Shipping company Maersk said that further efforts to drive maritime transport towards zero emissions require government support.
Following the milestone of the Alette Maersk, which was the first container ship powered by low-carbon methanol fuel to cross the Pacific Ocean, a new problem arose: when the ship docked in the Port of Los Angeles from China, there was nowhere in the United States to buy more green fuel , forcing it to rely heavily on petroleum-based marine fuel for the return trip.
Against this backdrop, AP Moller-Maersk officials said the industry, which accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gases, needs more and cheaper green fuel if it is to decarbonise at the pace scientists and world governments say is necessary to combat climate change.
“We are short on time,” said Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc.
In detail, Maersk aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and has become a leader in the energy transition of its sector with five green methanol ships in the water and another 20 on order.
Still, that represents just a fraction of its 700 owned and chartered ships . The new ships are also dual-fuel, meaning they are equipped to run on fossil fuels when needed, such as when green methanol is too expensive or unavailable.
Fuel now costs two to three times more than fossil fuels, Maersk officials said, and global production is currently minimal.
Maersk also plans to replace up to 60 additional ships with dual-fuel vessels that run on renewable fuels, including liquefied biomethane. That low-emission fuel from renewable sources is controversial because it is chemically identical to fossil methane, so any leaks release a potent greenhouse gas.
Clerc said Maersk has asked the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to use the Inflation Reduction Act to incentivize green marine fuel , as it has done for the trucking and aviation sectors.
Maersk, together with CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and MSC, have proposed a regulatory framework to the International Maritime Organization that includes a plan to impose a “green breakeven fee” on shipping lines that gain a competitive advantage by sticking to lower-cost fossil fuels.
“We need regulations and laws that level the playing field,” said Saba Takidar, senior business partner for sustainability at Maersk.
With information from Portal Portuario , a media outlet specializing in ports and maritime transport in Chile.
Comment and follow us on X: @GrupoT21
