MAN Energy Solutions Pledges Incentives to Stimulate Decarbonisation

At the 4th annual Naftemporiki Shipping Conference, held in Athens on October 3rd 2018, an assorted audience of shipowners and industry players gathered to discuss the status of Greek/European Shipping and the environment.

Entitled ‘Greek and European Shipping: Setting sail for the future’, the conference was organised by Naftemporiki – Greece’s most prominent, financial newspaper – and the Greek Ministry of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, represented by its Minister, Fotis Kouvelis. Wayne Jones OBE, Chief Sales Officer and Member of the Executive Board, represented MAN Energy Solutions at the event andparticipated in a panel discussion on decarbonisation, the latest fuels introduced to the market, and the impact of the impending IMO regulations, among other matters. 

He said: “From the engine-maker’s point of view, one of the biggest challenges is to reach agreement on which fuel to use, one that will meet not only the regulations of today, but those of tomorrow. What will everyone use in the future or will there be a myriad of fuels? For me, the only way forward is to go with gaseous fuels – and the infrastructure will follow in due course.”

Accordingly, Jones stated: “MAN Energy Solutions believes fully in its technology, to the extent that we pledge to subsidise the first 10 shipowners that convert their engines to LNG or a gas-derived fuel – up to a cumulative total of 2 million Euros – because I think someone has to stimulate the industry to think more holistically and long-term.”

Jones’ statements in Athens tie in with MAN Energy Solutions’ belief that it is time for what it calls a ‘Maritime Energy Transition’ to find clean, decarbonised solutions for seaborne trade and transportation. Essentially, it is the company’s call to action to reduce emissions and establish natural gases as the fuels of choice in global shipping. It strongly promotes a global ‘turn to gas’, driven by the IMO, and a common approach by the shipping industry and politics to invest in infrastructure development and retrofits.

To date, MAN Energy Solutions’ entire portfolio of dual-fuel engines has won almost 400 projects in total, all running on clean fuels such as LNG and LPG, testament to its leadership within this critical market segment.