Accelerating a safe, sustainable and human-centric energy transition in shipping

The Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (The Decarb Hub) is an independent, non-profit collaboration between Lloyd’s Register Foundation and Lloyd’s Register Group, driving evidence-based action for zero-emission shipping.

 Our Year Four Impact Report gives an overview of 15 major initiatives across fuel adoption, risk and safety, and stakeholder impact aimed at turning ambition into measurable progress.

Key Highlights

Fuel Adoption: Expanded The Silk Alliance green-corridor cluster to 19 members, advancing regional collaboration on methanol and ammonia adoption. Through the Maritime Fuel Supply Dialogues and partnerships with the IMO, MPA Singapore, and World Bank, the Hub supported global efforts to align energy and transport ministries on hydrogen-based fuels.

Risk & Safety: Published Recommendations for the Design and Operation of Ammonia-Fuelled Vessels, underpinned by quantitative risk assessments (QRAs) with Maersk, MMMCZCS, and the Castor Initiative. These studies are shaping new industry safety frameworks and crew competency standards.

Policy & Knowledge Influence: Led or co-developed landmark reports including The Future of Marine Fuels (for the EU RLCF Alliance) and the Zero Ready Framework, influencing IMO, World Bank, and European Commission policy. The Zero Carbon Fuel Monitor was relaunched with expanded coverage, providing an independent benchmark for fuel readiness across ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, batteries, and nuclear.

Fleet Evolution: Established the Maritime Emissions Reduction Centre (MERC) in Athens with five shipowner co-founders, targeting retrofit pathways and fleet optimisation for 500+ vessels.

Impact by the Numbers

  • £2.7 million in external funding secured
  • £347,000 in donated expertise and services
  • 16 programmes delivered across five impact pillars
  • Strategic advisory contributions helped catalyse hundreds of millions of dollars in sustainable ocean-finance mechanisms

Looking Ahead

In the next phase (2024–2026), the Decarb Hub will:

  • Advance green-corridor implementation and fuel-production business cases
  • Strengthen human safety, competency, and training frameworks
  • Embed circularity principles in shipbuilding and materials traceability
  • Continue providing open-access insights through the Zero Carbon Fuel Monitor and Evidence Centre.