an increase in fuel production projects (39% in this edition versus 24% in the previous).
This development perhaps reflects the increased interest in securing zero-emission fuel production for maritime use, especially given many initiatives in both Europe and Southeast Asia promoting such projects.
