the Danish Maritime Authority and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping signed a Knowledge Partnership Agreement as a formal recognition of their joint working on the decarbonization of shipping.

The partnership confirms the existing close relationship and strong collaboration between the two organizations who co-lead the Zero Emission Shipping Mission under Mission Innovation along with the Governments of the US and Norway and the Global Maritime Forum.

As part of this effort, the two partners have committed to extensive knowledge sharing as they work to accelerate the development and implementation of the future fuels and solutions needed to decarbonize shipping. Close collaboration between public sector and industry is essential to succeed with this systemic change and as a leading shipping nation, Denmark and the Danish Maritime Authority have a long history of actively contributing to the long-term development of the maritime industry.

Commenting on the partnership agreement with the Danish Maritime Authority, Bo Cerup-Simonsen CEO, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping said:

“The Danish Maritime Authority has a clear ambition of creating quality shipping where growth and safety go hand in hand. This approach is critical to ensure a safe and just transition towards a decarbonized global maritime industry. We need standards, policies, and regulation to mature in the same pace as the technology develops and close collaboration between governments and industry is critical to achieve this. We know the Danish Maritime Authority well and appreciate them as our close co-leaders of this global transition. We look very much forward to our continued collaboration”

Commenting the Partnership Agreement, Director General, Andreas Nordseth, Danish Maritime Authority, said:

“New fuel types and technologies within decarbonization call for new legislation, and the Danish Maritime Authority will contribute to push for international regulation that creates incentives for the production of renewable fuels and provides a level playing field for the industry. This effort can only succeed through successful public-private partnerships that build bridges between industry developments and regulation, and I am therefore pleased that we with this Partnership Agreement build further to our existing, close collaboration with the Center to enable the transition to a decarbonized global shipping”.

Shipping’s roadmap to decarbonization

With 100.000 ships consuming around m300Tons fossil fuel p.a. global shipping accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions, a share that is likely to increase due to the foreseen growth in global trade in the coming decades.

Achieving the long-term target of decarbonization requires new fuel types and a systemic change within the industry. Shipping is a globally regulated industry, which provides an opportunity to secure broad-based industry adoption of new technology and fuels.

To accelerate the development of viable technologies a coordinated effort within applied research and demonstration is needed across the entire supply chain. Industry leaders play a critical role in ensuring that laboratory research is successfully matured to scalable solutions matching the needs of industry. At the same time, new legislation will be required to enable the transition towards decarbonization.