Improving the conditions for safe maritime decarbonisation
What we set out to do
Building on year five, the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (the Decarb Hub) set out in year six to embed safety into vessel design, strengthen the evidence on alternative-fuel risk, support better fuel-pathway and green-corridor decisions, help mobilise capital, and cut emissions from the existing fleet. Guided by our Theory of Change, we addressed the barriers slowing maritime decarbonisation by contributing evidence, tools and coalitions that help industry, regulators and financiers act with confidence.
Why our work is relevant
Together, the five outcomes set out below improve the conditions the industry needs to decarbonise safely: a workforce prepared for new fuels, risks understood before they materialise, investment decisions grounded in evidence, and emissions reductions in the fleet operating today. Each was advanced with partners, and the strength of the evidence reflects the scope and maturity of the work.
The change we are helping to make
In year six, working with partners, the Decarb Hub contributed to five outcomes that support decision-makers to move towards a safe, decarbonised shipping industry. Select an outcome to read more.
The outcome…
Human factors expertise helped shape the design of a real ammonia-powered vessel for AET. Guidance on crew training and competencies for ammonia and alcohol fuels was approved by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as interim guidance.
…and why it is relevant
A vessel can satisfy every applicable rule and still be difficult or unsafe to operate; once built, that is hard to change. Certificates also do not, on their own, show whether a workforce is ready for unfamiliar hazards. Year six progress moves the system towards stronger risk management by addressing risks before ships are built and before crews sail them.
The outcome…
Research improved understanding of ammonia-related risks and how to manage them. New evidence from sea trials, safety studies and cross-industry research helped inform vessel design and future regulations.
…and why it is relevant
No alternative-fuelled ship can enter service without a risk assessment. Those assessments depend on the evidence behind them, and year six strengthened that foundation for ammonia in three ways: measured release data to test model assumptions, exploration of loss-of-containment frequencies in maritime conditions, and evidence on protecting people from leaks. This work was built with consortia and partners so designers, class societies and regulators across the sector can use it. It supports a shared and credible evidence base for the design and regulatory decisions on which safe deployment depends.
The outcome…
Silk Alliance tested the Routes2FID framework through real-world case studies; new evidence on candidate alternative-fuel production potential was shared with ports and policymakers to support informed decision-making for bunkering and infrastructure pathways.
…and why it is relevant
These contributions work the same problem at two scales: a corridor coalition converting shared evidence into routes to investment and a global assessment showing the sector where supply and demand could credibly meet. Grounding fuel-pathway choices in shared evidence can lead to better coordinated and more investable decisions.
The outcome…
The Decarb Hub kept supporting the tenders of the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) as a technical partner; briefed finance, policy, energy and shipping practitioners on mechanisms to lower risk and mobilise investment; working with partners, the Decarb Hub advised new financing architectures.
…and why it is relevant
Our year six contributions span a working demand-aggregation mechanism, a blended-finance facility moving towards launch, financing structures presented to industry, and early positions inside forming institutions, and they make capital easier for others to move.
The outcome…
The Maritime Emissions Reduction Centre (MERC) expanded with two new members and continued delivering practical projects to improve vessel efficiency and reduce emissions from ships already in operation.
…and why it is relevant
Near-term abatement is not separate from the fuel transition. Credible evidence on the measures MERC is exploring can translate directly into greenhouse gas reductions this decade. A fleet that learns collectively can decarbonise faster than a fleet that experiments alone.
Year six at a glance
In year six, working with partners, the Decarb Hub contributed to five outcomes that support decision-makers to move towards a safe, decarbonised shipping industry.
OUTCOME 01
Human-centred safety built into design and crew
Human factors expertise helped shape the design of a real ammonia-powered vessel for AET. Guidance on crew training and competencies was approved by the IMO as interim guidance.
OUTCOME 02
Risk evidence deepened for design and regulation
Research improved understanding of ammonia-related risks and how to manage them. New evidence from sea trials, safety studies and cross-industry research helped inform vessel design and future regulations.
OUTCOME 03
Building a shared evidence base
Silk Alliance tested the Routes2FID framework through real-world case studies; new evidence on candidate alternative-fuel production potential was shared with ports and policymakers to support informed decision-making for bunkering and infrastructure pathways.
OUTCOME 04
Capital mobilised with partners
The Decarb Hub kept supporting the tenders of the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) as a technical partner; briefed finance, policy, energy and shipping practitioners on mechanisms to lower risk and mobilise investment; working with partners, the Decarb Hub advised new financing architectures.
OUTCOME 05
Fleet cutting emissions now
The Maritime Emissions Reduction Centre (MERC) expanded with two new members and continued delivering practical projects to improve vessel efficiency and reduce emissions from ships already in operation.
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1
OUTCOME 01
Human-centred safety built into design and crew
Human factors expertise helped shape the design of a real ammonia-powered vessel for AET. Guidance on crew training and competencies was approved by the IMO as interim guidance.
-
2
OUTCOME 02
Risk evidence deepened for design and regulation
Research improved understanding of ammonia-related risks and how to manage them. New evidence from sea trials, safety studies and cross-industry research helped inform vessel design and future regulations.
-
3
OUTCOME 03
Building a shared evidence base
Silk Alliance tested the Routes2FID framework through real-world case studies; new evidence on candidate alternative-fuel production potential was shared with ports and policymakers to support informed decision-making for bunkering and infrastructure pathways.
-
4
OUTCOME 04
Capital mobilised with partners
The Decarb Hub kept supporting the tenders of the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) as a technical partner; briefed finance, policy, energy and shipping practitioners on mechanisms to lower risk and mobilise investment; working with partners, the Decarb Hub advised new financing architectures.
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5
OUTCOME 05
Fleet cutting emissions now
The Maritime Emissions Reduction Centre (MERC) expanded with two new members and continued delivering practical projects to improve vessel efficiency and reduce emissions from ships already in operation.
How we plan to deliver impact next year
Maritime decarbonisation is entering a harder implementation phase, shaped by uncertainty at the IMO, fragmented regional policy, weak fuel offtake signals, and greater industry focus on near-term efficiency. The sector’s challenge is no longer only to set ambition, but to prove that transition pathways are operationally viable, investable, and scalable. The Decarb Hub’s role is to help industry navigate that uncertainty and turn ambition into credible action.
To help maritime decarbonisation become operationally credible, investable, and scalable in the current environment, in year seven:
- Human Safety & Risk will focus on making alternative-fuel pathways human-ready, safe, operable, and socially viable, treating human readiness as a design-stage condition rather than a downstream training activity.
- Fuel Adoption will focus on supporting fuel adoption decisions under uncertainty: port and hub readiness, regional policy interpretation, demand and offtake formation, corridor readiness, and alignment with wider energy-system investment.
- Impact & Engagement will focus on strengthening our monitoring and evaluation processes, launching our evidence-led insight material, showcasing our role as an enabler of the transition, and building stronger connections with key decision-makers.
Our programme teams will prioritise implementation readiness over transition advocacy, decision support over generic thought leadership, and focused evidence products and implementation infrastructure over report volume.