Maersk has announced its intention to operate a carbon neutral liner vessel by 2023, as part of its pledge to be net zero by 2050.
E-methanol will be used to power the vessel from a facility in Denmark. The facility is due to begin production in early 2023, producing around 10kt of e-methanol annually.
Maersk is yet to disclose how it will offset residual emissions to deliver carbon neutrality. Last year it was pressed for better disclosure around its decarbonisation plans and climate risks communication from the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC).
In other news, Virgin Atlantic has signed as an early customer for a new direct air capture (DAC) facility, planned for Northeast Scotland by carbon capture and storage (CCS) firm Storegga. The MoU states that the airline will purchase carbon credits from Storegga’s facility which the latter claims are permanent removals. Storegga plans to store captured CO2 under the seabed off the Scottish coast. It is working with technical partner Carbon Engineering to install the facility, which it estimates will capture 1Mt of CO2 annually after it starts operation in 2026.
Virgin Atlantic’s 2050 net zero commitment was made through its membership to the UK Sustainable Aviation Coalition. The Coalition this year announced new targets for the industry to reduce absolute net emissions by at least 15% by 2030 and at least 40% by 2040, against a 2019 baseline.
Adapted from an article in Edie
