IMO DCS 2024: A reality check for shipping

Biofuel was the major driver for increased consumption of alternative fuels, surpassing the 1 million tonne mark in 2024 and contributing 6.2% to the demand for alternative fuel energy. The IMO Secretariat highlights the need to improve the current reporting provisions for biofuels, as the categorisation of these fuels under “others” creates uncertainty. Among alternative fuels, the share of methanol has gradually increased threefold since 2019 (0.11% in 2019 to 0.34% in 2024).

Source: IMO DCS, Drewry Maritime Research

Is the adoption of alternative fuels reducing emissions?

Overall, CO₂ emissions from vessels reporting on IMO DCS rose 5.5% YoY in 2024.  Even as ships reduce their operational speeds to lower their carbon-emission intensity, demand for vessels has been increasing to serve global trade and to cater for the longer Cape of Good Hope (COGH) route due to the Red Sea crisis, raising absolute emissions from the shipping sector. In response to this higher demand, the container sector recorded an 11.7% increase in deadweight tonnage in 2024, the highest among all sectors.

Source: IMO DCS, Drewry Maritime Research

While the global fleet’s average speed has dropped since regulations such as the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and the Carbon Intensity Index (CII) came into effect, the average speed of the container and LNG sectors increased in 2024. The latter’s average speed increased slightly as a few of its slower steam turbine vessels were scrapped.

Source: IMO DCS, Drewry Maritime Research

The ratio of CO₂ emissions per unit of distance travelled has been declining, thanks to the reduction in speed, and installation of propulsion improvement devices and energy-saving technologies. However, the increase in average vessel size is leading to higher CO₂ emissions per vessel in the fleet.

Source: IMO DCS, Drewry Maritime Research

Regulation push continues, but average compliance reduces

With 2024 being the second year of the CII regulation, vessels were expected to implement energy efficiency measures to comply, but instead, the fleet's average compliance¹  decreased 0.5% in 2024 (from 77.8% compliant vessels in 2023 to 77.3% in 2024). 

Source: IMO DCS, Drewry Maritime Research

Upon comparing the 2024 CII data with the previous year’s ratings shows that major cargo-carrying sectors, other than Gas carriers (including LNG carriers), are struggling to maintain compliance. For instance, the share of compliant vessels in the container sector decreased 5% in 2024 due to increases in speed, deadweight tonnage and hours underway. 

Note: The above calculation includes only vessels that reported their CII ratings to IMO DCS.

Source: IMO DCS, Drewry Maritime Research

That said, the report also highlights a 0.5% further reduction in supply-based carbon intensity² , taking it 31.5% below 2008 levels. This can be attributed to the increase in deadweight tonnage and distance covered by shipping, along with limited increase in fuel consumption in 2024 compared to 2023. The IMO has until 2030 to reduce carbon intensity by 40% to meet its target. 

Source: IMO DCS

¹  For this analysis, A-, B- and C-rated vessels are considered CII-compliant, whereas vessels with D and E ratings are considered non-compliant. While these non-compliant vessels are still allowed to sail for now, they are required to comply in the upcoming years.

²  “Supply-based carbon intensity” considers the carbon emissions with respect to aggregate capacity of available vessels.