Marine fuel choice remains one of the most pressing uncertainties facing shipowners as they chart their course towards decarbonisation. According to Stefan Nysjö (pictured), vice president of Power Supply at Wärtsilä Marine, many operators remain cautious, delaying investment decisions while awaiting clearer guidance to emerge.

“Our clients today are in this dilemma that they really don’t know which direction to go,” Nysjö explains. “And for them, it’s a question about which fuel. And they are thinking from a financial viability perspective, what would economically make sense, then the technology as such comes second. But of course, they are also thinking which technology will be scaling and maturing fastest. Since these questions are open, this is the reason why the industry has this sort of passive behaviour, or wait and see mode, which I personally think is the riskiest option of them all, not to move in any direction.”