The maritime sector's journey toward decarbonisation stands at a defining moment. While the recent postponement of the IMO's Net-Zero Framework reflects the complexities of achieving global consensus, industry momentum persists through regional regulations, technological innovations, and an expanding portfolio of alternative fuels.
Yet progress in this transition depends on more than ambition and technology alone. It requires preparedness — the systems, protocols, and expertise that enable the safe and responsible adoption of new fuels and operations.
A shifting fuel landscape
Shipping remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, but the pace of change is accelerating. LNG, biofuels, methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen are transitioning from trial phases to commercial deployment, driven by regulations such as the EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime, and the forthcoming IMO Net-Zero Framework, which is set to take effect from 2027.
These alternative fuels bring both opportunity and responsibility. Each presents distinct operational characteristics and safety considerations that demand new approaches to risk management, emergency planning, and response capability.
New fuels, new risks
The transition to alternative marine fuels fundamentally changes the nature of spill response and emergency preparedness. Unlike conventional oil-based fuels, substances such as ammonia, methanol, LNG, and hydrogen behave very differently when released into the marine environment.
Ammonia presents acute toxicity risks and requires rapid hazard assessment and evacuation protocols. Methanol disperses quickly but poses flammability and health hazards. LNG evaporates rapidly, creating explosion risks that demand immediate safety zones. Hydrogen's low density and high flammability require entirely new containment and monitoring approaches.
Traditional oil spill response strategies — such as containment booms, skimmers, and dispersants — often have limited or no application to these fuels. Instead, response priorities shift to public and responder safety, monitoring, management and atmospheric modelling.
Preparedness enables progress
Effective preparedness enables the industry to adopt alternative fuels with confidence. This means developing fuel-specific emergency response procedures, training first responders on new hazards, establishing clear communication protocols, and ensuring that contingency plans reflect the unique behaviours of each fuel type.
Recent work developing emergency response procedures for ship-to-ship ammonia transfers in the Pilbara region demonstrates this principle in practice. The project required detailed scenario planning, risk assessment, and coordination across multiple stakeholders to enable safe ammonia bunkering operations — a critical step toward establishing ammonia as a viable marine fuel.
Such initiatives show that preparedness is not a barrier to innovation; it is an enabler. When response capability advances alongside technology, the industry can move forward with both speed and safety.
Building response capability for tomorrow
The evolution of marine fuels requires parallel evolution in response capability. This includes investing in research to understand how new fuels behave in marine environments, developing rapid detection and monitoring technologies, and creating accessible reference materials that support responders in the field.
Organisations worldwide are advancing this work through collaborative research, technical guidance, and scenario-based training programs. Industry conferences such as INTERSPILL and regional forums provide platforms for knowledge sharing, live demonstrations, and validation of emerging good practices.
Quick-access fact sheets, digital decision-support tools, and regular exercises ensure that responders have both the knowledge and confidence to manage unfamiliar incidents effectively.
The human element
At the core of preparedness are people. Crews managing new fuel systems, port operators overseeing bunkering operations, and responders preparing for unfamiliar hazards — all require training, resources, and support to adapt safely.
Investment in human capability is as critical as investment in infrastructure.
Competence, confidence, and clear protocols determine whether new technologies can be operated sustainably in practice, not just in theory.
Collaboration sustains momentum
No single organisation can build the preparedness required for this transition on its own. Progress depends on shared standards, mutual learning, and coordinated action across industry, regulators, responders, and researchers.
International bodies, governments, and industry groups are establishing collaborative networks for training, research, and emergency coordination. These partnerships ensure that innovation is matched by readiness, and that lessons learned in one region can benefit the global maritime community.
Resilience through readiness
As the maritime sector navigates the complexities of decarbonisation, preparedness will be essential to building lasting resilience. The ability to anticipate risks, develop robust response protocols, and maintain proven capability for both traditional and emerging operations will sustain both performance and trust.
The industry faces a dual imperative: advancing toward lower-carbon operations while ensuring that every step forward is supported by the systems, skills, and partnerships necessary to operate safely.
This balance — between ambition and readiness, innovation and resilience — will determine not only the pace of maritime decarbonisation, but its credibility and sustainability over time.
By embedding preparedness into every aspect of the transition, the maritime sector can sustain both marine environments and public confidence, ensuring that progress is not only ambitious but also enduring.
