The Marine Energy Transition Forum (METF) returns to Antwerp on 17th/18th October 2023 to review the rate and scale of progress on shipping’s decarbonisation.

Now in its fourth edition and supported by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, there will be much to discuss at this year’s Forum as it comes just ahead of  a momentous and challenging period for shipping as new EU environmental legislation comes into play, notably FuelEU Maritime, the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive and the EU Emissions Trading System.

The impact of the IMO’s recent regulations, such as EEXI and CII, will be assessed at METF 2023 and the outcomes of the UN agency’s much anticipated Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80) meeting in July will also be firmly on the conference agenda.

At this year’s Forum, shipping’s new fuels and technologies will be considered from the perspective of partnerships, with a clear focus on the industry’s engagement with ports as the new energy hubs, innovators and collaborators in the maritime energy transition.

Partnerships are seen as key to fostering and accelerating progress on maritime decarbonisation in order to meet IMO timelines. At METF, delegates will hear whether the partnership ‘model’ is working at the R&D level and also when projects are scaled up for commercialisation. Access to finance to support the lifecycle of capital-intensive initiatives will also be central to the discussions in Antwerp this year.

The METF agenda will feature input from shipowners, charterers, cargo owners, fuel suppliers, technology providers, ports, regulators and legislators, and industry associations who will discuss their experience of collaboration on the energy transition. As always, the conference programme will be project-based, with an emphasis on the decarbonisation choices facing mid-sized and smaller maritime companies as well as the industry’s first movers.

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