The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) has announced that Hapag-Lloyd has won its inaugural tender – which will mean that ZEMBA members will be able to reap the environmental benefits of Hapag-Lloyd’s ‘independently certified waste-based biomethane shipping service’.
In a statement issued yesterday (16 April), the Aspen Institute (which facilitates ZEMBA) said: ‘Through this deal, more than a dozen ZEMBA members, including founding members Amazon, Patagonia, and Tchibo alongside Bauhaus, Brooks Running, DB Journey, Green Worldwide Shipping, Meta, New Balance, Nike, REI Co-op, and Sport-Thieme have collectively committed to purchase the environmental attributes associated with over 1 billion twenty-foot shipping container-miles of zero-emission shipping on a route from Singapore to Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2025-2026.’
The Aspen Institute said that ZEMBA members and Hapag-Lloyd are working with the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping and RMI on the development of a maritime book and claim system that will facilitate the verification and allocation of the environmental benefits (and emissions reductions) of Hapag-Lloyd’s service.
Ingrid Irigoyen, President and CEO of ZEMBA, commented: ‘Climate-leading customers of the maritime shipping sector are stepping up in support of zero-emission shipping and the supply chain is responding. As we embark on this partnership, we commend Hapag-Lloyd’s transparency, collaborative spirit, and willingness to innovate with ZEMBA on this inaugural tender.
‘Our collective procurement approach is working, and we look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what’s technically and economically feasible in subsequent tenders, with a strong focus on maritime e-fuels. Through this first set of deals, ZEMBA members are reducing emissions in the near term, which is critical. We are also strongly urging suppliers of maritime e-fuels and other zero and near-zero emission propulsion alternatives to accelerate their market readiness in preparation for our next tender.’
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, added: ‘We are proud to have been selected by ZEMBA for this important zero-emission shipping initiative and to be able to provide immediate emission reductions to ZEMBA members. To reach our goal of net-zero ship operations by 2045, we need partners like ZEMBA to support us on our decarbonization journey and push the boundaries of what’s possible. By offering our service, we aim to reduce greenhouse gas emission significantly and contribute to a greener future for global shipping.’
This first deal has been shortened from three to two years (2025-2026), to allow ZEMBA member to use the second tender to focus on supporting e-fuels and technologies of nonbiological origin from 2027 onwards. The second tender is anticipated to launch later in 2024.
ZEMBA’s announcement drew a mixed reception from climate NGOs. Aoife O’Leary, Director of the Skies and Sea Hydrogen-fuels Accelerator Coalition (SASHA), told Bunkerspot: ‘This ZEMBA initiative is a real step forward for the shipping industry in moving to truly sustainable fuels. But the outcome makes clear that without policy to ensure that green hydrogen and fuels produced from green hydrogen are supported, the only “alternative” fuels available to the industry will be LNG and biofuels. Neither of these present a long-term sustainable fuel solution for shipping and we’re glad that ZEMBA recognises this as well. That is why the SASHA Coalition is working with the shipping industry to ensure that policymakers understand the importance of creating an enabling atmosphere for the deployment of green hydrogen in these sectors.’
This article was originally published on BUNKERSPOT. Click here to see the full article.
