ZEMBA e-fuel-focused tender now accepting bids 

ZEMBA is now accepting bids for its e-fuel-focused tender – through which it intends to aggregate approximately 86Bn tonne nautical miles of demand for the emissions abatement associated with e-fuel-powered shipping. This is to be deployed in 2027.

This equates to 1.5M TEU transported across the Pacific Ocean by e-fuels, assuming a benchmark distance of Shanghai to Los Angeles.  

Through this tender, ZEMBA – facilitated by the Aspen Institute – will enable its over 40 member companies to abate approximately 500,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, subject to final commercial details.

“Getting e-fuel-powered shipping on the water for the first time through this collaborative forward procurement will be a huge technical and commercial innovation milestone for the sector. We look forward to receiving bids from container carriers ready to partner with ZEMBA and our freight buyer members to make maritime history,” said ZEMBA president and chief executive Ingrid Irigoyen.

A statement explained, “A qualifying bid for ZEMBA’s tender will be a proposal from a container ship carrier or consortium for e-fuel-powered shipping for 3-5 years, starting around 2027. All bids must demonstrate at least a 90% lifecycle emissions reduction for primary propulsion of the vessel(s) compared with a high emissions fuel baseline. After thorough vetting and commercial negotiation, ZEMBA will select the best proposal(s), and members will enter bilateral contracts with the winner(s). For this tender, ZEMBA is open to the potential of multiple winners.”

Results of the second tender are expected to be announced by the end of 2025.  

For this tender, ZEMBA has added a pre-qualification process for potential bidders. Bidders are invited to contact ZEMBA at rfp@shipzemba.org to complete this step.

ZEMBA’s e-fuel focus for the tender builds off lessons learned during its successful inaugural tender, completed in April 2024, feedback from members, and a request for information conducted in 2025 in collaboration with the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub. Global carrier Hapag-Lloyd won ZEMBA’s first tender and is supporting members to collectively abate at least 82,000 tonnes of CO2e in 2025 and 2026.