Decarbonization News

Container shipping companies like Maersk, CMA CGM and COSCO have ordered hundreds of new vessels in recent years meant to help their industry slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet rising demand from customers and regulators around the globe.Their order books, however, reflect uncertainty over which of a wide array of so-called green fuels will become the standard in the decades to come, and whether supplies will be cheap and abundant enough to keep their fleets in motion.Decarbonizing…

MSE International has won funding from TRIG 2024 to lead a new project, PRIMET; Port Recharging Infrastructure for Maritime Energy Transition.The project will accelerate the roll-out of port and harbor infrastructure needed to support the rapid expansion in vessel recharging and shore-powering facilities which are essential to realize the government’s Clean Maritime Plan. PRIMET will develop outline solutions for supplying energy to shore power/recharging facilities in three ports/harbors using in-port flow batteries to reduce the peak grid load and optimize utilization of in-port renewable energy, thereby strengthening the case for investment.

The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) and RMI (formerly Rocky Mountain Institute) are launching Katalist, a not-for-profit ‘book and claim’ registry designed to accelerate the shipping industry’s decarbonization journey.Regulations to reduce the carbon intensity of the marine industry are being introduced by both the EU and the IMO. Katalist aims to accelerate the process by connecting shipping companies adopting lower emission fuels with cargo owners…

The California Volkswagen (VW) Zero-Emission Freight and Marine (ZEFM) Program Administrator is preparing to open a statewide solicitation offering up to $25 million to owners of cargo handling equipment, heavy-lift forklifts and marine vessels for zero-emissions projects:• Repowering marine vessels, including ferries, tugboats, and towboats to zero-emission;• Replacing heavy-lift forklifts (with a lift capacity of 8,001 lbs. or greater) with zero-emission alternatives; and• Replacing…

Lloyd’s Register’s (LR) Maritime Decarbonisation Hub has conducted risk assessment workshops which indicate that a comprehensive overhaul of seafarer training is required as the industry transitions to zero and near zero GHG emission fuels.A report has been produced as a result of the workshops by the Maritime Just Transition Task Force (MJTTF), in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register’s Maritime Decarbonisation Hub and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Ocean Stewardship Coalition.

The push towards decarbonization is slowing down rather than speeding up. With ambitious global goals looming ever larger on the horizon, what can we do to re-invigorate collective efforts? And profit from that push? Ahead of next year’s Nor-Shipping, Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO Maritime DNV, says efficiency, timing and people are critical to “getting this show on the road.”Given the subject matter today, Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen seems remarkably optimistic.“I’m a glass half full kind of guy,” he says.

The RSD-E Tug 2513, which Damen delivered to SAFEEN Group earlier in 2024, has won a Guinness World Records title for the most powerful electric tugboat.The record was set by measuring the bollard pull of Damen RSD-E Tug 2513 Bu Tinah. With an average high peak pull of 78.2 tonnes, the vessel demonstrated performance unprecedented for a fully electric tug.The vessel was delivered by Damen to SAFEEN Group, part of AD Ports Group’s Maritime & Shipping Cluster, becoming the first fully electric tug to operate in the Middle East.The record-breaking performance took place at Khalifa Port…

Spanish wind propulsion systems supplier bound4blue has secured a major retrofit contract with Maersk Tankers, which includes the installation of 20 eSAIL wind assisted propulsion systems on five tankers.bound4blue’s type approved eSAIL suction sails are to be installed on Maersk's tankers in 2025 and 2026.Maersk identified the eSAIL as a solution of choice in partnership with green technology catalyst Njord, who assessed and evaluated a broad range wind-assisted propulsion systems…

The European Space Agency (ESA) has launched a new project DECARDIS, in partnership with Awake.AI, ABB and Wallenius Marine, to collaborate on a port call optimization solution, which focuses on helping ships cut greenhouse gas emissions by overcoming inefficiencies in the ship-port interaction.Under DECARDIS, short for Decarbonization through the Digitalization in Shipping, the project consortium will work together to develop a sea voyage and port call optimization solution.The…

At one of the world's biggest bulk export ports in Western Australia, shippers safely completed the first transfer of ammonia from one vessel to another last month, a key test for its adoption as a marine fuel in the push for cleaner energy.The first cargo ships powered by ammonia are set to enter service in 2026, one of several alternatives the industry is tapping to shrink a carbon footprint that contributes nearly 3% of global emissions.But ammonia faces major cost and safety hurdles as a shipping fuel compared to liquefied natural gas (LNG)…

Danish shipping group A.P. Moller - Maersk has entered into a long-term bio-methanol offtake agreement with LONGi Green Energy Technology for its dual-fuel methanol vessels.The agreement will contribute to lowering GHG emissions from Maersk’s growing fleet of dual-fuel methanol container vessels. LONGi will deliver bio-methanol produced at a facility in Xu Chang, Central China.With the addition of the LONGi volumes, Maersk is making progress in securing enough methanol for its owned dual-fuel methanol fleet of which seven vessels are already in operation.

Energy and marine consultancy ABL has signed a partnership agreement with technology start-up Satva Trust to provide its maritime domain expertise to further develop Satva Trust’s data analytics platform aimed at vessels decarbonization.Satva Trust is a climate data tech and fintech company that leverages blockchain, artificial intelligence/machine learning technologies to accurately predict vessel emissions. The company supports marine lenders, marine insurers, shipowners and vessel charterers.Under the agreement…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at accelerating the energy transition of the global maritime and port sectors.Under the MoU, MPA and IRENA will promote knowledge exchange and best practices across the maritime and energy industries, focusing on clean energy infrastructure and supply chains for zero and near-zero emission fuel.Additionally, the parties will support countries in their transition through capacity-building training programs.

Brazil's Petrobras is discussing a partnership with Vale to help the mining company lower carbon emissions, the state-run oil firm's Chief Executive Magda Chambriard said on Monday.The two Brazilian companies are among the largest in Latin America by market value.Chambriard said the firms will "help each other" decarbonize, with a possible deal in which Petrobras would supply marine fuel and diesel with renewable content for Vale to run its railways, ships and trucks."It's an effort by the two largest companies in Brazil towards decarbonization," Chambriard told journalists.Petrobras is alread

Estonian State Fleet announced a call for tender for the design and construction of a new, battery-powered electric ferry to serve the main islands in Estonia. "I’m proud to see Estonia leading the way in adopting environmentally sustainable technologies in the maritime sector to achieve this," said Estonian Minister of Infrastructure, Vladimir Svet. "The new ferry will be similar in size and capacity to the existing vessels but will be significantly more economical and environmentally sustainable."The new ferry will primarily be powered by green electricity…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) for design and development proposals for its electric patrol craft, as part of efforts to decarbonize and digitalize maritime operations.In addition to meeting MPA’s operational requirements, the designs must include safety features such as advanced battery management systems, secure battery compartments to maintain fire, gastight, and watertight integrity, and intelligent cooling systems for optimal thermal management.

Hurtigruten released updated plans for its Sea Zero project, a zero-emission ship scheduled to debut in 2030 which is now in its R&D phase. The ship, as designed today, will lean on large batteries, sails, and other solutions to sail emission-free during normal operation, while energy consumption could be reduced by 40-50%.Hurtigruten announced its Sea Zero project in October 2022, and unveiled its first set of renderings in summer 2023. A second version of renderings are now released…

Green hydrogen producer Lhyfe and low-carbon molecules specialist Elyse Energy have set out plans to jointly develop the production of e-methanol from green hydrogen at Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port area in France.The project, known as Green Coast, will be developed the heart of the Loire estuary’s industrial and logistics port ecosystem, to produce e-methanol – one of the key fuels for the decarbonization of maritime transport industry.In late 2023, Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port selected Lhyfe to set up an industrial production and distribution operation for green hydrogen.At the time…

OSK Design has launched the OSK Energy Insight calculator, an innovative tool designed to assist shipowners and operators in evaluating alternative energy options and reducing their environmental footprint.The OSK Energy Insight calculator simplifies the process of evaluating different energy solutions by offering a comprehensive analysis of energy data, OSK Design said.It generates detailed reports, showing shipowners the impact of transitioning to alternative energy sources…

Damen has signed a contract with the City of Toronto in Canada for the delivery of two fully electric ferries.The electric vessels will operate between the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in downtown Toronto and the Toronto Islands, a major tourist destination, located in a high traffic area close to the shores of Lake Ontario.Damen is building the Toronto ferries at its Galati yard in Romania, to a design produced by Quebec-based Concept Naval. The naval architect company has developed…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), through its wholly-owned subsidiary MOL Clean Energy US, has invested in HIF Global, a company developing and operating synthetic fuels (e-fuels) projects, including e-methanol which can be used as an alternative marine fuel for decarbonization of shipping industry.HIF has a production target of about 4 million tons per year of synthetic fuel (e-fuel) and synthetic methanol (e-methanol) from green hydrogen derived from renewable energy sources and recycled CO2 in four countries: the U.S.…

Technology group Wärtsilä, in partnership with Chevron Shipping Company, plans to convert one engine on six of Chevron Transport Corporation LNG Carriers from dual-fuel (DF) to spark gas (SG) operation to reduce methane emissions.The conversions are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by lowering methane slip in support of Chevron Shipping’s broader efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of its operations.The ‘marine industry first’ was made possible after two years of…

The Baltic Sea's irst green freight corridor has been launched, allowing for the transportation of Felix ketchup to Finland with a 90% reduction in emissions. This initiative, a collaboration between Orkla Suomi, Scandic Trans, and Viking Line, features a scheduled freight service powered by biofuel.Since July, Felix ketchup, produced by the Orkla Group in Fågelmara, has been shipped to Finland using biofuels. The process begins at the largest ketchup factory in the Nordic region, where Scandic Trans trucks transport the product to Viking Line’s terminal in Stadsgården, Stockholm.