Grimaldi Group President warns of EU threat to maritime energy transition

Grimaldi Group President Guido Grimaldi has warned that initiatives such as ETS and FuelEU pose a serious threat to the maritime energy transition. The President of the Port Authority of Igoumenitsa was speaking at the annual conference of the Hellenic Shortsea Shipowners Association (EENMA) in Athens.

This year’s event was entitled Walking Into a New Era, and served as a platform for dialogue  on the future of short sea shipping.

Mr Grimaldi highlighted the soaring costs faced by shipping companies as a result of environmental regulations and trading schemes, saying there is a danger that customers could turn to road transportation as an alternative.

“European shipping risks becoming the victim of Europe’s own green policy,” he said.

“Europe is punishing the very sector that keeps its trade alive. If we continue like this, we’ll lose the green transition before it even begins.”

According to figures he presented, European shipping companies will face:

€2.5 billion in ETS costs in 2024,

€5.7 billion in 2025, and

over €8 billion in 2026.

“These aren’t theoretical numbers,” he stressed. “These are funds that could have been invested in new vessels, zero-emission technologies, and port infrastructure. Instead, they’re being lost in a bureaucratic vortex with no tangible benefit for shipping.”

He called for ETS and FuelEU revenues to be reinvested into the maritime sector through dedicated funds supporting the transition to clean fuels and green ports.

The full story can be read here.

Source: ProThema