Freight customers, including Amazon, Ikea and Tchibo, want to put large volumes of cargo out to tender to be transported almost emission-free using e-fuels.
The alliance of around two dozen shippers, which has joined forces in the Zero Emissions Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA), wants to promote the decarbonisation of global shipping through the use of so-called e-fuels.
The short formula is guaranteed cargo quantities, including a surcharge, in return for an environmental promise. A tender is planned for January 2025, aimed at shipping companies or consortia of shipping companies. In total, the ZEMBA members want to contractually guarantee around 1.4 million TEU if the cargo is transported almost emission-free in return. This would require the use of fuels such as e-methanol.
ZEMBA wants to reduce costs for e-fuels globally
“This puts us on the right path and course to achieve net zero,” said Alliance member Carl Berger, who heads up Amazon Global Logistics’ sustainability and export activities.
The contracts, which will run for three to five years, are due to start in 2027 and will reportedly cover journeys from Asia to the west coast of the USA. In this way, 470,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions could be saved.
The members of the alliance hope that this initiative will reduce the cost of e-fuels and improve their availability. They are, therefore, prepared to pay a surcharge on the transportation costs for e-fuels, which are significantly more expensive than conventional fuels. “Only when this market takes off will the costs fall,” said Ingrid Irigoyen, CEO of the Alliance.
At the same time, ZEMBA is calling for these efforts to be supported by international regulations. The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) plans to discuss regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions again next April. In essence, this will involve a globally applicable CO2 levy in the future, although the details are still being discussed among the member states.
Tchibo is a founding member of ZEMBA
ZEMBA (Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance), a buyers’ association in the maritime sector, was founded in March 2023 by Tchibo, Amazon, Patagonia and the Aspen Institute.
In an initial tender in September 2023, the transportation of 600,000 TEU was awarded. At the time, the requirement was that the fuels used should produce 90% fewer greenhouse gases over their entire life cycle. The winner for the transports between Singapore and Rotterdam in the period 2025-2026 was the Hamburg-based liner shipping company Hapag-Lloyd.
