Mærsk-led partnership backs zero carbon shipping efforts with US$60M

Maersk said the centre will work across the shipping sector with industry, academia and regulatory authorities. A specialised cross-disciplinary team will collaborate globally to help accelerate the development of selected fuels and power technologies, as well as to support the establishment of regulatory, financial and commercial means to enable and drive the transformation.

Maersk CEO Søren Skou, who will be part of the centre’s board of directors, said “This joint initiative will fast-track the maturation of solutions and strengthen the basis for decision making among industry players and regulators and hence accelerate investments and implementation of new technologies.”

The centre’s CEO Bo Cerup-Simonsen said “The Centre for Decarbonising Shipping provides a solid platform for the entire eco-system to join forces, demonstrate new solutions and identify the next steps to make it happen. I’m excited to let the work begin, expanding the collaboration with a broad variety of contributors.”

In its first two to three years, the cenre said it will recruit around 100 employees to the Copenhagen-based office and collaborate with new partners across the globe. The founding partners have committed one third of the needed staff, the remaining two thirds will be recruited independently. In addition to leadership and administration, staff will include subject matter experts in energy, fuels, ship technology, regulatory affairs, finance and the global energy transition.

The founding partners will donate funds, experts and testing platforms to support the operations. The centre expects to attract more partners in the future. This is the latest industry coalition to help combat shipping’s contribution to the climate change crisis. In January a study by UMAS and the Energy Transitions Commission indicated that massive investment is required if the shipping industry is to meet IMO’s 2050 target to reduce emissions.

In addition to A.P. Moller-Maersk founding partners include ABS, Cargill, MAN Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NYK Lines and Siemens. The centre is supported by a start-up donation of DKK 400M (US$60.35M) from the AP Møller Foundation.