New coalition established for alternative fuel readiness

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and the International Council on Combustion Engines (CIMAC) have agreed a two-year partnership to boost shipping’s preparedness for new alternative fuels.

The partners bring complementary specialisms: CIMAC promotes advances in ship propulsion, train drive, and power generation; GCMD specialises in implementation, setting up pilots and trials across the shipping sector.

New marine fuels, inevitable as part of the sector’s decarbonisation drive, do not provide easy options. They do present opportunities, but all have challenges too. New hardware will be required, new testing standards developed, fuel quality procedures agreed, and safe handling procedures will have to be validated and introduced into operation.

GCMD chief executive, Lynn Loo, commented: “Following my keynote at the CIMAC 2025 Congress, discussions with CIMAC’s leadership quickly revealed strong alignment and complementary strengths ... This partnership reflects our joint commitment to addressing these challenges through collaboration that is grounded in technical expertise and operational evidence.”

CIMAC president, Rick Boom, said: “CIMAC collaborates closely with international partners to drive solutions for maritime transformation, contribute technical expertise to regulatory processes, and accelerate the decarbonisation of shipping. Its partnership with GCMD supports the development of standards and strategies for alternative fuels and sustainable propulsion systems aligned with global environmental goals.”