Maritime Decarbonisation Awards celebrate innovation, thought leadership and a life's work

Marine Propulsion: Maritime Decarbonisation Awards

Start-up of the Year Award

This award recognises an embryonic company with demonstrated potential to be a game-changer when it comes to vessel optimisation, maritime decarbonisation and sustainability.

The winner of the Start-up of the Year Award 2024 was Syroco, with Kevin Ouadec - Sales Manager, collecting the award.

"We appreciate the recognition for the work done to support shipowners to decarbonise, improve energy efficiency and vessel performance. Also congratulations for all the awardees. Each step down the path for decarbonisation will make this industry more competitive and the world better for everyone," he said.

Green Finance Deal of the Year Award

Awarded to a financing deal that promotes and prioritises sustainability, vessel optimisation and contributes to maritime decarbonisation efforts and a more environmentally friendly and sustainable maritime industry.  

The winner of the Green Finance Deal of the Year Award 2024 was The Low Emission Methanol Shipping Company SCA. SICAV–RAIF (LEMSCO) fund, with Mariela Verhaaf-Olieberg, Account Manager Maritime, DNV, collecting the award.

"We’re very, very grateful for this award, which we regard as reflection of more than 30 sustainable finance transactions, with more than 20 maritime clients over the past four years," she said. 

Charterer of the Year Award

Recognising a vessel charterer that has proactively set new standards in vessel optimisation, maritime decarbonisation and sustainability.

The winner of the Charterer of the Year award, for implementing wind-assisted propulsion and vessel optimisation systems on its chartered vessels, was Cargill.

Rachel Hoyland, Of Counsel, Maritime Decarbonisation, Stephenson Harwood LLP accepted the award on Cargill’s behalf. 

Technology of the Year Award

Recognising a hardware or software that helps set new standards in vessel optimisation, maritime decarbonisation and/or sustainability.

The winner of the Technology of the Year Award 2024 was PortXchange, with Sjoerd de Jager, Managing Director and Co-founder collecting the award.

"We’re very grateful for being awarded in this prestigious category. Since its launch, the product has been able to support sustainability teams at ports, big and small, across the US, Europe and Singapore – with their data collection decarbonisation programmes. With Emission Insider, the teams can focus on actually running the projects while we dig out the data and reporting," he said.

Vessel of the Year Award

Recognising a vessel that has set new standards in vessel optimisation, maritime decarbonisation and sustainability.

The winner of the Vessel of the Year Award 2024 was Canopee, the world’s first hybrid industrial roro vessel with wind assistance, with Christophe Paillusseau, VP Sales & Marketing OceanWings collecting the award.

"Canopee has been sailing with the wings for the past year, with 1.3 tonnes [of fuel savings] per day, on average. So, it works, and we are happy to be here with you, celebrating this award," he said.

Marine Engine of the Year Award

Recognising an engine that sets new standards in vessel performance, maritime decarbonisation and sustainability.

The winner of the Marine Engine of the Year Award 2024 is Anglo Belgian Corp, for its Evolve 6EL23 multi-fuel, 6-cylinder medium-speed engine, with Jean-Christophe Van Acker - Sales Manager, collecting the award.

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award is in recognition of a lifetime dedicated to excellence and innovation in marine engineering and maritime decarbonisation. The winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award 2024 is KK Lee. 

Currently serving as Senior Vice President of High Power Systems at AVL List GmbH and Managing Director of AVL Zöllner Marine GmbH, Mr Lee continues to drive innovation in marine propulsion and power plant technologies. His focus on decarbonisation, alternative fuels and carbon capture and storage aligns with the industry’s push towards sustainability.

His influence extends beyond corporate roles. He serves as vice-chair of the CIMAC GHG Strategy Group and is involved in various maritime initiatives. His leadership in developing the world’s first and largest LNG-fuelled bulk carrier, compliant with the IMO IGF Code, demonstrates his unwavering commitment to advancing sustainable shipping practices.

Of particular note is his recent collaborative work with AVL colleagues and the World Maritime University. This research offers a novel approach to introducing hydrogen as a mixed form of maritime fuel, combined with an intensive greenhouse gas (GHG) investigation and a comprehensive lifecycle assessment (LCA) approach from ’well-tank-propeller’. This work is particularly significant as it aligns with IMO’s emerging focus on LCA approaches to GHG emissions, rather than solely on ship decarbonisation.

As a professor at the National Korea Maritime & Ocean University, Mr Lee shared his extensive knowledge with the next generation of maritime engineers, inspiring future innovators in the field.

Following a series of heartfelt words from his work colleagues and his son, Mr Lee took the stage with a reminder of the importance of the work being done to help decarbonise the maritime industry. 

"It’s a mystery that I share: what is the meaning of lifetime achievement and a lifetime achievement award," he said. "I would like to call on you, my friends and colleagues, because in my report across almost all of my life with maritime decarbonisation, I feel very strongly – I hope you would agree – that there is no silver bullet. And no single person and no single organisation that can achieve this goal. I think, in this sense, the role of the media is much more important than... ever," he said.

"Because the media provide a platform, and we can communicate and collaborate. This is a really good venue in which we can build our expertise and through which we can exhange our expertise. This is why I say, to you, as friends and colleagues: now is the time that we have to communicate more than ever, like friends. And we have to co-operate more than ever, like colleagues."

"Without communicating, co-operating, you’ll see what is happening outside. The climate is our responsibility to solve for the next generations. Because we borrowed this world from the next generations. So, we have to do something to make it slightly better."

---

The Maritime Decarbonisation Amsterdam event brought forward critical discussions on global decarbonisation strategies. But the journey doesn’t stop there.

On December 4, the series travels to Houston at the Maritime Decarbonization Conference Americas 2024.

This is your opportunity to engage with the next wave of insights and solutions shaping the future of maritime sustainability.

Sign up for updates