What role could ammonia and hydrogen play in powering North America’s fleet? That was the question that anchored the panel “Fleet First: How Shipowners are Balancing Risk, Regulation, and ROI in a Sustainable Marine Fuels Industry” at the Argus Clean Ammonia North America Conference in Houston on 12 September 2025.
Santiago Yanez, AET’s Head of Business Development (New Energy) & Technology, joined industry peers from Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, Argus, and Navigator Gas to unpack the opportunity and challenges ahead.
Together, the panellists addressed the pace of ammonia production on the U.S. Gulf Coast, the challenge of aligning supply and demand, and the potential impact of upcoming IMO regulations.
Sharing AET’s perspective, Santiago highlighted the importance of safety, regulation, and readiness in enabling the energy transition. “If regulations provide support, the rest of the ecosystem will follow,” he noted. He added, “We’ve been working with industry peers and authorities to jointly develop and validate training for our seafarers. Safety will always remain our top priority.”
While the panel agreed there is no one-fuel solution, they highlighted the importance of preparing now, especially as the training market for ammonia begins to grow.
At AET, we see the energy transition as a journey that requires strong collaboration across the industry, from safety training to knowledge-sharing, to ensure readiness for the next generation of fuels – and we remain committed to contributing to that collective effort.
