At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, more than 50 leaders across the spectrum of the shipping value chain – e-fuel producers, vessel and cargo owners, ports and equipment manufacturers – have signed a call to action to strengthen targets and commit to increasing the uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission shipping fuels to at least 5%, striving for 10%, by 2030.
Decarbonizing shipping
Organized by RMI, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, the UCL Energy Institute and the United Nations Foundation, the call to action demonstrates industry momentum to invest in decarbonization through scalable zero-emission fuel pathways. Ports and port service companies, alongside financiers, have also added their support to the call to action, committing to investing in hydrogen-derived fuel infrastructure and safety projects to support bunkering of e-fuels.
The joint statement calls for faster and bolder action to increase zero and near-zero emissions fuel uptake, investment in zero-emissions vessels and global development of green hydrogen infrastructure, leaving no country behind.
Industry collaboration
Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub was one of the signatories. Its managing director James Forsdyke said, “We are proud to be part of this initiative dedicated to expanding the production of green hydrogen as a marine fuel or as an enabler for synthetic zero to near-zero carbon fuels. One of the biggest tasks ahead of us is developing a robust and reliable green hydrogen supply chain to deliver zero carbon fuels to vessels in key maritime hubs in ways that are safe, sustainable and that benefit all shipping stakeholders, particularly seafarers and port communities.
“In line with the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub’s mission to accelerate the safe, sustainable and human-centric transition of the maritime industry, we have spearheaded initiatives like the Silk Alliance green corridor cluster and Maritime Fuel Supply Dialogues, to aggregate first mover efforts at a regional level and create stronger infrastructure for green hydrogen projects. Being part of this call to action reinforces our commitment to advance the use of hydrogen produced from renewable resources as an important tool in decarbonizing shipping.”
Future of shipping
The call to action comes as the maritime industry awaits the Marine Environment Protection Committee’s milestone convening in April 2025, where global regulatory architecture will be set for a global fuel standard and a greenhouse gas pricing mechanism to achieve the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Revised 2023 GHG Strategy’s ambition of achieving net-zero emissions in the maritime sector by 2050. According to the participating industry members, they are sending a strong signal to global regulators ahead of this convening that clearly defined regulation is needed to strengthen the business case to complement and amplify industry momentum toward decarbonization.
In anticipation of this regulatory milestone, the signatories outline several key recommendations to expedite the adoption of hydrogen-derived fuels, namely: the need for clear, ambitious mid-term measures; a balanced approach to revenue distribution to help bridge the cost gap between fossil fuels and scalable zero-emission fuels (SZEFs); and evidence that key milestones for practical use of SZEFs are advancing.
To align with a 1.5°C pathway, global green hydrogen production must double by 2030, translating to the uptake of at least 5 million metric tons of green hydrogen in the shipping sector. To accomplish this, the companies highlighted that coordinated action is needed across the supply chain to expand the supply and adoption of zero or near-zero-emission shipping fuels such as e-ammonia and e-methanol; build up the ecosystem synergistically; and deliver on a just and equitable transition.
“The Green Hydrogen Catapult is proud to support this initiative. Collaboration across the maritime value chain is key to an accelerated, just, and equitable transition of the sector to renewable fuels, and partnerships are key to building and maintaining momentum,” said Oleksiy Tatarenko, the leader of RMI’s hydrogen initiatives and the Green Hydrogen Catapult, a coalition of green hydrogen market leaders promoting the aggressive global adoption of green hydrogen.
In related news, Lloyd’s Register (LR), A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) and Core Power recently launched a joint regulatory assessment study to research the regulatory feasibility and frameworks that would need to be established for a nuclear container ship using a fourth-generation reactor noted for its high inherent safety to undertake cargo operations at a port in Europe. Click here to read the full story.