Sustainable Energy Transition in Shipping through Agreements, Industrial Leadership and Subsidies

Description du projet

Tracer la voie vers un transport maritime européen durable

Le transport maritime à zéro émission de carbone occupe une place importante dans les objectifs climatiques de l’UE, mais les investissements nécessaires pour permettre au secteur de passer aux carburants marins alternatifs (AMF pour «alternative maritime fuels») ne sont pas au rendez-vous, principalement en raison des incertitudes du marché. C’est pourquoi les entreprises de ce secteur continuent de privilégier des alternatives relativement peu coûteuses plutôt que d’adopter des solutions durables et pérennes telles que l’ammoniac ou le méthanol. Soutenu par le programme Actions Marie Sklodowska-Curie, le projet SET-SAILS entend combler cette lacune en menant des recherches sur les moyens par lesquels les politiques de concurrence et le leadership industriel au sein de l’UE peuvent favoriser l’adoption des AMF. L’objectif est de fournir aux décideurs politiques des recommandations concrètes concernant les accords de durabilité et le financement public–privé afin de réduire les risques liés aux investissements.

Objectif

The Sustainable Energy Transition in Shipping through Agreements, Industrial Leadership and Subsidies (SET-SAILS) project explores how competition and industrial policy can contribute to the market uptake of a future-proof alternative maritime fuel (AMF).
To meet global and EU climate targets, the EU shipping industry is called upon to phase out conventional fossil fuels in favour of AMF, which encompass technologies with a different degree of market-readiness (liq.natural gas, biofuels, methanol, ammonia, etc.). So far, AMF account for a small fraction of total fuel demand and the high level of uncertainty on which AMF will become the next market standard undermines investments. Absent a comprehensive strategy for the AMF market uptake, the EU only prescribes a gradual reduction in carbon intensity of ships, while leaving the task of identifying the ‘winning’ AMF up to market forces. Hence, shipping companies and ports have an incentive in choosing less costly, short-term options, which diverts resources from AMFs that are more economically efficient and sustainable in the long term.
By combining legal and economic research methodologies in the field of competition policy and transport policy, SET-SAILS provides the first extensive theoretical and qualitative analysis of AMF market dynamics and regulators’ practice within the EU. International workshops and a stakeholder survey will provide further evidence that will be translated into recommendations to policy-makers. A detailed map of the market ecosystem and regulatory framework will be drawn for each AMF type, while possible sustainability agreements between port and shipping operators will be assessed, as well as public-private funding to de-risk investments in AMF.
SET-SAILS will be developed under the supervision of Prof.Thierry Vanelslander, a leading authority in shipping and port economics, and will benefit from the full support of the Department of Transport and Regional Economics of Antwerp University.