Reducing energy consumption and replacing fossil with renewable fuels within the maritime sector is seen as a large and global challenge, according to Singapore-based Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) which has signed a partnership agreement with Norwegian research body Sintef Ocean.
GCMD believes that although governments, industries and research organisations globally have been actively exploring green solutions, in order to further accelerate innovation and transition, collaboration across the globe is key.
Under the new partnership, FME MarTrans is being launched. FME stands for research centre for environmentally friendly energy, and FME Maritime Energy Transition (MarTrans) is an eight-year collaborative project with 65 partners from the maritime industry and research environment. With total funding from the Research Council of Norway and the industrial partners of over NOK 300m, this will be one of the world’s largest maritime research programs when it kicks off in January 2025.
Dr Sanjay Kuttan, GCMD Chief Strategy Officer said: “We are excited to welcome Sintef Ocean as a Knowledge partner and work more closely with Sintef Ocean. Collaboration is crucial in addressing the energy transition, especially within the diverse maritime industry. The challenges ahead to achieve net zero are too significant for any single organisation to tackle alone. As one of the overseas partners under the FME MarTrans, we are looking forward to refining problem statements and co-ideating projects to accelerate maritime decarbonisation.”
Arne Fredheim, Sintef Ocean Research Director added: “These important long-term commitments build on mutual goals, challenges and a history of good collaboration between the maritime sectors in Norway and Singapore. The dialogue and exchange of knowledge with GCMD have been ongoing for some years already, and the match between the two organisations has proven so fruitful that we now want to strengthen the collaboration through joint projects.”
Norwegian shipowners are heavily involved in FME MarTrans, and a total of 18 shipping companies with around 450 ships in operation will be participating. Norway has the world’s fifth largest shipping fleet, the decarbonisation of which can make a marked difference to global emissions from the sector. In order to do so, FME MarTrans will focus on four main challenges:
- Environmentally friendly fuel will be expensive and scarce. Consequently, consumption must be drastically reduced through improved energy-efficiency.
- In order to be able to use the new energy carriers in a safe and efficient way, the energy systems on board must be further developed.
- Making green fuels available requires the development of supply chains and new port infrastructure.
- A sustainable transition requires new technology to be supported with knowledge in business models, environmental impact, regulations and energy system integration.
Trond Vikan Johnsen, Centre Director, Sintef Ocean said: “We are really glad to have GCMD onboard as full-worthy partner of FME MarTrans. GCMD and MarTrans are addressing the same challenges, with complementary perspectives and type of activities. Sharing of knowledge and coordination of actions will make both centres even more effectful.”
Since its establishment in 2021, GCMD has been supporting the decarbonisation of the maritime industry through pilots and trials. Recently, GCMD achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting ammonia transfers that simulated bunkering operations in the Pilbara region. This achievement will help ready the ecosystem for using ammonia as a marine fuel when ammonia-fuelled vessels become available.
GCMD is exploring a series of pilots to scale the adoption of energy efficiency technologies (EETs) in shipping through Pay-As-You-Save (PAYS), a third-party performance based financing model that shares risks and rewards with stakeholders already deployed in other sectors. PAYS leverages transparent data sharing, allowing stakeholders to verify fuel savings and attribute them to specific technologies. Unlocking the link between performance and financing should spur adoption of EETs and accelerate maritime decarbonisation.
Beyond addressing adoption barriers for ammonia as a marine fuel and EETs, GCMD is working on initiatives to unlock the carbon value chain and develop an assurance framework for drop-in green fuels.
Image: Left to right: Leif Trana, Norwegian Ambassador to Singapore, Arne Fredheim, SINTEF Ocean, Dr Sanjay Kuttan, GCMD and Prof Lynn Loo, CEO GCMD (source: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation)
