ICS and IRENA partner to advance global green fuel transition

Over the next two years, the organisations will set up a regular exchange of information regarding energy supply and demand relevant to the shipping sector and exchange data on scenarios for future fuels such as green hydrogen and ammonia.

Guy Platten secretary general ICS said: “Our new strategic partnership with IRENA is a vital steppingstone to ensuring that transporting green fuels is itself made ‘green’. It is vital that the shipping sector continues to get closer to producers and consumers to facilitate the transition to zero emission fuels and is a key part of the solution, not a blocker, to the zero-emission transition.”

With new access to governments from 167 countries, ICS hopes that the agreement with IRENA will spur R&D investment from political decision-makers into making zero-carbon fuels widely commercially available. ICS presented at COP26 that nearly US$5 billion is needed to accelerate the shift in R&D to zero-carbon fuels in the shipping sector, as multiple nascent technologies need to be developed to reach large scale deployment. Shifting to alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, biofuels and electrification from renewable sources could cut 80% of emissions from maritime transport by 2050.

Following the conclusion of Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 77 in November last year, Platten said that the ICS was disappointed that the words and commitments made by governments at COP26 had not been translated into action. “It’s almost as if COP 26 never happened.”

A key focus of the agreement with IRENA is the need to ensure an equitable energy transition for developing economies. Many seafarers come from developing nations and are witnessing the effects of climate change first-hand. ICS wants these workers to be given green skills they need to keep global trade moving, and for developing nations to have access to the technologies and infrastructure to be part of shipping’s green transition.

IRENA Director-General, Francesco La Camera, said: ‘‘The shipping sector requires significant levels of investment and cooperation to ensure it contributes positively to the global climate agenda. To solve these challenges, we must continue with efforts to build a grand net zero coalition, bringing industry and the policy community together. This agreement is another positive step in that direction. Under this partnership, IRENA will work towards joint solutions to overcome existing challenges to decarbonise the shipping sector.”