Sustainable Maritime Fuels Collaborative launched to drive maritime transition in Pacific Northwest

April 8, 2025, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

A new initiative has been launched to accelerate the availability, affordability and deployment of sustainable maritime fuels and low and zero-emission vessels and technology in the Pacific Northwest.

Facilitated by Washington Maritime Blue and with leadership from Port of Seattle, Northwest Seaport Alliance, Port of Tacoma, Washington Department of Commerce and the Consortium for Hydrogen and Renewably Generated E-fuels (CHARGE), the initiative is called the Sustainable Maritime Fuels Collaborative (SMF Collaborative).

Sustainable maritime fuels are the next generation of zero and near-zero-emission energy sources needed for the global maritime industry to address climate change, improve human health, and comply with the International Maritime Organization’s fuel standard and emission reduction requirements that will drive shipping decarbonization globally and in the Pacific Northwest.

The SMF Collaborative is expected to help guide the region’s maritime industry towards net-zero emissions by 2050, ensuring the Pacific Northwest remains globally competitive while confronting climate change and advancing environmental justice. This effort is driven by the need to meet growing international targets for shipping emissions, address increasing public expectations for maritime emission reductions, and address local workforce development challenges.

The SMF Collaborative will convene representatives from across the maritime value chain, including community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, the fuel industry, tribes, governments, ports, vessel owners and operators, labor, and workforce development organizations. Its objective is to take a cross-sector approach to enable a rapid and just transition to sustainable maritime fuels in the Pacific Northwest.

That includes leading research along the value chain from production to use cases to accelerate the adoption of sustainable maritime fuels, supporting policy development to enable practical deployment and use of sustainable maritime fuels, establishing regional definitions and standards for sustainable maritime fuels, enabling first-of-kind demonstration projects and fostering innovation, identifying and supporting career-connected clean energy workforce pathways, and ensuring meaningful engagement with near-port communities.

The Washington State Legislature has provided funding to support the development of the SMF Collaborative and its initial strategy. The SMF Collaborative is in its early stages and its planning committee has convened with facilitation funding by the Port of Seattle in order to establish a founding leadership committee. Over the next eighteen months, the leadership committee will expand to include diverse representation from all sectors involved in the sustainable fuels value chain and establish a sustainable model for ongoing regional collaboration and action.

The first task of the committee will be to refine the collaborative’s objectives, mission, strategy, and structure, with a report due to the Washington Legislature in June 2025.

“Washington has the opportunity to lead the nation and the world in developing the sustainable maritime fuels of the future. I’m pleased that the state of Washington is a partner in this critical work to protect our climate and to grow our local maritime economy,” Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, Washington State Legislature, 34th LD, commented.

“The Suquamish Tribe supports the continued promotion of sustainable maritime fuels as part of the greater effort to reduce our collective carbon footprint and reduce impacts on our fragile ecosystems that sustain treaty resources,” Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman said.

“Dual-fuel capable vessels are rapidly being deployed around the world, including 83% of the total orderbook for the world’s largest containerships. The use of alternative fuels by these vessels now depends upon the development of standards and new infrastructure to produce, distribute, and deliver the fuels of tomorrow to vessels. PMSA fully supports this effort to accelerate the adoption of sustainable maritime fuels,” Captain Mike Moore, Vice President of Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, highlighted.

“The global maritime industry is facing a multi-fuel future, and we have an opportunity to take local action to drive global change,” Port of Seattle Commissioner and Northwest Seaport Alliance Managing Member Sam Cho emphasized.

“The Port of Seattle and The Northwest Seaport Alliance are eager to support the Sustainable Maritime Fuels Collaborative to advance the maritime energy transition away from fossil fuels and lay building blocks that accelerate the availability, affordability, and use of zero and near-zero emission maritime fuels in the Pacific Northwest. This critical effort helps us chart a course to be a port for the future.”

“The transition to low-to-zero-emission fuels for ocean-going vessels and other maritime uses is already beginning. But ensuring its success through the development of regional infrastructure, alignment on alternative fuel preference across industry, and involvement of the communities we serve will require strong collaboration. The Port of Tacoma and The Northwest Seaport Alliance look forward to partnering in this effort on our way to eliminating maritime emissions by 2050 or sooner,” Port of Tacoma Commission President and Co-chair of The Northwest Seaport Alliance John McCarthy stated.

“Decarbonizing the maritime sector is key to advancing the clean energy transition here in the Pacific Northwest,” CHARGE Executive Director Aaron Feaver pointed out.

“Clean hydrogen plays a critical role in producing the low-carbon e-fuels needed for maritime decarbonization. As a hydrogen-focused innovation cluster, CHARGE is excited to support this effort and to help shape our region’s zero-emissions future.”

“Our region has a unique opportunity to lead the way in the clean energy transition for the maritime industry. The SMF Collaborative will harness our region’s leadership in clean energy, technology, research, development, and maritime innovation to drive economic development while ensuring a sustainable future,” Joshua Berger, President and CEO of Maritime Blue, concluded.