GCGF Moderates Alternative Fuels Panel at MDC Asia 2025

16 April 2025 | Singapore | Maritime Decarbonisation Community Asia Forum

At the recent MDC Asia Forum 2025, the Global Centre for Green Fuels (GCGF) played a leading role in shaping the conversation on alternative marine fuels by moderating a high level panel titled:

“Which Alternative Fuel is Winning the Race?”

Our Managing Director, Clarence Woo, facilitated the session featuring speakers from NYK Shipmanagement, Peninsula, and Ocean Network Express Europe & Africa. The discussion brought to the fore a range of perspectives on emerging fuels for shipping, including LNG, methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, and biofuels.

Key themes explored included:

• Infrastructure readiness at major bunkering hubs

• Projected availability and production volumes for key fuel types

• Price trends and future expectations across LNG, biofuels, ammonia, and methanol

• The shifting role of LNG as a transitional fuel amid delays in green fuel deployment

• Industry views on the feasibility of e-fuels, green ammonia, and bioethanol for the future fleet

A standout moment from the session came during the Q&A, when an audience member asked: “Why has ethanol been left out of the marine fuel conversation?”

This question underscored growing interest in scalable, globally available fuel options that are compatible with existing and future ship engines.

GCGF highlighted the potential of bioethanol as a practical and underexplored solution in the maritime decarbonisation mix, reinforcing its benefits in terms of scalability, compatibility, and lifecycle emissions performance.

We thank the Maritime Decarbonisation Community and our fellow panelists for an insightful dialogue and look forward to continuing this important conversation with global maritime stakeholders.