Decarbonising the Seas: Inside Shipping’s Energy Transition

Shipping moves 80–90% of the world's trade—but it's also one of the hardest industries to decarbonise.In this episode of Green Shift, David Austin and Dr. Victor Nian sit down with Riccardo Barbiellini, maritime and energy transition specialist at Bureau Veritas' Future Shipping Team. Riccardo works at the intersection of shipping, regulation, and decarbonisation, helping one of the world's most essential sectors navigate the shift to a low-carbon future.We explore:• What a sustainable ASEAN port city looks like in 2040• The IMO's MEPC 83 meeting and why political risk is slowing investment• Ammonia as a fuel: safety, toxicity, and whether it's a real solution• Where investment is actually going right now (LNG, AI, and efficiency)• Why top-down regulation is essential for hard-to-abate sectors• Singapore's MPA grants and the "sandbox" approach to ammonia trials• Biofuels from palm oil: plug-and-play potential vs. traceability problems• Nuclear-powered commercial shipping: silver bullet or essential option?• Bureau Veritas' timeline for commercially viable SMR vessels (2040)• Floating nuclear power plants for island nationsResources mentioned in this episode:White paper on nuclear energy in shipping:https://marine-offshore.bureauveritas.com/newsroom/bureau-veritas-contributes-new-industry-white-paper-role-nuclear-energy-shippingTechnical review on maritime nuclear development:https://marine-offshore.bureauveritas.com/newsroom/maritime-nuclear-developmentRead the deeper dive:Prefer reading to listening? Each episode is turned into a rich, detailed blog post with additional analysis and context:https://greenshift.substack.comFollow Green Shift:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/[YOUR_CHANNEL_ID]?sub_confirmation=1About Green Shift:Green Shift makes sense of the energy transition—from net zero and carbon markets to nuclear, renewables, and the policies shaping our future. Hosted by David Austin and Dr. Victor Nian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.