The Aspen Institute announced that ZEMBA launched a Request for Proposals (RfP) for 600,000 twenty-foot containers (TEUs) over a three-year period on ocean vessels powered by zero-emission fuels.
In particular, through this tender, ZEMBA will help its member companies reduce nearly 1 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to taking 215,000 cars off the road. The RfP is the first major buyer-led initiative to accelerate the transition to zero-emission maritime fuels in one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize.
As informed, the ZEMBA RfP is seeking bids for shipping services, from individual carriers or consortiums, that achieve at least a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional fossil fuels on a lifecycle basis. Fuel choice will address safety and land use concerns, particularly those that relate to biogenic substances. Delivery of shipping services powered by new, cleaner fuels is anticipated in 2025.
Maritime shipping is an essential service for global companies like Amazon, and we urgently need this sector to make clean fuel investments to reach our climate goals.
…said Adam Baker, Vice President of Global Transportation at Amazon.
Our ability to provide high-quality healthcare depends on a healthy planet. We have been carbon-neutral in our operations since 2020 and continue to innovate and bring to market, scalable solutions to reduce both our own environmental impact and enable our customers to achieve their environmental sustainability goals.
…said Robert Metzke, SVP and global Head of Sustainability at Philips.
EMBA will consider bids that meet the following criteria:
Sufficient capacity to cover ZEMBA members’ aggregate demand of 600,000+ TEUs across a distance of 6,000 nautical miles/~11,000 km over three years.
Access to fuels that provide GHG emission reductions of at least 90% compared to traditional fossil fuels on a lifecycle basis.
Transparent fuel lifecycle emissions to validate emission reduction claims. This will be enabled through rigorous in-sector book-and-claim approaches that assure highly credible emissions reductions, while allowing companies to maintain reliable supply chains necessary for our global economy.
ZEMBA’s RfP is focused on stimulating a new marketplace for zero-emission fuels and deploying long-term, scalable solutions for the entire shipping industry. With this in mind, future RfP criteria for lifecycle emissions may move upward from 90% as technology innovation unfolds and sustainable fuels, infrastructure, and supply chains are implemented.
This RfP is a significant milestone toward a zero-emission maritime future. With over 20 climate-leading companies engaging in ZEMBA’s inaugural tender process, and more to come, we’re building the business case for a surge of investment in zero-emission maritime solutions, including new fuels and technologies that are not yet commercially available.
…said Ingrid Irigoyen, President and CEO of ZEMBA.
