Shipping accounts for around 2 percent of the planet’s energy-related carbon footprint. To shrink those emissions down to zero and in line with the Paris Agreement, the shipping industry needs to urgently find alternative, more efficient fuels to power its oceangoing vessels.
Well aware of the urgency of the issue, shipping giant Maersk has recently decided to ramp up its climate action efforts by announcing plans to launch a carbon-neutral vessel by 2023 — seven years ahead of schedule. The move comes as part of its broader goal to reduce its environmental footprint and hit a target of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
According to the Danish firm, the world’s largest shipping company, the carbon-neutral vessel will consume e-methanol or bio-methanol as fuel, but it will also still be able to run on standard very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) if needed.
The company will also adapt all of its new vessels with new technologies that will enable them to run on carbon-neutral fuels, as well as green up the engines of ships recently built or still under construction.
As the largest container shipping company in the world, Maersk holds a unique position to rapidly shape the future of a clean shipping industry by inspiring others to follow in its footsteps.
