Accelleron calls for cross-sector action to unlock carbon-neutral fuels for shipping

Accelleron calls for cross-sector action to unlock carbon-neutral fuels for shipping

At London International Shipping Week (LISW25), Accelleron launched its first ever maritime decarbonization report, Accelerating to Net Zero - Deadlock: What's Stopping Shipping's Carbon-Neutral Fuel Transition?, an analysis urging shipping to join forces with other hard-to-abate sectors to unlock the full potential of green hydrogen and e-fuels to complete shipping's energy transition.

The report paints a stark picture of the current energy transition bottleneck. According to Accelleron's analysis, industry-wide efforts in vessel efficiency, digitalization, and retrofitting could collectively reduce CO2 emissions by over 30% by 2030 - enough to exceed near-term IMO goals - but they only buy time. Alone, they will not deliver the emission cuts required to achieve the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) 2050 net-zero target. To decarbonize fully, the industry must scale up and utilize green hydrogen and its derivatives.

The scale of the challenge
Shipping's energy demand is vast and so will be its share of the future hydrogen economy. The report estimates that maritime transport alone will need between 100 and 150 million tons of green hydrogen annually by 2050, and $2 to $3 trillion in investment from now to 2050.

Meanwhile, other energy-intensive sectors such as steel, cement, aviation, and agriculture will require around 500-600 million tons combined - translating into an estimated $9 trillion in cumulative investment to make large-scale green hydrogen a reality. Yet, current global production pipelines for all sectors account for just 38 million tons, supported by less than $320 billion in committed investment.

“But that gap is, in fact, the fault line at the heart of shipping's stalled energy transition. ,” says Daniel Bischofberger, CEO of Accelleron. “The hardest part of our decarbonization journey turns out to be scaling green hydrogen as the building block for e-fuels, a task made exponentially harder, because no industry can achieve it alone. It is also the part of the journey that will determine whether we reach net zero on time, or at all.”

Pooling demand to break the deadlock
The report argues that shipping cannot - and should not - bear the cost of the hydrogen revolution alone. Instead, Accelleron calls for collaboration between sectors traditionally operating in silos. By aggregating hydrogen demand with industries like steel, agriculture, and power generation, shipping could help de-risk mega hydrogen projects and make large-scale production economically viable.

Pooling demand, the study finds, could transform the competitive race for scarce e-fuels into a collective push for global decarbonization. Shared investment frameworks, joint offtake agreements, and integrated infrastructure development would not only accelerate fuel availability but also stabilize pricing and reduce supply chain risks.

This cross-sectoral approach aligns with ongoing discussions within the energy transition community, which increasingly views hydrogen ecosystems as interdependent rather than sector-specific. Maritime transport, given its global footprint and logistical expertise, could play a catalytic role in scaling production, distribution, and bunkering infrastructure for synthetic and hydrogen-based fuels.

First, it is important to understand the interconnected barriers, or deadlocks, that prevent the industry from solving the energy transition on its own.

The Five Deadlocks in Shipping's Carbon-Neutral Fuel Transition

Fuel pathway uncertainty
The shipping industry faces fragmented demand due to multiple competing fuel pathways (LNG, biofuels, e-fuels), which prevents scaling up of any single carbon-neutral fuel. Green hydrogen is recognized as the foundation for long-term decarbonization, but sectoral silos and lack of consolidated demand hinder its development. Shipping is now competing with other sectors - such as aviation and steel - for premium fuels, rather than being the primary consumer of leftover fossil fuels.

Concentrated fuel supply
Green hydrogen and e-fuel production models rely on production hubs the size of small nations to achieve competitive pricing, which concentrates supply geographically. This challenges shipping's traditional flexibility, especially for bulk and tramp operators that rely on unpredictable routes, while container operators can adapt more easily to hub-based supply. Lower energy density of new fuels means also ships need more frequent refueling, impacting operational models and costs.

Green finance paradox
Although trillions are invested in ESG funds globally, only a small fraction goes to shipping due to fragmented ownership, long vessel lifespans, and uncertain regulation. Split incentives - between shipowners, charterers, and cargo owners - and the lack of long-term contracts make investors reluctant. Green premiums work for consumer-facing cargo, but bulk commodities cannot absorb these costs, limiting the scope of green finance.

Regulatory ambition vs. implementation reality
The IMO's Net Zero Framework is ambitious, introducing global carbon pricing, but incentives and funding will not flow until 2028 - too late for projects needing investment now. Misalignment between global and regional regulations (e.g., IMO vs. EU on biofuels) fragments demand and investment signals. Harmonization and clarity are needed to unlock the scale of capital required for green hydrogen and e-fuels.

Infrastructure bottlenecks at ports
Even with finance and regulation in place, fuels cannot flow without adequate port infrastructure - including power, water, storage, and pipelines. Ports face competition for resources and must balance legacy bunkering with new fuel systems. Permitting and safety standards are further bottlenecks; not all ports can or should become hydrogen production hubs

Resolving the deadlocks: cross-sector collaboration
Shipping alone cannot trigger green hydrogen development, nor can any other sector on its own. The key to unlocking the energy transition is collaboration across aviation, steel, cement, chemicals, power, and agriculture. Cross-sector demand aggregation can resolve each deadlock to create bankable commitments, shared infrastructure, harmonized regulation, and more efficient use of resources.

Ports sit naturally at the nexus of such cross-sector collaboration. Already serving as the backbone of global trade and energy, they can help industries come together to solve the challenge of scaling carbon-neutral fuels. In a net zero shipping economy fueled by green hydrogen and e-fuels, ports can play different roles according to their strengths: some can as self-sufficient fuel producers, others as connectors, receivers, or export sources, depending on geography, resources, and trade patterns.

8 key findings and recommendations
Efficiency remains the most cost-effective lever for decarbonization and should be prioritized across the global fleet both to meet near-term decarbonization targets and to prepare ships for efficient use of future carbon-neutral fuels.

While ships are technologically ready - with dual-fuel vessels now dominating orderbooks - the supply of e-fuels is still far below what is needed to meet decarbonization targets. Green hydrogen is indispensable: shipping will require between 100 and 150 million tons by 2050, competing directly with other sectors. Only through cross-sector alliances can production reach the necessary scale for shipping and other sectors to reach net zero.

Biofuels, though valuable in the short term, represent merely a stopgap solution due to limited availability and competition with food and aviation industries.

Carbon capture will play a critical role, both in the production of e-fuels and in mitigating fossil emissions during the transition phase.

To close the green finance gap, new financial instruments and consolidated demand must be developed to unlock the trillions of dollars currently available in ESG capital.

Achieving global climate goals will also depend on national policies and incentives that align with the IMO's net-zero framework.

Finally, ports provide a natural platform for a cross-sector energy transition, but new leadership is required to convene stakeholders and manage that collaboration.

Stakeholder actions
All actors in the value chain have a part to play in resolving the deadlocks. Shipowners and operators should focus on enhancing vessel efficiency through upgrades and advanced digital monitoring systems. Fuel producers need to accelerate project development and work closely with multi-sector ports to enable large-scale deployment of alternative fuels.

Ports, for their part, have a pivotal role in aggregating demand, aligning infrastructure, and fostering platforms for collaboration between industries. Governments and regulators must harmonize incentives and certification systems, while providing long-term policy stability to attract investment and give clarity to the market.

Finally, investors are encouraged to design blended finance instruments and pooled funds that span multiple sectors, helping to de-risk early projects and mobilize capital at scale.

From insight to action: a shared responsibility
Accelleron's position echoes a growing consensus that shipping's decarbonization is inseparable from the global hydrogen economy. The report's release at LISW25 underscores Accelleron's role not just as a technology provider but as a thought leader in the decarbonization debate. During a high-level panel discussion following the report's presentation, industry and energy leaders explored pathways for building joint frameworks to accelerate hydrogen deployment and enable cost-competitive carbon-neutral shipping.

Key themes included the need for clear policy signals, harmonized certification standards for green fuels, and financial instruments to de-risk early investments, highlighting the importance of transparency and data sharing across industries - a space where Accelleron's expertise in digital solutions and performance analytics could play a pivotal role.

The Deadlock report concludes with a call to action: achieving net-zero shipping by 2050 will only be possible through coordinated, cross-sectoral initiatives that link maritime transport to the broader global hydrogen ecosystem.

In his foreword to the report, Bischofberger emphasizes that the path to net zero is not solely a technological challenge but also an organizational and cultural one.
“Reaching net zero is not only about fuels or systems, but about forging a new paradigm of partnership,” he writes. “Shipping has always thrived through collaboration and pragmatism. Now, it must extend that spirit beyond its own sector to secure the fuels necessary for a decarbonized future.”

The full report, Deadlock: What's Stopping Shipping's Carbon-Neutral Fuel Transition?, is available on Accelleron's website for download by industry stakeholders, investors, and policymakers committed to advancing the global energy transition.