Maersk and China Classification Society Partner on Decarbonization R&D
Continuing its efforts to be at the forefront of the shipping industry’s efforts toward decarbonization, A.P. Moller – Maersk and China Classification Society (CCS) entered into a framework agreement to jointly work on decarbonization research aiming to speed up decarbonization in shipping. The agreement provides for undertaking in-depth research on feasible decarbonization pathways, innovative technologies, and different ship types focusing on the direction of future energy development.
Maersk is already a front runner in energy efficiency and decarbonization acknowledged Mo Jianhui, CCS Chairman and President during the signing ceremony in Beijing and joined with Denmark through a video link.
“By joining hands with Maersk, I believe we can develop the right set of standards, rules, and technical solutions for the benefit of the whole industry. We believe that open-minded discussions and trusted partnerships are key to make that happen, which will also contribute to China’s ambition of realizing the pledge of reaching peak emissions before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060,” said Mo Jianhui.
He said three expert groups will be established to research risk assessment and regulation development, life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, and the sustainability and availability of marine alternative fuels examining the development of methanol and ammonia-fueled container ships. Where appropriate, the participants will jointly apply for the Sino-Danish inter-governmental science and technology innovation cooperation project.
Jens Eskelund Managing Director of Maersk China Limited commented, “Maersk has set a clear and ambitious goal to become carbon neutral by 2050. China, as a globally leading maritime and shipbuilding nation, will be a crucial partner towards ensuring that our industry will be able to respond effectively to the climate change challenge. We are very pleased to join hands with CCS to collaborate on carbon-neutral technologies and standards and explore the opportunities for international cooperation within sustainable and zero carbon shipping.”
In the upcoming joint research, CCS will utilize its technical strength to promote cooperation among all parties to produce impactful results. Maersk is committed to proactively exploring feasible solutions for emission reduction of ships engaging in international voyages and is seeking to develop and apply new propulsion technologies and carbon-neutral fuels for ships. CCS is also working together with the industry to study and explore the pathways to carbon emissions peak and neutrality. The classification society, with a fleet of more than 32,000 vessels representing more than 171.8 million gross tons, reports that it is making rapid progress on innovative technologies for GHG emission reduction by the shipping industry, including the development of relevant rules and standards, as well as research into ships using alternative fuels.
“Maersk and CCS already have an established partnership,” noted Ole Graa Jakobsen, head of Maersk fleet technology. “The extension of cooperation to research green fuels and vessel development is adding a new and exciting dimension to our partnership. By leveraging CCS’ research capabilities, we believe we will have access to a broader range of high-quality resources to enable our journey towards a zero carbon future.”