Navigating uncharted waters: Wärtsilä’s journey to decarbonize global shipping and energy in International Shipping News 09/03/2026 For Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä, decarbonization means reimagining how a 190-year-old company can drive change from within two of the world’s hardest-to-abate industries: shipping and energy. Few companies are as deeply embedded in the world’s infrastructure as Wärtsilä. Its engines power cargo ships that carry 80% of global trade; its hybrid energy systems keep lights on in remote communities, and its digital technologies balance renewable grids across continents. The Finnish company operates in more than 70 countries and employs about 18,000 people. Its reach is vast – and so is its impact. Shipping and energy together account for roughly 35% of global CO₂ emissions, placing Wärtsilä at the heart of the decarbonization challenge. For Agnevall, that position is both a burden and a privilege. “At Wärtsilä, we serve two industries – marine and energy,” he explains. “Marine is about 60% of our business; energy is 40%. The same piston-engine technology sits at the core of both. Our strategy, in one word, is decarbonization.” It’s a bold goal for a company long known for building some of the world’s most powerful engines. But Agnevall insists that transformation is part of Wärtsilä’s DNA. “We shouldn’t be shy about it,” he says. “We are part of the problem, but also part of the solution. The good news is that the technologies for decarbonized shipping and 100% renewable power already exist. The challenge is scaling them and making them financially viable.” That challenge now defines Wärtsilä’s mission. The company is racing not just to cut its own footprint, but to help entire industries transition to cleaner fuels, smarter systems, and more resilient networks. For Agnevall, it’s the ultimate test of leadership: how to turn engineering excellence into climate impact, and how to make a 190-year-old industrial icon a catalyst for a zero-carbon future. Decarbonizing shipping and energy isn’t a linear path. It’s a balancing act between technological progress, global regulation, and the practical realities of infrastructure that was built for another era. The challenge: Balancing urgency with reality in the race to net zero Decarbonizing shipping and energy isn’t a linear path. It’s a balancing act between technological progress, global regulation, and the practical realities of infrastructure that was built for another era. Wärtsilä stands at the intersection of those worlds, driving one of the most complex transitions in modern industry. “The speed at which the marine and energy industries are moving to meet decarbonization goals is accelerating,” says Agnevall. “In the coming 10 years, there will be more happening in these sectors than in the previous 30 or 40, and it’s all centered around decarbonization.” The company can design engines that run on ammonia, hydrogen, or green methanol, but technology alone isn’t enough. “It’s one thing to have the technology,” Agnevall explains. “It’s another to have the fuel available and the infrastructure in place.” Each innovation depends on a vast and uneven global ecosystem of shipyards, ports, suppliers, energy grids, and policy frameworks. Some markets, like Norway, Singapore, and Japan, are moving quickly. Others are still building the foundations for change. This uneven readiness creates a difficult equation. The shipping industry alone operates more