Bulk shipping company Berge Bulk announces the order of two ammonia-powered Newcastlemax vessels.
Last year, Berge Bulk unveiled a “four-pillar plan” to achieve a carbon-free future. The plan focuses on improving fleet efficiency, using the latest maritime technology, switching to new fuels and capturing the remaining carbon directly or indirectly. [ds_preview]
The shipping company has set goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2025, building and operating an emission-free ship by 2030 and achieving zero emissions across the entire fleet by 2050.
The order for two 210,000 DWT Newcastlemax ships in China from Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry fits in with this strategy. According to the shipping company, the order was signed on 29 February.
“We are delighted to order our first ammonia dual-fuel powered vessels as part of our continued journey towards a zero-carbon future. The use of ammonia as a fuel is an important milestone in our commitment to operate a zero-emission ship by 2030 and a key pillar in our decarbonization plan. We continue to take urgent action across all four areas of our strategy to effectively reduce our current emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2025,” says James Marshall, CEO and founder of Berge Bulk.
The two 210,000 DWT Newcastlemax vessels will reportedly meet International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III standards for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the Phase 3 Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for greenhouse gas emissions and will run on ammonia.
Berge Bulk sees good progress in ammonia supply chain
“Ammonia is a promising carbon-free fuel for the future of the shipping industry. Berge Bulk has been actively engaged in discussions with key players in the ammonia supply chain. We are encouraged by the steady progress in the development of ammonia engines and the logistics of ammonia bunkering. This evolving landscape has given us the confidence to order these two dual-fuel ammonia vessels. We are proud to be part of the journey from today’s liquid fuel vessels to tomorrow’s ammonia-powered vessels,” says Paolo Tonon, Chief Technical Officer, Berge Bulk.
The transition to new fuels complements Berge Bulk’s many other decarbonization efforts and projects, including a comprehensive energy efficiency retrofit program, pilot projects for new wind propulsion technologies and a commitment to plant 25 million trees in the coming years.
Berge Bulk is one of the world’s leading independent dry bulk shipping companies. Launched with twelve vessels in 2007, the company now owns, operates and manages a fleet of over 80 vessels with a total tonnage of 14 million DWT.
