Environment

IMO Secretary-General urges all aboard for GHG reduction

Measures likely to include EEDI, SEEMP and information gathering under fuel-oil data collection scheme.

Published

6 years ago

February 20, 2019

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IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim on Tuesday (19 February) called for Member States and the entire maritime sector including shipping and ports, to come on board to achieve the ambitions set out in the IMO initial strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping.

The strategy, adopted last year, aims for at least a 50% cut in emissions from the maritime sector by 2050.

“We need to focus on technology transfer and research and development; we need expertise; we need IMO’s Member States to come together as one; we need the Member States to bring forward concrete proposals to IMO,” Secretary-General Lim said.

“We need to involve all maritime sectors – not just shipping. Investment in port infrastructure is just as important.”

He was speaking at the high level conference on Climate Change and Oceans Preservation, held at the Egmont Palace in Brussels, Belgium.

The strategy includes a series of candidate measures that might be applied to achieve these targets in the short, medium and long terms. The detailed work of agreeing which of these will actually be adopted to enable these ambitions to be achieved is now under way.

Lim said that the initial steps - the candidate short-term measures - are likely to include strengthening the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the Shipboard Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP) for ships, as well as gathering information under the fuel-oil data collection scheme.

In the mid-term (before 2030), he highlighted the need to make zero-carbon ships more attractive and to direct investments towards innovative sustainable technologies and alternative fuels.

In this context, the reduced sulphur limit for ships’ fuel oil, which enters into force on 1 January 2020, “should be seen as not only a landmark development for the environment and human health but also as a proxy "carbon price" – increasing the attractiveness of lower-carbon fuels or other means of propulsion for ships.”

The conference Climate Change and Ocean Conservation was opened by Charles Michel, Prime Minister of Belgium, and H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco.

It welcomed more than 500 international and national guests where participants discussed the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity, the need to reduce ship emissions and the potential for offshore energy production.

Photo credit: Belgium Federal Public Service
Published: 20 February, 2019

LNG Bunkering

New MOL vessel to be supplied LNG bunker fuel in Japan before voyage to Australia

After departing from Saijo Shipyard, LNG fuel will be supplied directly to “Verde Heraldo” through shore-to-ship bunkering at Senboku Terminal of Osaka Gas, and is then scheduled to sail for Australia.

Published

8 hours ago

April 22, 2025

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New MOL vessel to be supplied LNG bunker fuel in Japan before voyage to Australia

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) on Friday (18 April) said the naming and delivery ceremony for the LNG-fuelled Capesize bulker, which MOL ordered for JFE Steel Corporation, was held at the Saijo Shipyard of Imabari Shipbuilding.

The vessel was named the Verde Heraldo, which means “Green Pioneer” in Spanish, by JFE Steel President and CEO Masayuki Hirose. MOL executives including President & CEO Hashimoto were also on hand for the ceremony.

After departing from Saijo Shipyard, LNG fuel will be supplied directly to the vessel through shore-to-ship bunkering at the Senboku Terminal of Osaka Gas, and is then scheduled to sail for Australia.

The Verde Heraldo will sail under long-term transport contracts to supply raw materials for JFE Steel's mills, providing both reduced environmental impact and safe and reliable marine transport services.

About Verde Heraldo

LOA: 299.99 m
Breadth: 50.00 m
Draft: 18.436 m
Deadweight tonnage: 210,321 tonnes
Shipyards: Imabari Shipbuilding and Nihon Shipyard

Photo credit: Mitsui OSK Lines
Published: 22 April, 2025

Alternative Fuels

Indonesia and HDF Energy partner to study hydrogen solutions for maritime decarbonisation

Agreement between HDF Energy, Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation, PLN and ASDP outlined a joint study to decarbonise Indonesia’s maritime sector using locally produced green hydrogen.

Published

8 hours ago

April 22, 2025

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Indonesia and HDF Energy partner to study hydrogen solutions for maritime decarbonisation

PT HDF Energy Indonesia, a subsidiary of French hydrogen infrastructure developer HDF Energy, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation (MoT), state-owned electric utility PT PLN (Persero) and ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero).

The agreement outlined a joint study to decarbonise Indonesia's maritime sector using locally produced green hydrogen. The study will be conducted in collaboration with, and co-funded by, the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The MoU was signed during the Global Hydrogen Ecosystem Summit on April 15, 2025 in Indonesia.

The study will focus on Eastern Indonesia, a region with plenty of sun and home to many of ASDP's strategic ferry routes. HDF Energy is currently developing 23 Renewstable® hydrogen power plants in the region. These facilities combine a solar park with substantial on-site energy storage in the form of green hydrogen to provide non-intermittent, stable and 100% clean electricity to the grid, day and night.

By generating surplus green hydrogen at a competitive marginal cost, Renewstable® plants also pave the way for the supply of green hydrogen to decarbonise maritime transport. The hydrogen produced will be used to power the high-power fuel cells developed and manufactured by HDF Energy in France, a modular, reliable solution tailored to the conversion of maritime fleets.

With this project, HDF Energy is deploying an integrated approach: producing competitive green hydrogen locally and offering a zero-emission maritime vessels' propulsion solution based on its fuel cells.

ASDP, which operates one of the world's largest ferry networks, plays a critical role in connecting Indonesia's remote islands. As a key player in the maritime sector's energy transition, the company will contribute to the study to identify opportunities for converting its fleet and port infrastructures. The aim is to replace traditional diesel engines with solutions based on green hydrogen and renewable electricity, in order to significantly reduce emissions.

PLN has already taken a proactive role in launching hydrogen pilot projects across the country. The company previously signed an MoU with HDF Energy to accelerate the deployment of Renewstable® hydrogen power plants as a green alternative to diesel-based power — a collaboration representing potential investments of up to USD 2.3 billion, supported by international development institutions including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

On the same occasion, HDF also signed an MoU with PT Pelayaran Bahtera Adhiguna (PT BAg), a national shipping company specialising in sea transportation services for primary energy distribution across Indonesia. The partnership reflects a joint commitment to assessing hydrogen as a clean alternative to power auxiliary systems on large vessels.

Mathieu Geze, HDF Energy's Director for APAC and President Director of PT HDF Energy Indonesia, stated: “We are proud to reaffirm our commitment to a Net Zero emission future through this strategic collaboration. Working together with PLN, ASDP, the Ministry of Transportation, and with PT Bag, we aim to place Indonesia at the forefront of green hydrogen innovation in the Asia-Pacific. Our fuel cells represent a decisive step forward in the decarbonization of maritime transport in the Indonesian archipelago, as well as a formidable showcase for French innovation on the international stage.”

On a regional scale, this partnership in Indonesia is part of HDF Energy's development drive in Southeast Asia.

On 11 April, in the Philippines, HDF signed a MoU with the Department of Transportation to harness green hydrogen—produced by HDF's Renewstable® power plants currently under development—to power the next generation of hydrogen-fuelled maritime vessels.

The following day in Vietnam, HDF entered into a strategic partnership with ACST, an organisation affiliated with the Ministry of Construction, to advance green hydrogen solutions, including the retrofitting of diesel ferries with HDF's hydrogen fuel cells.

Photo credit: HDF Energy
Published: 22 April, 2025

Newbuilding

Fortescue and CMB.TECH sign charter deal for ammonia-powered ore carrier

The 210,000 dwt Newcastlemax vessel is expected to be delivered to Fortescue by the end of next year and will transport iron ore from the Pilbara to customers in China and around the world.

Published

8 hours ago

April 22, 2025

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Australian green technology, energy and metals company Fortescue on Thursday (17 April) said it has signed an agreement with Bocimar, part of CMB.TECH, to charter a new ammonia-powered ore carrier.

The 210,000 dwt Newcastlemax vessel is expected to be delivered to Fortescue by the end of next year and will play a vital role taking iron ore from the Pilbara to customers in China and around the world.

The vessel will feature a dual-fuel engine, making it capable of operating on ammonia that can be created using renewable energy.

While Fortescue is committed to eliminating Scope 1 and 2 emissions from its Australian iron ore operations by 2030, its target of Net Zero Scope 3 emissions by 2040 reflects the challenge of eliminating emissions from the shipping of its products to customers and from steelmaking.

Fortescue has been advocating for the early adoption of zero emission fuels such as green ammonia, widely accepted as the long-term solution, and the bypassing of transitional fuels such as biofuels and LNG.

The Fortescue Green Pioneer, the world's first class society approved dual-fuel ammonia-powered vessel, has been in London since early March and will soon embark on a tour of global ports to bring attention to the need for a hastened transition to zero emissions fuels.

Fortescue Metals CEO Dino Otranto, said: “Our landmark agreement with Bocimar sends a clear signal to the market – now is the time for shipowners to invest in ammonia-powered ships.

“The days of ships operating on dirty bunker fuel, which is responsible for three per cent of global carbon emissions, are numbered. We continue to implore shipping regulators to show the character and leadership that is necessary to ensure this happens sooner rather than later.

“Our agreement with Bocimar is just the beginning and is a critical step in addressing our Scope 3 emissions. Through the Fortescue Green Pioneer we have demonstrated that the technology to decarbonise shipping exists now.

“We will continue to work with like-minded companies like Bocimar to transition our fleet to low and zero-emissions vessels and help accelerate the widespread adoption of green ammonia as a marine fuel.”

Alexander Saverys, CEO of CMB.TECH, said: "Fortescue and Bocimar have been close partners for more than 20 years. We share the same values and are both passionate about decarbonising the maritime industry.

“Based on our common belief that green ammonia is the fuel of the future, we were able to conclude this important agreement on the road to zero emission shipping.

“This is the beginning of an exciting journey to build more ammonia-powered ships that will stimulate more green ammonia production projects. We need to decarbonise today to navigate tomorrow.”

Photo credit: Scott Graham
Published: 22 April, 2025