At a time when shipping is under intense pressure to decarbonise, biofuels are emerging as one of the few practical near-term options. But scaling their use is proving anything but straightforward. That was the clear message from a recent Lloyd’s Register panel discussion at London International Shipping Week, which brought together voices from across the maritime value chain to explore the promise and pitfalls of biofuel adoption as the class society launches its Biofuel Advisory service.

Moderated by LR’s head of external communications Lucy Dibdin, the panel featured Muhammad Usman (FOBAS Product Manager, LR Advisory), Ian Butler (Head of Energy Transition, Vitol), Ashley Jenkins (Director, John H Whitaker Tankers), Alberto Perez, (Regional Advisory Lead, LR Advisory) and Johannes Schurmann (Commercial Director, FincoEnergies). Together, they painted a picture of an industry grappling with regulation-driven demand, operational hurdles, and the uncertainties of a new fuel landscape