Enric Pons
Coordinator of the Group
of Transport Ministers of the Western Mediterranean
Centre for
Transportation Studies for the Western Mediterranean (CETMO)
Spain
Maritime transport in the Mediterranean is conditioned by different regulatory frameworks. Firstly, by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), specially the 2023 Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships to achieve emission neutrality in international shipping by 2050, as well as the designation of the Mediterranean Sea as a Sulphur Oxide Emission Control Area (Med SOx-ECA). Second, by the EU, whose generally more demanding regulations only affect its member countries. Particularly relevant are the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the FuelEU Maritime regulation for the use of environmentally friendly fuels.
Shipping companies are adapting their fleets to ensure current and future regulations are met. Although there are shipping companies with diversified vessel orders in terms of fuel technology, methanol seems to be the main fuel bet for container ships, followed by LNG. According to Alphaliner, by mid-2024, the six major container shipping companies had 113 methanol-powered vessels committed. But how many of them will end up sailing in the Mediterranean is unknown. There is no such clear commitment to intra-Mediterranean companies. In the 2023/2027 period, more than 35 new ships are expected to operate using conventional fuel, LNG or hybrid technology (conventional and electric) with the possibility of incorporating other fuels in the future, such as ammonia, biofuels, hydrogen or synthetic methanol. Some shipping companies are even opting to equip their new ships with Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) or ‘scrubbers’ instead of using alternative fuels. In the Southern Mediterranean freight shipping companies, no general commitment to decarbonisation of their vessels has been identified, focusing their priorities on the second-hand market.
In the Mediterranean, there is a general interest in developing projects to help ensure the future availability of sustainable fuels. In early 2024, Morocco and the World Bank signed an agreement to conduct a study on the production of green energy in its ports for export and ship bunkering. Between 2023 and 2024, Egypt has signed several agreements for the construction of green methanol production facilities to supply ships with the aim of producing more than 300k tonnes/year and positioning itself as a future bunkering point in the Mediterranean. In the Maghreb, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Mauritania have strategies and projects related to green hydrogen production in different stages of maturity. Particularly noteworthy is the case of Morocco, whose objective is to reach a capacity of 4GW by 2030. Transport&Environment (T&E) has identified 17 synthetic fuel production projects exclusively for ships in Europe. Spain stands out (one third of the potential production) with the largest green methanol production plant project in Europe in the port of Huelva.
Ports, especially in Europe, are focusing their efforts on implementing the necessary infrastructure to supply ships with energy from OPS (Onshore Power Supply) systems in order to cover their energy needs when they are at berth and thus contribute to the marine energy transition. According to the FuelEU Maritime regulation, 1st January 2030 is the date adopted to ensure the existence of OPS systems. In July 2024, the first operational OPS facility in the Mediterranean was inaugurated in Malta and the port of Barcelona carried out the first connection of a container ship to an OPS system in Southern Europe. European governments are supporting such projects. Italy, for example, has a 570-million-euro plan to incentivise the use of shore-side electricity when ships are at berth. On the Southern shore, this issue is not a priority and only the launch of studies for the establishment of electrical connections to vessels moored at the quay in the port of La Goulette (Tunis) has been identified.
The data show that the regulatory aspect is the main driver for the sustainability of maritime transport in the Mediterranean, which implies the existence of (at least) two-speed transition led by those countries subject to the most demanding EU regulatory framework. For this reason, and in order to ensure that this transition has an efficient impact on the whole region, it is necessary to strengthen coordination and cooperation between the countries involved at a technical and economic level, ensuring that no one is left behind.