Navigating the maritime energy transition : a narrative analysis of Nordic short-sea shipping companies

The central focus of this study is to offer a micro-level examination of how Nordic short-sea shipping company representatives describe their role within the energy transition. We employed narrative analysis on RoPax/RoRo, a segment of short-sea shipping, company representatives to elucidate how elite interviewees narrate challenges and barriers to transitioning to low-emission fuels. The analysis revealed tensions related to the energy transition, namely concerns about IMO and EU policies not supporting technological change, technological and infrastructural limitations of transitioning, and the struggle to engage customers with the energy transition. Additionally, interviewees illustrated their knowledge of different decarbonization options, including the technical and commercial feasibility of different fuel options, alongside commenting on their involvement in the current policy environment. Interviewees expressed that their customers, both cargo and passenger, were unwilling to pay for the energy transition, many arguing that the customer should pay for the transition costs. Industry representatives could narrate their visions and pathway to their company's 2035 targets, but their narration of how to reach 2050 goals indicated a limited ability to only storify the sector's potential future accomplishments, but not how their company would reach the same targets. Nordic RoPax/RoRo Managers and C-level executives may have the drive or interest for transitioning to low-carbon fuels, but the lack of alignment with infrastructure, policy making that aligns with current technological know-how, cultural, users, and markets, and distribution systems makes transitioning a wicked problem.