The 47th edition of the Motorship’s Propulsion & Future Fuels conference will take place in Hamburg, Germany.
The Conference
From 8-10th December 2026, the shipping sector’s technical and engineering leaders will gather in Hamburg, Germany for the 47th Propulsion & Future Fuels Conference, the longest-running technical event dedicated to advancing ship efficiency and fuel innovation.
Hosted at the Empire Riverside Hotel, this year’s conference will feature high-level discussions on forthcoming IMO developments, practical pathways for decarbonising shipping, the latest in hull design, low carbon propulsion systems and regulatory compliance, plus all the latest on technically viable and low carbon scalable fuels.
Network with chief engineers, fleet technical directors, fuel specialists, and senior decision-makers from across the global shipping community to exchange insights, challenge strategies, and build partnerships that shape the next era of sustainable propulsion, low carbon fuels, and fleet management.
Regulation, innovation, and global demand for sustainable shipping is converging faster than ever. The Propulsion & Future Fuels conference is your opportunity to engage directly with the people at the forefront of shipping and fuel technology, helping you balance future fleet investment decisions.
Hamburg 2026
During two conference days attendees benefit from insightful technical presentations either in streams or plenary sessions, with the event culminating in a technical visit on day three.
Hamburg is the location for Propulsion & Future Fuels due to its strong presence in the global shipping sector. The city boasts some of the best transport links of any European destination and sits at the heart of a robust German shipping market. Germany has the sixth largest merchant fleet in the world, with 295 shipping companies representing more than 1,900 vessels. The 89 shipping companies based in Hamburg, representing 61% of Germany’s gross tonnage, provide Propulsion and Future Fuels with a solid industry foundation.
What is the Motorship?
The Motorship has been published since 1920 and is the longest running technical title within the marine sector. It provides insight for the marine technology professionals in print, online and through regular e-newsletters and social media. With a monthly combined audience of 26,015 this title underpins the success of its sister events.
What is Propulsion and Future Fuels?
Bringing together the strength of The Motorship Propulsion & Emissions and Gas Fuelled Ships conferences, The Motorship Propulsion & Future Fuels attracts an audience of 200 to Hamburg.
Its goal is to provide decision makers from the ship operating sector, ship design and construction companies, fuel, equipment and technology suppliers plus classification and policy-making organisations with a meeting place to learn, discuss and knowledge share solutions to operational and regulatory challenges.
In 2017, The Motorship Propulsion & Emissions Conference and Gas Fuelled Ships attracted 140 and 160 attendees respectively, from 30 countries. The joint audience included operators managing a combined fleet in excess of 2,560 ships. The highest proportion of delegates of the combined events were shipowners and yards (35%).
47 Years of History
The Motorship Propulsion & Future Fuels Conference first launched in 2018 as a combined and enhanced event celebrating over 40 years of The Motorship’s Propulsion & Emissions Conference, and nearly 10 years of the Gas Fuelled Ships Conference.
Over 47 years The Motorship Conferences have explored the evolution of LNG and other clean, low-flashpoint fuels, and has become the conference for delegates seeking up to the minute information about future fuel frontrunners such as ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, ethane, VOCs, wind, biofuels and many more. With 50% absolute carbon reduction by 2050, alternative fuels are now an essential feature alongside ship owner’s propulsion and powering considerations.
The last Propulsion & Emissions conference included shipowner panels and audiences representing 2,000 ships, while Gas Fuelled Ships grew from a single day event into a two-day conference covering all alternative low flash point fuels with a day of technical visits.
Both conferences featured strong support and chairmanship from two of the sectors heavy weight associations: BIMCO, whose shipowner members represent more than 60% of global tonnage, and the German shipowner association VDR, headquartered in Hamburg and representing a fleet of 2,720 ships with a combined gross tonnage of 71 million.
With ongoing developments and increased overlap between both of the events The Motorship’s Propulsion & Future Fuels joined the two together in one large, enhanced conference which took place in 2018.