Gearing up for MEPC 84 Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. Wendy Laursen , Contributing Writer Wendy Laursen has more than 20 years of experience as a journalist.... April 23, 2026 Source: IMO The shipping industry is getting ahead of discussions at MEPC 84 next week by reaffirming their commitment to the IMO. BIMCO, CLIA, ICS, INTERCARGO, INTERFERRY, INTERTANKO and WSC, representing the global commercial shipping fleet, issued a statement saying they remain committed to pursuing the ambition established within the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, having invested and committed billions of dollars to trial and implement the use of alternative fuels and innovative technology. That investment is in doubt after the postponement in October 2025 of the adoption of new IMO GHG regulations. A number of countries changed their positions after threats from the United States, including tariffs and reprisals for any country that supported the framework. However, the postponement has not entirely dampened ambition, and shipowners, OEMs and ports continue to push forward with technology developments needed for alternative fuels and technologies. That includes this week’s announcement by Everllence of the successful factory acceptance test of its first ammonia-burning engine built by licensee Engine & Machinery of Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. Everllence has expressed concern over the current viability of the IMO’s 2023 GHG Strategy that aims for net‑zero emissions from international shipping by or around 2050. The company has stated that this will only be achievable by combining alternative fuel newbuilds with large‑scale engine conversions. Klaus Rasmussen – Project Sales Director, PrimeServ Denmark – Everllence, said: “The retrofit market is currently in the doldrums with shipowners backing off investment until clarity arrives regarding IMO rules. This leaves a huge gap in the attainability of the Framework. Without these retrofits, it will