SHIPPING companies have seen profits surge during the Covid crisis while decarbonising the industry is expected to cost US$1.5 trillion over 20 to 30 years, reports Tokyo's Nikkei Asia
'$10 or $20 billion worth of profit as an industry is good,' said Ocean Network Express global chief executive Jeremy Nixon.
'But we have got to make close to $1.5 trillion worth of investment to decarbonise our industry over the next 20-30 years. We need sustainable profitability.'
Ninety-nine point nine per cent of ships still use fossil fuel, and that produces three per cent of global carbon emissions.
Mr Nixon declared there is a growing consensus among shipping companies about the need to get to net-zero emissions by 2050.
However, unlike cars, which are rapidly going electric, 'battery technology at the moment is not sufficient to run 1,000-ton ships across oceans for 30 days.'
The key to the transition will be securing renewable energy at scale and at affordable prices.
'We need to work on having market-based measures which will make fuel oil come up to a more competitive level in line with the zero-emission fuels and give back some type of revenue to companies which are moving with the low emission fuels,' said Mr Nixon.
SeaNews Turkey
'$10 or $20 billion worth of profit as an industry is good,' said Ocean Network Express global chief executive Jeremy Nixon.
'But we have got to make close to $1.5 trillion worth of investment to decarbonise our industry over the next 20-30 years. We need sustainable profitability.'
Ninety-nine point nine per cent of ships still use fossil fuel, and that produces three per cent of global carbon emissions.
Mr Nixon declared there is a growing consensus among shipping companies about the need to get to net-zero emissions by 2050.
However, unlike cars, which are rapidly going electric, 'battery technology at the moment is not sufficient to run 1,000-ton ships across oceans for 30 days.'
The key to the transition will be securing renewable energy at scale and at affordable prices.
'We need to work on having market-based measures which will make fuel oil come up to a more competitive level in line with the zero-emission fuels and give back some type of revenue to companies which are moving with the low emission fuels,' said Mr Nixon.
SeaNews Turkey