Baseblue at the East Med Marine & Offshore Exhibition 2025: A Conference with Valuable Insights

On 24 April 2025, Baseblue successfully hosted the Conference of the East Med Marine & Offshore Exhibition at the GrandResort Limassol, bringing together key figures from the maritime and energy sectors for a day of critical discussions on the evolving regulatory and fuel landscape.

The event opened with Welcome Remarks by Maria Skipper Schwenn, Director of Environmental Regulatory Affairs at Bunker Holding, who set the scene for the day’s sessions.

This was followed by a presentation on MEPC updates and developments delivered by Ioannis Efstratiou, Director of Safety & Environmental Directorate at the Shipping Deputy Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus, offering a timely overview of the latest regulatory changes from IMO.

Attendees then gained practical insights during George Nikolaidis’s session on EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime Compliance Strategies, where he outlined actionable approaches for shipping companies to meet new requirements effectively.

In a panel discussion moderated by Maria Skipper Schwenn, Baseblue’s own Maria Theodoridou presented a case study on Optimal Scheduling, Procuring, and Emission Compliance, with remarks from Monica Georgiou (Columbia Cruise), who shared real-world examples of how trading strategies are adapting to new regulations in the cruise industry.

After a networking coffee break, the agenda shifted toward innovation and future technologies with Konstantin Bronetskyi, Managing Director of Fuelink, presenting on AI in Marine Fuel Management and the advantages digital solutions offer in fuel procurement and performance optimisation.

One of the day’s most anticipated highlights was the fireside chat, moderated again by Maria Skipper Schwenn, where industry experts Maria Tzigianni (VeriFuel), Matthías Ólafsson (Carbon Iceland), and Christos Kottas (JP Morgan Asset Management) debated the potential of Biofuel, Methanol, and LNG as sustainable marine fuel options. Their lively discussion offered different perspectives on the technological, economic, and regulatory factors that will shape the adoption of alternative fuels.

The conference concluded with a market outlook session by MeiKei Lai from Argus Media, focusing on Alternative Fuel Availability and Market Trends, helping attendees understand what the supply landscape may look like in the coming years.

Following the closing remarks and key takeaways by Maria Skipper Schwenn, participants took advantage of networking opportunities. Later in the afternoon, Baseblue welcomed attendees to the booth (16,17) at the East Med Exhibition, where conversations continued around the future of bunkering and the energy transition.

Key Takeaways:

• Early action on MEPC 83 and FuelEU Maritime is critical to compliance success.
• AI and digital solutions will play a growing role in fuel management.
• We move forward to a multifuel future.
• Understanding market availability is key for future-proofing fuel strategies.