Maritime Energy Transition. Issues, Challenges and Means of Action

Maritime transport performs particularly well in terms of energy efficiency and CO ₂ emissions compared with other modes of transport, but given the scale of volumes transported, it accounts for between 3% and 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Like other industrial sectors, this mode of transport needs to accelerate its energy transition, and all the more so as international and European regulations coming into force from 2023 could soon be aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050. Beyond the challenges specific to the maritime sector, this transition is essential for the economy of France and Europe. Maritime transport is an essential means of importing and exporting raw materials, energy, equipment, foodstuffs and consumer goods. Without ships that comply with regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, or that have significantly limited their sailing speed in order to comply with them as a last resort, it will no longer be possible for the maritime sector to ensure all of these vital exchanges for our globalized economies. To make this transition a success, players in the maritime and energy sectors will have to innovate and make unprecedented investments, in a very short space of time, in a regulatory and technological context that is still highly uncertain. Decarbonizing this sector will also mean shortening innovation cycles, so as to bring high-performance solutions to market quickly, while at the same time ensuring that they are economically viable and competitive with current carbon-based solutions.

This article provides an introduction to the issues involved in the energy transition of maritime transport. After recalling the importance of this sector in today's global and national economy, the state of CO ₂ emissions attributable to this sector and the regulations aimed at reducing them, it sets out in a comprehensive manner the various means of action contributing to the goal of decarbonizing the maritime sector. The article draws on a wealth of data and bibliographical references, offered in the "Find out more" section.