Understanding Seafarers’ Acceptance of the Transition to Alternative Fuels in Shipping Through the Technology Acceptance Model

According to the International Maritime Organization, transitioning to alternative fuels is essential to achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Seafarers are at the frontline of this transition, and in this study, their attitude toward this strategy is analyzed using the technology acceptance model. The alternative fuels analyzed are liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol as short-term options and hydrogen and ammonia as long-term options. The analyzed seafarers are from South Korea, where alternative fuels are actively incorporated into shipbuilding and training. Across all fuels, perceived ease of use (PEOU) positively affected perceived usefulness (PU). PEOU and PU positively influenced attitude toward using (ATT). ATT and trust (TRU) significantly increased behavioral intention (BI), a finding that aligns with those of prior studies, while operational safety risk (OSR) also showed a positive effect on ATT. This indicates that seafarers became more aware of the need to use alternative fuels and expected improvements in managing related risks. Unlike OSR, environmental risk (ER) negatively affected ATT for hydrogen, consistent with prior risk perception studies. These findings suggest that to encourage alternative fuel use during the shipping industry’s energy transition, operational ease, enhanced risk management systems, and basic competency training and incentives are necessary to positively shape seafarers’ attitudes and behavioral intentions.