At the Tankers 2030 conference on 20 November, AET’s General Counsel & Chief Integrity Officer, William Blagbrough joined leaders from BHP, Al Seer Marine, DNV and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation to explore what the next five years may mean for tanker shipping.
The session touched on familiar but important themes – evolving regulation, changes in trade flows and the practicalities of preparing fleets for a more complex fuel landscape. Will shared AET’s perspective on how we are navigating this transition:
- Act where we can today. In the absence of regulatory certainty, we rely on our values. AET continues to invest in practical measures that deliver real emissions reductions now – from LNG and ammonia dual-fuel vessels and energy-saving technologies to selective biofuel use.
- Build optionality for tomorrow. There is no silver bullet, and the next five years won’t be defined by a single fuel. Our recent LNG dual-fuel Suezmax orders, together with our earlier ammonia dual-fuel Aframaxes orders, reflect the alternative fuel pathways we are pursuing as part of our energy transition strategy, as technology and infrastructure mature.
- Charterers and owners are moving at different speeds, and with innovative commercial structures that share risk and reward more evenly, decarbonisation can be profitable for both sides.
- Equip people for a digital future. Digital and AI tools are reshaping operations, and upskilling and reskilling are essential to ensure our people can navigate new systems safely and confidently.
- Keep safety at the core: Safety underpins both our operations and in culture. That includes psychological safety so our people can speak up, challenge, and contribute to better outcomes.
The next few years will set the tone for 2030. AET will continue engaging across the sector strengthen clarity, support commercial alignment and uphold safety as we advance our aim of delivering more energy with fewer emissions.
