Future Fuels and Technology Project

The Future Fuels and Technology for low- and zero-carbon shipping Project (FFT Project) is a partnership project between the Government of the Republic of Korea and IMO. This project is being implemented by IMO (Marine Environment Division, MED).  

Key Goals  

The project is supporting regulatory decision-making discussions at the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), notably on the revision and implementation of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy and a basket of candidate mid- and long-term GHG reduction measures within the possible IMO Net Zero Framework.

To achieve this objective, the project is conducting global studies and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, notably low- and zero-carbon marine fuels producers and technology providers, in order to initiate concrete actions to remove barriers for the commercialization of low- and zero-carbon marine fuels and technologies.

The project consists of three main workstreams:

The project has conducted and supported several global studies, including:

1. Study on the Readiness and Availability of Low- and Zero-Carbon Ship Technology and Marine Fuels: This study aims to contribute to the identification of the state-of-play and projections regarding the global uptake and dissemination of low- and zero-carbon marine technology and fuels. The main findings of the study, including a summary report, were presented to MEPC 80, as document MEPC 80/INF.10  as part of the support provided by the IMO Secretariat to Member States. 

Amongst the key findings, the study suggests that achieving a more ambitious decarbonization pathway than business as usual is feasible, with a strengthened level of ambition and the implementation of further GHG reduction measures. 

2. Study for the review of existing practices on sustainability aspects/certification and third-party verification issues: This study aims to contribute to the development of relevant guidance for certification schemes/standards by providing study output as a basis for discussion, as requested by MEPC 80. The final report was submitted to the 16th session of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 16) as document ISWG-GHG 16/3 which was held from 11 to 15 March 2024. 

The key message from this study is “a robust framework must be in place to ensure the sustainability credentials of fuels across different feedstock/production pathways are properly assessed and certified, ultimately contributing to achieving net-zero well-to-wake GHG emissions.” 

The FFT Project conducted this study as a follow-up to the previous study on the readiness and availability of marine fuels and contracted the consultancy firm Ricardo Ltd.

Workstream 2: Online information portal

The FFT dedicated website, launched in April 2024, works as an online information portal for promoting and sharing the latest information on zero and near-zero marine fuels and technologies for GHG emission reduction from international shipping in the mid- and long-term, particularly accelerating access to information for developing States on the latest developments in decarbonization of shipping, and how to get involved in a just and equitable transition. 

The website is regularly updated and shares the latest facts about  zero and near-zero marine fuels and technologies, including data and resources being provided by relevant stakeholders. The main focus is to provide:

1. Statistics and latest information on the uptake of zero and near-zero marine fuels and technologies, port/bunkering infrastructures, fuel prices, etc.

2. Future insight on GHG reduction scenarios and possible mitigation pathways, fuel mix, cost, etc.

3. Training materials, education, technical cooperation and events.

To visit the website, please visit https://futurefuels.imo.org/

For more information about data-sharing collaboration, please email futurefuels@imo.org.

Workstream 3: Communication and knowledge sharing 

The FFT Project will promote communication and knowledge sharing to foster cooperation and collaboration among stakeholders in the context of the GHG regulatory framework development and implementation of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy. 

Under this workstream, the project will organize outreach events, (i.e., roundtables, technical seminars) and develop promotional and educational materials to raise stakeholders' awareness about zero- or near-zero alternative marine fuels and technologies to support the implementation of the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy.