The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) announced the successful completion of its first ever tender for sustainable ocean shipping, marking a significant step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 90% compared to traditional fossil fuel service.
Hapag-Lloyd, a global leader in container shipping, was chosen as the winner of this groundbreaking bid. Through this partnership, over a dozen ZEMBA members, including Amazon, Patagonia, Tchibo, and others, have committed to the purchase of the “environmental attributes associated with over 1 billion twenty-foot shipping container-miles” associated with zero-emission shipping on a route from Singapore to Rotterdam over the next two years.
The deal with Hapag-Lloyd involves the provision of a unique service that uses independently certified and exclusively waste-based biomethane, which is expected to help ZEMBA members avoid at least 82,000 metric tonnes of CO2e over two years.
“Our collective procurement approach is working, and we look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what’s technically and economically feasible in subsequent tenders, with a strong focus on maritime e-fuels,” said Ingrid Irigoyen, President and CEO of ZEMBA.
The tender has been adjusted to span two years – 2025-2026 – to facilitate the focus on supporting e-fuels and technologies of nonbiological origin in ZEMBA’s second tender. ZEMBA and Hapag-Lloyd will also develop a book & claim system to ensure the credible allocation of environmental attributes of the biomethane shipping service.
ZEMBA said the results from this tender process will provide insights to inform global maritime decarbonization policy and help develop robust lifecycle assessment guidelines.
“To reach our goal of net-zero ship operations by 2045, we need partners like ZEMBA to support us on our decarbonization journey and push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd. “By offering our service, we aim to reduce greenhouse gas emission significantly and contribute to a greener future for global shipping.”
