Abstract
The global shipping sector has slowly begun to decarbonize yet has a long way to go. This chapter takes stock of the status of alternative fuels for ships and considers their future prospects. A key point of departure is that understanding the conditions for a transition to alternative fuels in shipping demands dual attention to, on the one hand, transformation potential in this highly heterogeneous sector, and the upscaling potential of alternative fuels on the other. We outline multiple paths towards decarbonization of shipping globally and discuss how these can be combined in different ways. Ultimately, the feasibility of different fuels relies on changes in upstream parts of energy value chains, such as renewable energy production, and the establishment of necessary distribution and bunkering infrastructure.