Last week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a pre-COP30 event on advancing sustainable biofuels for shipping was co-hosted by Clean Energy Marine Hubs (CEM HUBS), the International Chamber of Shipping, Sustainable Business COP 30, the National Secretary for Oil, Gas and Biofuels, and UNICA. Vinicius Patel, IAPH regional VP for Central and South America (and director of port administration, Port of Açu) took an active role in the November 8th discussion. Specifically, he addressed how early movers in shipping and ports can drive international demand for sustainable fuels, and highlighted the key opportunities and challenges in developing a robust global value chain for their production, use, and transport. In summary, he stated that ports had a very different timescale in building the right infrastructure versus newly-designed ships bunkering or carrying these new fuels; that ports require scale and scope of change to deliver infrastructure effectively; that the cost of fulfilling potential off-take agreements with such investments is tough when inflationary cycles impact outlay; and that leading countries will have to work together to bring these fuels to market.
