Trade and employer organisation Danish Shipping and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping have formalized their collaboration by signing a partnership agreement.
Under the agreement, Danish Shipping becomes an official partner to the center , committing to a long-term strategic collaboration in the development of a solid transition strategy for the maritime industry.
Specifically, the collaboration will be based on knowledge sharing within the opportunity space of future fuels including their application across segments as well as alignment on the identification and development of regulatory levers ensuring the envisaged transition towards zero-carbon shipping.
“Danish Shipping and their members are long time advocates for the development of a sustainable maritime industry. In joining the center, they bring on-board important capabilities enabling the identification of a policy framework and industry standards which will be key in accelerating the transition towards zero carbon shipping,” Bo Cerup-Simonsen , CEO of the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller for Zero Carbon Shipping, commented.
“Maersk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping will be a key player in the journey towards a CO2- neutral shipping industry. We at Danish Shipping are keen on taking part in this journey, and therefore we join them as knowledge partner,” Anne H. Steffensen , CEO of Danish Shipping, said.
Last week, Seaspan Corporation also signed a partnership agreement with the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, setting the course to develop carbon-neutral solutions and new alternative fuels.
Shipping’s road map to decarbonization
With 70,000 ships consuming 300 million tons fuel p.a., global shipping accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions, a share that is likely to increase as other industries tackle climate emissions in the coming decades.
Achieving the long-term target of decarbonization requires new fuel types and a systemic change within the industry. Shipping is a globally regulated industry, which provides an opportunity to secure broad-based industry adoption of new technology and fuels.
To accelerate the development of viable technologies a coordinated effort within applied research is needed across the entire supply chain. Industry leaders play a critical role in ensuring that laboratory research is successfully matured to scalable solutions matching the needs of industry. At the same time, new legislation will be required to enable the transition towards decarbonization.