IBIA: Fueling Now and the Future

Thursday, November 19, 2026 13:30 to 20:30

1. 13:30 to 14:00

   Registration

   Registration and arrival ahead of the opening of the Forum.

2. 14:00 to 14:20

   Welcome and Opening Remarks

   Caroline Yang · Clarence Woo

   Opening remarks from IBIA and Global Centre for Green Fuels (GCGF), setting the context for the afternoon and introducing the key themes shaping the marine energy transition.

3. 14:20 to 14:35

   Keynote Address: Hong Kong Government

   Amy Chan

   Hong Kong’s approach to sustainable maritime development, energy transition and its role as a regional bunkering hub.

4. 14:40 to 14:55

   Alternative Marine Energy Market Outlook

   Jason Stefanatos

   An overview of market developments, regulatory drivers, fuel availability, infrastructure investments and future trends shaping marine energy choices.

5. 15:00 to 15:15

   Biofuels Presentation

   KK Wan

   Biofuels offer one of the fastest pathways to reducing emissions using existing vessels and infrastructure. This session will review supply availability, operational experience and future growth potential.

6. 15:20 to 15:35

   LNG Presentation

   Han Wee Chua

   LNG continues to play an important role in reducing shipping emissions today. The presentation will examine market developments, infrastructure growth and LNG's role within a broader transition strategy.

7. 15:40 to 15:55

   Methanol Presentation

   Chester Lee

   Methanol is gaining momentum as a marine fuel with growing vessel orders and infrastructure investments. This session will explore deployment challenges and opportunities across the value chain.

8. 16:00 to 16:15

   Ethanol Presentation

   Dr Eladio Penaloza

   Ethanol is emerging as a promising marine fuel solution. The presentation will discuss technology readiness, fuel supply, emissions performance and future deployment prospects.

9. 16:20 to 16:50

   Networking Break

   An opportunity for delegates to connect with fellow participants and continue the discussions arising from the afternoon's presentations.

10. 16:50 to 17:40

    Panel Discussion: Alternative Marine Fuels – From Opportunity to Adoption

    Chris Chatterton · Han Wee Chua · Chester Lee · KK Wan · Dr Eladio Penaloza

    A maritime industry discussion focused on the practical realities behind future fuel decisions.The panel will explore the considerations influencing investment and procurement choices, including vessel requirements, engine technology, fuel availability, safety, infrastructure, regulatory compliance and commercial viability.

11. 17:45 to 18:35

    Panel Discussion: Shipping's Perspective – What Will Drive Fuel Choice?

    Charles "Bud" Darr · James Ieong · Niraj Nanda · Sotiris Raptis · Dimitris Monioudis

    Representatives from across the alternative fuels landscape will examine what is required to move from technical and commercial potential towards wider industry adoption.The discussion will consider competitiveness, fuel availability, infrastructure, regulation and the practical pathways that could support increased uptake of biofuels, LNG, methanol and ethanol.

12. 18:35 to 18:45

    Closing Remarks

    Alexander Prokopakis

    A summary of the key themes and insights from the Forum, together with reflections on the importance of continued industry collaboration as the marine energy landscape develops.

13. 19:00 to 20:30

    Networking Cocktail Reception

    Delegates are invited to continue the conversation at the Forum's Networking Cocktail Reception, bringing together participants and industry colleagues for an informal close to the programme.

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  Amy Chan

  Commissioner for Maritime and Port Development; Deputy Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Transport and Logistics Bureau

  Biography Amy Chan

  Miss Chan is Commissioner for Maritime and Port Development/ Deputy Secretary for Transport and Logistics of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. She is responsible for formulating policies on matters relating to Hong Kong’s role as an international maritime centre, a leading hub port, a green maritime fuel bunkering and trading centre, as well as a regional logistics hub. Prior to joining Transport and Logistics Bureau in May 2023, Miss Chan served in various government bureaux and departments, including Marine Department, University Grants Committee Secretariat, Home Affairs Department, then Transport and Housing Bureau, etc.

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  Chris Chatterton

  Maritime Director, Global Centre for Green Fuels Limited

  Biography Chris Chatterton

  Chris Chatterton is an international executive with 25+ years’ experience across maritime, energy, shipping, renewables, and infrastructure in Asia, Europe, the Middle East Advisory Board and the Americas.At the Global Centre for Green Fuels GCGF, he focuses on the development and safe adoption of sustainable marine fuels. He was a primary architect of the Maritime Ethanol & Methanol Alliance (MEMA), helping align industry stakeholders to accelerate the safe and scalable adoption of methanol in shipping.He previously spent nearly a decade as COO of the Methanol Institute, leading global market development for methanol as a marine fuel, MtJfeed and other energy applications.Earlier in his career, he held senior executive roles at two of the largest integrated oil and gas companies in Russia and Ukraine, and senior management positions at the AES Corporation, Volvo and Maersk. He has led major international businesses, transformation programmes and capital initiatives, including multiple IPOs (agriculture and energy).He remains active in the energy transition ecosystem as a founder, mentor and Advisory Board Centre Certified Chair™, with a focus on sustainable fuels and maritime decarbonisation. He contributes to initiatives through MPA, IMO, IBIA, INTERCARGO, SGMF, BIMCO, the Clean Marine Fuel Forum and Green Marine Group.

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  Han Wee Chua

  Strategic Customer Director, Shell

  Biography Han Wee Chua

  As Strategic Customer Director, Han Wee works with Shell’s Marine customers across Asia to advance decarbonisation strategies and implement tangible solutions. With deep expertise in sustainability and the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors, Han Wee brings a holistic perspective on the energy transition, spanning across different transportation modes. Over the course of his career at Shell, he has held diverse roles in commercial, business development, marketing, and supply chain management across various business units, including Marine, Aviation and Lubricants.

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  Charles "Bud" Darr

  President & Chief Executive Officer, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)

  Biography Charles "Bud" Darr

  Charles “Bud” Darr is President and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which provides a unified voice for the industry as the leading authority of the global cruise community. In this role, Bud oversees CLIA’s operations across five key regions—North America, Europe, the UK and Ireland, Australasia, and Brazil/Latin America—as the industry advances policies and practices that foster safe, healthy, and sustainable cruise operations. Appointed in February 2025, Bud returned to CLIA after previously serving as Senior Vice President of Technical and Regulatory Affairs from 2010 to 2017. Before rejoining CLIA, he was Executive Vice President for Maritime Policy and Government Affairs at MSC Group for over seven years.

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  James Ieong

  Representative for HKSOA and Founder and Chairman, Pagoda Capital

  Biography James Ieong

  James IEONG is Founder and Chairman of Pagoda Capital, which he established in 2015 with a focus on technology, renewable energy and healthcare. In 2022, James invested and co-founded Climate Impact Corporation, leading the development of mega-scale off-grid green hydrogen facilities in Australia which targets to produce green ammonia, e-methane and e-methanol for exports to Asia and Europe.With over 30 years of experience in private equity and asset management, James served sovereign wealth funds (China Investment Corporation and QIC) with responsibilities to set up their private equity and infrastructure investment. He maintains extensive networks across global institutional investors, positioning him as a distinctive voice on the intersection of responsible investment, governance and renewable energy transition.Previously James held senior management positions in State Street, JP Morgan and Credit Suisse.

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  Chester Lee

  Deputy Chief Operating Officer, The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas)

  Biography Chester Lee

  Chester Lee is the Deputy Chief Operating Officer – Commercial, Green Fuels and Chemicals at The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas), where he is responsible for the commercial strategy and market development of the company's VENEX green methanol business. He leads the development of global commercial partnerships and projects that support the growth of Towngas' green methanol portfolio and the transition to sustainable marine fuels.With more than 25 years of experience in the energy, petrochemical, and logistics sectors, Chester is focused on accelerating renewable energy growth across the Asia-Pacific region. He began his career as a mechanical engineer before relocating to China, where he spent over 15 years in the chemical storage and logistics industry with leading international companies including Royal Vopak, Helm AG, and Odfjell SE. He later returned to Singapore to serve as President, Asia of Odfjell Terminals, overseeing the company's regional operations and strategic growth initiatives.Prior to joining Towngas, Chester was with MOL Chemical Tankers, where he played a leading role in the successful US$1.8 billion acquisition of LBC Tank Terminals. The transaction strengthened the integration of land-based and maritime logistics capabilities, creating long-term synergies while supporting sustainability objectives and the pathway toward carbon neutrality. Across these positions, he spearheaded regional storage transformations, strategic M&A execution, and new energy investments.Chester holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). With deep expertise in cross-border supply chains and state-owned enterprise (SOE) engagement, Chester bridges commercial strategy and operational execution across China, the Asia-Pacific region, and global energy markets.

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  Dimitris Monioudis

  Chairman Technical & Operations Committee, International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO)

  Biography Dimitris Monioudis

  Dimitris was born in London. He graduated from Athens College, Greece and went on to undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Marine Engineering and Marine Technology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.He has over 35 years of experience in shipping, having dealt with a multitude of technical, purchasing, crewing, financial, operational and legal aspects within the industry as well as repairs, acquisitions and newbuilding projects in Japan, South Korea and China.He is Managing Director at one of the oldest London-Greek shipping companies (established in 1921 in London) which has operated geared bulk carriers, product oil tankers and combination ore/oil carriers over recent years as well as Chairman of the Technical and Operations Committee (ITOC) of the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) which represents the interests of over 500 members, operating 45% of the global deep sea dry cargo fleet.Dimitris is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology and an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute.He presently sits on various industry bodies including the Council of the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee, DNV West Europe Owners’ Committee, Bureau Veritas UK & Ireland Committee and Technical Committees of Lloyds Register (Global), ABS (Europe), Korean Register (Greece) and the Union of Greek Shipowners. He is also a member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the China Maritime Arbitration Commission, the Marshall Islands Quality Council, the Board of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, the Marine Technical Managers Association of Greece and the International Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Crime Services Advisory Board.Last but not least he is proud to be serving as President of the Hellenic Engineers Society of Great Britain.

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  Niraj Nanda

  Chief Commercial Officer, Anglo-Eastern

  Biography Niraj Nanda

  Niraj Nanda is Chief Commercial Officer of Anglo-Eastern, responsible for the company’s commercial strategy, sales, marketing, external communications and ESG reporting. He is a member of the executive team and works closely with clients to support long-term commercial relationships.With nearly three decades at Anglo-Eastern, Niraj has a deep understanding of the organisation and the industry. He began his career at sea, attaining the rank of Master before moving to the Mumbai Office in 2009 and relocating to Hong Kong in 2016.Niraj currently oversees client growth and reporting for over 700 vessels. Over the course of his career with the company, he has held several senior roles, including Director of Crew Management, where he grew the crew management portfolio to more than 250 vessels. As General Manager of Anglo-Eastern India, he led crewing operations and oversaw more than 2,000 seafarer recruitments annually. He was also involved in the establishment of Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy (AEMA) where he led the Trainees Division.Notably, he was a top finalist for the ‘Young Person of the Year’ award at the CrewConnect Global Industry Awards in 2018, reflecting his impact in the maritime sector.

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  Dr Eladio Penaloza

  Maritime Policy and Decarbonization Consultant, US Grains & Bioproducts Council

  Biography Dr Eladio Penaloza

  Eladio Peñaloza, PhD, is Global Maritime Policy Consultant to the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC), advising its global maritime program on the policy, regulatory, stakeholder, and project-development pathways.A former Permanent Representative of Panama to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Dr. Peñaloza has also consulted for IMO and other United Nations agencies, supporting sustainable maritime transport, marine environmental protection and MARPOL Annex VI implementation across Latin America and the Caribbean. He previously led the IMO/EU-funded Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre for Latin America, advancing regional capacity building, ship energy efficiency and emissions reduction.He currently advises the Council on ethanol’s potential as an emerging alcohol-based alternative marine fuel.

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  Alexander Prokopakis

  Executive Director, IBIA

  Biography Alexander Prokopakis

  Alexander is the Executive Director of IBIA. Under the direction of IBIA’s Chair and Board he is leading the Secretariat, heading all the activities of the organization and he is responsible for the overall management of the Association.Alexander was the founder and CEO of PRO Holdings and the architect of the probunkers project. Prior to founding probunkers, he served Mamidakis Brothers Group as a senior executive, leading all of the Group’s Shipping, Bunkering and Aviation activities, through its respective companies: JetOil, JetTank and STYGA Compania Naviera. Mr. Prokopakis has over 25 years of professional experience in leadership positions, over which he has attained deep knowledge and expertise mainly in the industry of shipping and bunkering. He is a Graduate of St. John’s University with an MBA in Executive Management and holds a BSc Degree in Business Management from the State University of New York.

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  Sotiris Raptis

  Secretary General, European Shipowners | ECSA

  Biography Sotiris Raptis

  Sotiris took his first steps in the world of shipping as a policy advisor in the European Parliament back in 2010. He joined ES|ECSA as Director of Environment and Safety in 2020 and took on the role of Secretary General in 2022. Before leading ES|ECSA, Sotiris held several positions in different stakeholder organisations, such as the European Sea Ports Organisation and the NGO Transport & Environment. Sotiris is a qualified lawyer, with degrees from the University of Thessaloniki, the University of Athens and King’s College London. In 2008, he was awarded the European Citizen’s Prize of the European Parliament as member of the “G700” blog for promoting intergenerational justice.

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  Jason Stefanatos

  Global Decarbonization Director, DNV

  Biography Jason Stefanatos

  Jason Stefanatos is the Global Decarbonization Director in DNV Maritime, where he has worked for the past 15 years in Greece and Norway in various positions, including R&D and Advisory. He holds a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the NTUA. Through his role as Decarbonization Director, he has been actively supporting the industry and mainly Ship-owners with the new environmental regulations, rising decarbonization technologies, uptake of new fuels, energy efficiency improvements, and emissions management and handling. Further to that he has been leading the development of new services related to GHG regulations.

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  KK Wan

  Head of Alternative Fuel, Chimbusco Pan Nation Petro-Chemical Co Ltd

  Biography KK Wan

  KK Wan brings more than ten years of marine fuel experience to his role as Head of Alternative Energy. A pioneer in the field, he led Hong Kong’s first marine biofuel bunkering in 2023 and expanded CPN’s marine biofuel footprint into Singapore in 2024. He continues to advance CPN’s supply of marine biofuel B24, B30, and B100. Having set national records by executing China’s largest marine biofuel B24 and B30 deliveries, he has established CPN as the region's top supplier. He remains dedicated to accelerating global decarbonization through the development of methanol and other sustainable fuel solutions.

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  Clarence Woo

  Managing Director, Global Centre for Green Fuels Limited

  Biography Clarence Woo

  With over three decades of experience in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, Clarence brings unparalleled expertise in clean energy policy, fuel standards, and environmental sustainability. He has worked extensively with governments across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, advising on the development of energy policies that foster environmental and economic growth.For more than two decades, Clarence served as the Executive Director of the Asian Clean Fuels Association (ACFA), where he was instrumental in promoting cleaner fuels and supporting initiatives aimed at reducing emissions across the region. His work at ACFA made him a leading voice in the adoption of sustainable fuel practices in Asia, and his expertise in navigating complex regulatory landscapes earned him recognition as a thought leader in the field.Clarence has also held senior roles in the corporate sector, including his time at Ethyl Corporation, where he managed petroleum additive sales across the Asia Pacific region and helped drive the development of fuel additive solutions. His deep understanding of fuel technologies and regulations led to significant contributions in the Asia Pacific market and beyond.Clarence is a well-respected thought leader in his field and regularly engages in dialogues and high-level discussions at international forums. He has also been a prominent speaker at over 50 international conferences across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the United States and Europe, sharing his insights and expertise on clean fuel policy and sustainable energy solutions.

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  Caroline Yang

  IBIA Asia Chair and CEO, Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd

  Biography Caroline Yang

  Caroline Yang is the CEO of Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd, a leading bunker craft operator in Singapore.Caroline has over 30 years of experience in the shipping industry. Kickstarting her career as Hong Lam Marine’s in-house legal counsel in 1991, Caroline progressed to the appointment of Executive Director in 2002. In her current role as CEO, she also directly oversees the legal and human resources functions in the company.Caroline holds a L.L.B. Honours from the University of London and a B.A. Honours from the National University of Singapore. She has been called to the Bar of England and Wales and the Bar of Singapore in 1992 and 1995 respectively.Caroline was the President of Singapore Shipping Association (2019 to 2025), Board Member of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (2019 to 2025) and Singapore Maritime Foundation (2019 to 2025), and one of four Vice-Chairs of International Chamber of Shipping (2021 to 2025).