Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Monday (19 June) said it has joined the Clean Energy Marine Hubs (CEM Hubs) which aims to advance the production, transport and use of low-carbon fuels by shipping for the entire world to access and use.

This collaboration further strengthens the Coalition Partnership between GCMD and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which they signed in April 2022.

Proposed by ICS and the International Association of Ports & Harbors (IAPH), the CEM Hubs initiative is a first-of-its-kind, cross-sectoral public-private platform jointly led by an industry task force of CEOs and energy ministers under the banner of Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM). 

First presented in September 2022 at the Clean Energy Ministerial in Pittsburgh, the initiative is backed by five countries, the UAE, Canada, Norway, Uruguay and Panama, and is supported by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in coordination with key global platforms that are working towards increasing the deployment of clean fuels around the world. 

GCMD joins the CEM Hubs initiative ahead of its formal launch at the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial to be held in Goa in July 2023. GCMD’s mission to help accelerate the maritime industry’s decarbonisation efforts through its pilots will contribute valuable expertise, data and insights to inform the initiative. 

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, said: “GCMD has been in discussion with ICS since earlier this year on how we can contribute towards the CEM Hubs initiative. I am proud to have been part of the ICS-led delegation to the IRENA Assembly in January, voicing the role shipping can play to facilitate the greater energy transition.”

“For shipping to access green fuels and to support the global energy transition, infrastructure needs to be established at ports and demand aggregated with other sectors. We hope to contribute to this effort by helping to identify and address technical and operational gaps in the green fuels supply chain, and by sharing learnings from our pilots with this community.” 

Esben Poulsson, Chair of the Clean Energy Marine Hubs Task Force, said: “We would like to thank the GCMD and Lynn Loo for the support they are respectively providing of the CEM Hubs initiative. With the formal launch of the initiative just a few short weeks away in July, momentum continues to grow for the CEM Hubs and we are delighted that we have the GCMD joining us in time for this significant moment.” 

“The goals and missions of the GCMD align with those of the CEM Hubs initiative and add great value to the partnership that is being developed. I am confident that together we are in an even stronger position to move forwards, catalyse the global energy transformation and help to de-risk future investments not just for shipping but the entire world.” 

Prasoon Agarwal, Acting Head of Secretariat, Clean Energy Ministerial, said: “We are very much looking forward to the launch of the Clean Energy Marine Hubs initiative this July, during the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial meeting in Goa, India. Since the initial announcement last year, we have received strong support from across the global clean energy community for this global initiative, which aims to engage and enable the maritime sector to accelerate global clean energy transition.”

“As the initiative continues to grow its global visibility and partnerships, we welcome the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation to the initiative ahead of its launch and hopeful to see a strong presence of global maritime community, engaging with the energy community in Goa next month.” 

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 19 June, 2023