Oct 19 : Global Ethanol Summit : Washington D.C.

Advancing Maritime Ethanol at the Global Ethanol Summit 2025

The Global Centre for Green Fuels (GCGF) participated in the Global Ethanol Summit (GES) held in Washington D.C., convened by the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council. The Summit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and technical experts to examine ethanol’s expanding role across land, air, and maritime transport.

The event took place the week after the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced the postponement of its Net-Zero Framework. While notable, discussions at the Summit reinforced the view that market momentum toward low-carbon fuels, particularly ethanol, continues to advance driven by commercial readiness, engine capability, and supply potential.

Maritime Discussions

GCGF Managing Director Clarence Woo joined the Maritime Fuels Panel, sharing perspectives on ethanol as a scalable, low-carbon marine fuel. Drawing on his recent engagement at the ISO/TC28/SC4/WG18 working group, Clarence emphasized:

• The importance of globally inclusive and interoperable fuel standards
  

• The need to accommodate diverse ethanol specifications across producing regions
  

• Ethanol’s role as a practical hedge within a multi-fuel transition pathway for shipping
  

These themes aligned closely with growing industry interest in ethanol-fuelled engines and alcohol fuel flexibility.

Industry and Stakeholder Engagement

On the sidelines, GCGF engaged with government and industry representatives from Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, and the United States, many of whom expressed interest in deeper collaboration on maritime ethanol through GCGF-led initiatives.

Looking Ahead

Engagements at the Global Ethanol Summit reinforced the importance of coordinated international action on standards, safety frameworks, and lifecycle assessment methodologies for marine ethanol. These discussions directly support GCGF’s work under the Marine Ethanol & Methanol Alliance (MEMA), which aims to accelerate credible, science-based adoption of alcohol fuels in shipping in alignment with the IMO’s decarbonisation objectives.