Maersk says ocean shipping's zero-emissions push needs government support
By Lisa Baertlein
LOS ANGELES, Aug 28 (Reuters) -The Alette Maersk was the first container vessel powered by low-carbon methanol fuel to cross the Pacific Ocean - a milestone in the shipping industry's effort to reduce its climate impact.
But when the 1,148-foot (350-meter) vessel arrived at the Port of Los Angeles from China last week, there was nowhere in the U.S. to buy more of the green fuel, forcing it to rely heavily on petroleum-based maritime fuel for the return trip.
At a day-long ship naming event on Tuesday, A.P. Moller-Maersk representatives said the industry that accounts for close to 3% of global greenhouse gases needs more and cheaper green fuel if it is to decarbonize at the pace scientists and world governments say is necessary to fight climate change.
"We're on a clock," said Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc.
Maersk MAERSKb.CO aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2040 and has emerged as a leader in its sector's energy transition with five green methanol ships on the water and another 20 on order.
Even so, that represents just a fraction of its 700 owned and chartered ships. The new ships are also dual-fueled, meaning they are equipped to run on fossil fuels when needed, like when green methanol is too expensive or unavailable.
Green methanol can be made from agricultural and food waste, or from carbon dioxide and hydrogen using renewable electricity.
The fuel now costs two to three times more than fossil fuels, Maersk representatives said, and global production is currently miniscule.
China's Goldwind 002202.SZ has guaranteed green methanol supplies for the first of Maersk's 12 large ocean-going vessels to burn that fuel, with deliveries starting in 2026.
But potential supplier Orsted ORSTED.CO is dropping plans to build the largest e-methanol plant under construction in Europe, saying that the green fuels market was developing more slowly than expected. E-methanol is made with CO2 captured from renewable sources.
Maersk also plans to replace as many as 60 additional ships with dual-fuel vessels that run on renewable fuels including liquefied bio-methane. That low-emissions fuel from renewable sources is controversial because it is chemically identical to fossil methane, so any leaks release a potent greenhouse gas.
Most of Maersk's ships also can run on biodiesel, a replacement fuel that has been available for years but still accounts for a tiny portion of maritime fuel.
Familiar shippers like Nike NKE.N, Amazon.com AMZN.O, H&M and Nestle NESN.S have partnered with Maersk on green fuel-powered deliveries to help drive adoption that can justify investments in production.
"No one can do this alone," Venkatesh Alagirisamy, chief supply chain officer at Nike, said at Tuesday's event, where officials called for regulators and governments to act.
Clerc said Maersk has asked U.S. President Joe Biden's administration to use the Inflation Reduction Act to incentivize green maritime fuel, as it has done for the trucking and aviation sectors.
Maersk and peers CMA CGM CMACG.UL, Hapag-Lloyd HLAG.DE and MSC have also proposed a regulatory framework to the International Maritime Organization. That includes a plan to levy a "green balance fee" on carriers that gain a competitive advantage by clinging to lower-cost fossil fuels.
"We need regulations and legislation to level the playing field," said Saba Takidar, Maersk's senior commercial sustainability partner. "The whole fuel ecosystem has to change."
Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Jan Harvey
Últimas notícias
Isenção de Responsabilidade: As entidades do XM Group proporcionam serviço de apenas-execução e acesso à nossa plataforma online de negociação, permitindo a visualização e/ou uso do conteúdo disponível no website ou através deste, o que não se destina a alterar ou a expandir o supracitado. Tal acesso e uso estão sempre sujeitos a: (i) Termos e Condições; (ii) Avisos de Risco; e (iii) Termos de Responsabilidade. Este, é desta forma, fornecido como informação generalizada. Particularmente, por favor esteja ciente que os conteúdos da nossa plataforma online de negociação não constituem solicitação ou oferta para iniciar qualquer transação nos mercados financeiros. Negociar em qualquer mercado financeiro envolve um nível de risco significativo de perda do capital.
Todo o material publicado na nossa plataforma de negociação online tem apenas objetivos educacionais/informativos e não contém — e não deve ser considerado conter — conselhos e recomendações financeiras, de negociação ou fiscalidade de investimentos, registo de preços de negociação, oferta e solicitação de transação em qualquer instrumento financeiro ou promoção financeira não solicitada direcionadas a si.
Qual conteúdo obtido por uma terceira parte, assim como o conteúdo preparado pela XM, tais como, opiniões, pesquisa, análises, preços, outra informação ou links para websites de terceiras partes contidos neste website são prestados "no estado em que se encontram", como um comentário de mercado generalizado e não constitui conselho de investimento. Na medida em que qualquer conteúdo é construído como pesquisa de investimento, deve considerar e aceitar que este não tem como objetivo e nem foi preparado de acordo com os requisitos legais concebidos para promover a independência da pesquisa de investimento, desta forma, deve ser considerado material de marketing sob as leis e regulações relevantes. Por favor, certifique-se que leu e compreendeu a nossa Notificação sobre Pesquisa de Investimento não-independente e o Aviso de Risco, relativos à informação supracitada, os quais podem ser acedidos aqui.
