In Italian ports, ships are mainly supplied with Traditional fuels and the share of fuel bunkering useful alternatives to the decarbonisation of maritime transport is still limited. This was noted by the general manager of Assocostieri, Dario Soria, in his speech entitled "Energy logistics and alternative fuels for the maritime sector" at the round table "New frontiers in green shipping technologies - Decarbonization and energy efficiency" of Port&ShippingTech, held this morning at the Congresses of the Old Port of Genoa, which took place as part of the seventh edition of the "Genoa Shipping Week" and was moderated by Daniele Testi, president of SOS LOGistica and CEO of Piano 23.

Recalling that "in recent years, the legislative framework has set decarbonisation targets very challenging for the maritime sector," Soria highlighted that, if maritime transport were a State, it would be the sixth global CO2 emitter given that, "although it represents about 3% of global emissions, moves more than 90% of goods and absorbs more than 6% of global demand for oil and petroleum products".

In his speech, the general manager of Assocostieri The potential of liquefied natural gas and derivatives for the decarbonisation of shipping, with reductions in significant emissions (approximately -25% CO2, -90% NOx, -100% SOx and -100% particulate matter) and the perspective of bioLNG, which can offer net reductions of up to -120%. However - he explained - the Italian consumption data show a still limited use of the bunkering in national ports: most of the supplies are still based on marine diesel and fuel oil, with signs of growth only timid for HVO, biodiesel and LNG (from 6,000 tonnes in 2021 to 3,000 tons in 2024, with expectations of an increase in 2025). The Assocostieri-Nomisma Energia study - specified Soria - shows that Italy is among the last European countries for bunkering volumes, comparable to Malta and just above Greece and Turkey.

"We have made progress on the LNG logistics, with guidelines prepared by the MIT, the Capitaneria and Assocostieri, but to develop a real supply chain of new alternative fuels (today LNG, tomorrow methanol, which could account for about 20% of orders by 2030) both regulatory and operational interventions are needed at the local level: It is necessary to encourage a "bottom-up" development in individuals ports to make commercial operations possible". Among the proposals presented by Assocostieri to boost the supply chain of alternative fuels: making it possible to use barges as floating depots for alternative fuels, function not currently envisaged for mineral oils but considered strategic for Accelerate the deployment of alternative bunkering in ports Italian.