Main Conference Day One

With a new, policy-proactive administration now underway, our panel of major shipping operators are coming together to make sense of how US fuel and energy strategy has changed in the past year. Stakeholders up and down the value chain need to understand how operators are conceptualizing the design, build and fuelling of their future fleets. As ever, there’s risk of a stalemate, as ports and LNG fuel and bunkering providers make strategic bets on delivering the relevant infrastructure and availability to support these long-range fuelling decisions. Join this session as our panellists debate these key questions:

- How have the new administration's planned policies affected your future fuel strategy?

- What are some of the LNG availability challenges you are facing, and how do you anticipate these evolving for the future?

- How are you collaborating across the supply chain to strengthen LNG pathways?

- What are your concerns with the future pathway toward bio and e-LNG?

- How can we collaborate as shipping lines to support alternative fuel development?

As the maritime industry is adapting globally to adopt lower carbon fuels, including LNG, in preparation for the IMO30 and IMO50 targets, there is now an even clearer sense of urgency. Following IMO’s MEPC meetings in 2025, the question still remains as to how the future of LNG usage in shipping will be affected by these new global standards, and how this might impact the US market. Join this session to understand:

- What is the Net-Zero Framework that has been agreed by the IMO?

- With the implementation of the NZF, how has the compliance cost of LNG changed?

- What is the impact of the conversations at the IMO meeting in October?

- How do shipowners need to alter their fuel strategy in readiness to meet IMO30 and 50 targets?

Join us on this panel with our Host Sponsor, Pivotal LNG, to gain insight into the collective efforts needed for the continued development of the required infrastructure to support the growing demand for low carbon fuels. With LNG being the most viable option for many shipowners globally and more stringent international emission standards upcoming in the future, suppliers and shipowners must take the next steps now to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to meet the projected demand for LNG. Join this session to hear discussions on:

• Development and accessibility of infrastructure required to meet the growing demand
• The emerging need for low carbon alternatives and how the LNG industry can bridge the gap
• Shipowners fuel procurement strategies to decarbonize their fleets

2024 saw another significant rise in alternative fuel newbuilding, with a 30% year-on-year increase compared to 2023, according to the DNV alternative fuels insight. This shows the growing importance of development in infrastructure to support this increase in demand for alternatives across the value chain.

Join this session to take a closer look at the order books in the North American market, and how these patterns affect the anticipated supply and infrastructure developments, as well as how shipbuilding capabilities are impacted. Join this session to discuss:

- What are the updated numbers for 2025, and how do the LNG orders compare with other alternative fuel newbuilds

- How LNG-fueled vessel orders are evolving in North America, and what sectors are leading the shift

- How order book data can be used to anticipate future fuel demand, infrastructure needs, and supply chain stress points

- How does perceived demand compare with true demand when it comes to duel-fuel ships and what is the likelihood of alternative fuels being the priority fuel used in propulsion?

Nuclear propulsion has re-entered the conversation as an ultra-low-emission option, particularly for long-range vessels. While the technology is not new, adoption for commercial vessels brings new challenges in regulation, public perception and infrastructure. This session explores current developments in maritime nuclear projects and whether this could become a credible pathway for decarbonisation.

- What types of nuclear technologies are being proposed for commercial shipping?

- What are the regulatory and insurance challenges involved in nuclear vessel deployment?

- Where do we stand globally in terms of nuclear R&D for shipping?

- Could nuclear be an answer for large vessels that face fuel density constraints with alternatives like ammonia and hydrogen?

The SHIPS for America mandate has been a frequent topic within the US commercial marine market, especially when it comes to concerns about the capability required to reach the targets outlined. With not much current capacity to build large-scale LNG-fueled vessels in the US, the market needs to expand. Join this panel to hear our panelists discuss:

- How are current shipyards preparing for increasing shipbuilding orders in the US?

- What is the positive opportunity that this mandate can offer to the industry, and for the development of LNG use?

- From the operator's perspective, are new building plans in line with both fuel regulatory compliance and with the capabilities of US shipyards?

- What support would be needed from the government or industry to allow the shipyard capacity to grow and support the growing LNG demand domestically?

Cruise operators were early movers in the LNG-fueled vessel space, yet LNG cruise operations are still more complex to manage. Many cruise lines have a small portion of their fleet operating as LNG-propelled, but have LNG operations as the majority of their focus, thanks to difficult port scheduling, limited compatible infrastructure, the need to set the safety standard and supplier timing constraints. All of these challenges pose more of a challenge in cruise, due to the high passenger numbers and limited flexibility in timings. This panel will bring together cruise lines to discuss what it will take to make LNG adoption more efficient.

- What are the most persistent operational challenges that need the most attention to overcome?

- How are cruise lines and other stakeholders across the value chain working together to tackle the wider operational challenges with LNG adoption in the cruise sector?

- What is the impact of being a first mover in key cruise ports and how can regulators, ports and suppliers better support LNG bunkering readiness?

- How do commercial terms with suppliers need to evolve to reflect the realities of cruise schedules, limited bunkering windows and tighter operational lead times?

- Are LNG infrastructure investments in North and Central America meeting the specific requirements of cruise, or are container and cargo needs dominating?

When looking at the North American market, there is clear increasing opportunity for LNG and BioLNG production and exports, but how does the certification stack up against European certification compliance? With global LBM supply increasingly coming from the US, how can it ensure that the fuel produced is compliant for global shipping operators, and will there be any global fuel standard outlined by the IMO? Join this session to hear how certification is currently set up, and how the introduction of a global standard will affect not only supply, but the export demand.

From nuclear to RNG, there are many fuel choice developments that are being made in the US, which in turn affects how maritime can adopt them not only in North America, but also globally. But how are incentives being treated in the maritime market, and can we learn anything from other industries like on-road. Join the session to understand:

- Is there an opportunity to make renewable fuels more attractive with tradable credits?

- How are RNG productions providing an option for the maritime industry?

- What regulatory or policy changes would be needed for maritime fuels to qualify in the same way?