The 19th Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) conference held its largest-ever edition in Singapore last week, welcoming 19,431 attendees, alongside more than 819 exhibitors from 41 regions and countries, including 20 pavilions, and 112 speakers from across the globe.Amid the turnout, APM saw a significant number of announcements, covering product launches and the establishment of partnerships."The numerous deals and partnerships announced at the event underscore APM’s role beyond that of a maritime marketplace; it also serves as a platform for showcasing best in class innovations and setting the stage for solutions that will shape the future of the industry," said Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director of APM.This year’s event brought together participants from across Asia, including shipowners and shipyards. Notably, the Indonesian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA) led a delegation of 60 shipowners representing 20 shipping lines."As a long-standing partner of APM, we truly value the opportunity for Indonesian shipowners to engage in productive conversations with global solution providers and industry leaders, forge new partnerships, and connect with industry forerunners," added Carmelita Hartoto, INSA Chairwoman. "I am confident that the connections and insights gained at APM will shape Indonesia’s growing maritime industry and drive innovation in vessel operations."New agreements to explore opportunities in hybrid and electric vessel propulsion developmentA myriad of deals, showcases, and partnerships that focused on reducing emissions were announced, including: forming of industry partnerships led by VC Power, including collaboration with Bureau Veritas Marine Singapore on promoting battery technology as a practical and sustainable energy solution; with DNV Singapore for joint development of marine battery training programmes; and with Chengrui Power Technology (Shanghai) and CATL to advance marine battery supply and integration.Another highlight was a collaboration partnership agreement to advance hybrid-electric fleet technology for offshore wind support vessels. This agreement was signed between Siemens Energy and Marco Polo Shipyard.Call for continued discussion on alternative fuels amid energy supply disruptionsAPM organisers said that amid the delay in adopting IMO’s net-zero framework and the oil and gas trade disruption caused by current geopolitical conflicts, it has become more crucial to empower decision-makers with a broader range of energy sources and more efficient solutions. Therefore, the focus on alternative fuels at APM 2026 has become a timely conversation.The conference posited that conversations on alternative fuels need to continue to progress, despite uncertainty in formal regulatory adoption, especially given the concerns over energy sovereignty. For instance, during the “Ammonia as a Marine Fuel: Unlocking Safety and Scale” panel, panellists debated on the readiness of ammonia-cable engines and bunkering systems for commercial deployment.Meanwhile, during the panel, “Securing LNG’s Long-Term Viability as a Shipping Fuel”, speakers discussed the renewed LNG uptake despite the pressure to accelerate decarbonisation, evaluating the fuel’s long-term competitiveness with the popularity of bio-LNG and e-LNG.Separately, the panel on “The Future of Electrification in Shipping: What’s Next?”, highlighted the growing adoption of lithium iron phosphate batteries, driven by rapid technological advances and increasing range. It also noted that electrification could lead to the increased adoption of small modular nuclear reactors, though safety and design considerations remain key.One of the other notable activities at the conference was the unveiling of the world's first full-hybrid oil and gas crewboat, which was designed and built by Singapore's Penguin International. The 42-metre Pelican Peace was built on a true parallel hybrid architecture that automatically switches between operating modes.APM will return for its 20th edition on March 22 to 24, 2028.For more exhibition and conference highlights, please visit the event website, LinkedIn, or Facebook pages.
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