On May 24, 2022 – after a nearly two-year Covid delay – the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) was formally opened by CEO, Bo Cerup-Simonsen. “We have created a community, a collaboration platform. This was the vision from the very beginning, and now it is reality,” he said.

Stolt Tankers joined the center as an official partner a year ago, with a commitment to collaborate across the maritime industry to develop zero carbon technologies. “I am excited to see that Stolt Tankers is a valued partner of the Center.” Said Maren Schroeder, Managing Director Stolt Tankers. “The challenge of maritime decarbonisation is huge – and we will only succeed if we work together. Not only within our own industry, but across industries, to ensure our efforts make the biggest impact for the future of our planet.”

The center marked its opening with two days of talks, presentations and celebrations! New Build and Technical Project Manager at Stolt Tankers, Giorgio Guadagna, who is currently seconded to the center, jointly hosted a session which included an overview of the latest findings of the center’s vessel emission reduction technologies working group.

These include a recommendation for new regulations for methane slip as these will help to encourage the development of new emission reduction technologies. Some solutions are available already, but a more holistic approach is needed for these to be effective.

Guadagna also explained: “As ammonia is being seriously considered by many as a ‘future fuel’ the center is examining what steps need to be taken to fully understand the related emissions. These must be measured and validated once operational ship engines are ready to be tested. Results of such testing may lead to different emission reduction technologies needing to be developed to avoid the risk of higher emissions in the future.”

Those proponents for the use of biofuels in the industry will be pleased to hear that during the presentation the group also noted that during extensive testing, FAME based Biofuels showed that any increase in NO_X emissions were not an issue. The team proposes that biofuels should no longer require additional approval for use in vessels, and that the decision to use biofuels should be down to operators in the same way as it is for more conventional fuels.

The center opening is the latest in a series of knowledge-sharing events that Stolt Tankers has participated in with the MMMCZCS. Earlier this year, our team in Rotterdam, the Netherlands welcomed representatives from the center.

“As a secondee to the center, I thoroughly enjoyed the visit,” says Giorgio. “Building personal connections across the two organisations is key to the success of this important partnership and, in turn, for the decarbonisation of our industry.”

The delegation was also in Rotterdam to attend the first meeting of the MAGPIE project. This consortium, which includes Stolt tankers, is working to shape the green ports of the future, focusing on three key areas: alternative fuels and decarbonisation of shipping, smart technologies applied to port operations, and river and rail connections with the hinterland