The global shipping industry is becoming increasingly divided over its decarbonisation pathway, with many shipowners retreating from confidence in green fuels and instead favouring conventional marine fuels, dual-fuel vessels and even nuclear propulsion

According to the International Chamber of Shipping’s latest annual survey of shipping executives, confidence that ammonia will become a commercially viable marine fuel within the next decade has dropped from 31% last year to just 12%.

Optimism surrounding hydrogen has also fallen, from 18% to 10%, while confidence in traditional fuel oils has increased from 41% to 50%.