Equinor joins Mærsk initiative to help decarbonise the shipping industry

The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping on Wednesday announced the joining of Equinor as a strategic partner, committing to a long-term strategic collaboration and contribution to the development of zero carbon technologies and solutions for the maritime industry.

The multinational energy company brings extensive experience in large scale production and transport of maritime fuels and will contribute with valuable expertise in key areas like safety in operation and design, carbon capture storage design and operation, and renewable energy integration including floating wind technology, Equinor said in a statement.

“This partnership has huge potential. As a major producer of maritime fuels and maritime player, Equinor has invaluable knowhow and has already shown enormous energy and willingness to accelerate the transition with promising projects. This is the mentality we need, and we are looking very much forward seeing the synergies we can create together,” Equinor CEO Bo Cerup-Simonsen said.

As both a producer and a supplier of fuel to the maritime sector, Equinor has worked on reducing its carbon intensity by developing new types of vessels and using alternative fuels.

With 100,000 ships consuming around 300 million metric tonnes of fuel every year, global shipping accounts for around 3% of global carbon emissions – a share that is set to increase as other industries tackle climate emissions in the coming decades.

According to Equinor, achieving the long-term target of decarbonisation requires new fuel types and a systemic change within the industry. To accelerate the development of viable technologies a coordinated effort within applied research is needed across the entire supply chain, the company said.