IAPH technical director Antonis Michail attended the annual convention of the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) that took place in Athens from 5-7 November. On 6 November, Antonis joined a keynote panel discussion on the decarbonization of maritime transport and the crucial role and state of the bunker industry. He was joined by ICS deputy secretary-general, Simon Bennett, Intercargo director and secretary general, Kostas Gkonis, and BIMCO deputy secretary-general, Michael Lund. The discussion, moderated by IBIA executive director, Alexander Prokopakis, addressed the challenges and opportunities for the sector both at policy and technical level on its pathway to decarbonization. Antonis highlighted the ongoing IAPH work on low- and zero-carbon fuels and the IAPH toolkit to facilitate the energy transition in the industry, including the Clean Marine Fuels safety toolkit for bunkering, the recently launched Port Readiness Level for Marine Fuels (PRL-MF) self-assessment digital tool, and the comprehensive joint Clean Energy Marine Hubs (CEM-Hubs) initiative together with ICS and the Clean Energy Ministerial. Panellists agreed on the crucial nature of the forthcoming IMO GHG deliberations and the need to deliver a clear global legal framework, including an ambitious carbon pricing mechanism, by Spring 2025.
