Sustainable alternative fuels can make huge contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions quickly and significantly, also in  shipping With its “FuelEU-Maritime” initiative, the European Commission aims at achieving economies of scale to accelerate the uptake of sustainable alternative fuels The initiative is part of the Green Deal. 

The VDMA welcomes the initiative and the "well-to-wake" approach, which is necessary for the correct evaluation of future marine fuels. Such a well-to-wake analysis considers the total emissions from the production of fuel to the use onboard the ship.

P2X-based sustainable marine fuels are very promising. P2X converts green electricity into other energy carriers. P2X-based synthetic "drop-in" fuels such as e-diesel can be used directly within the existing fleet, which is particularly important and advantageous in view of the enormous lifespan of ships. The production of such fuels with CO2 from the air or from biomass enables a closed carbon cycle. Other P2X-based synthetic fuels such as synthetic ammonia, which are carbon-free, can be used with minor modifications to the ship's engine.

European technology firms are still technology champions when it comes to P2X. A rapid market launch would support them, would be an important step towards climate neutrality and could also help to fight the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. To facilitate the market ramp-up, VDMA advocates for a market-neutral approach and a regulatory framework that supports industrial scale-up and commercialization of P2X.