ABB joins call to accelerate shipping decarbonization

(Posted on 04/10/21)

ABB has joined more than 155 companies urging governments to help shipping decarbonize by 2050. The Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization has been signed by more than 150 industry stakeholders and seeks significantly faster reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) current ambition, which aims for a 50 percent reduction by 2050.

Ahead of the intergovernmental COP26 climate negotiations in November, the call asks national governments to deliver the policies that will supercharge the energy transition and make zero emission shipping the default choice by 2030. Specifically, signatories representing the entire maritime value chain - including shipping, cargo, energy, finance, ports, and infrastructure - requests that world leaders:

Commit to decarbonizing international shipping by 2050 and deliver a clear and equitable implementation plan to achieve this when adopting the IMO’s revised GHG Strategy in 2023.
Support industrial scale zero emission shipping projects through national action, for instance by setting clear decarbonization targets for domestic shipping and by providing incentives and support to first movers and broader deployment of zero emissions fuels and vessels.
Deliver policy measures that will make zero emission shipping the default choice by 2030, including meaningful market-based measures, taking effect by 2025 that can support the commercial deployment of zero emission vessels and fuels in international shipping.

The Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization has been developed by a multi-stakeholder taskforce convened by the Getting to Zero Coalition – a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, the World Economic Forum, and Friends of Ocean Action. Members of the taskforce include Cargill Ocean Transportation, Citi, the COP26 Climate Champions team, the Energy Transitions Commission, Lloyd’s Register, Port of Antwerp, Torvald Klaveness, Trafigura, Yara, and UMAS.

ABB Marine & Ports Head of Regulatory Affairs Eero Lehtovaara added: “ABB Marine & Ports is committed to supporting the shipping industry’s decarbonization agenda with technologies that allow cleaner and more efficient operations. Already today, technologies are available to ensure low- and zero-emission operation of vessels sailing over shorter distances and in coastal areas, while significant progress is being made to support ocean-going ships today and in the future.”

ABB Turbocharging Senior Vice President Christoph Rofka said: “Not only do we wholeheartedly support these objectives, but we are in a position to provide technology that makes this transition possible today. Turbocharging is crucial to ensuring that many clean fuel candidates can be used effectively. As a leader in this field, ABB Turbocharging is delighted to ally with other leaders across the industry to realize the rapid decarbonization of shipping.”

Vessel designs vary significantly, each dictated by the vessel’s application and purpose. The technologies that will be selected for a particular project will be dictated by the needs and operational profile of the vessel. It is vital that ship owners and operators identify the proper solution for their vessel, whether using conventional diesel engine arrangement, a combination of low or zero-emission technologies, or a carbon-free solution.