AP Moller founds zero carbon shipping centre with leading industry partners

The centre has been founded with DKK400m ($60.3m) start-up donation by the AP Moller Foundation with founding partners ABS, AP Møller - Mærsk, Cargill, MAN Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NYK Lines and Siemens Energy.

The new initiative will be an independent research centre aiming to work across the entire shipping industry, and is non-profit organisation set up as a commercial foundation with a charitable purpose.

Ane Uggla, chairman of the AP Moller Foundation said: “With this donation, The AP Møller Foundation wishes to support the efforts to solve the climate issue in global shipping. My father, Mærsk Mc - Kinney Møller was a visionary leader in the global shipping industry for more than seven decades. He was concerned about shipping’s impact on the environment.

“Already in the 1980’s he championed the use of low sulphur fuel, and he pioneered the first double hull oil tankers in the 1990’s to minimize the risk of oil spills. Therefore, I find it very natural that my Father’s name will be connected to the center.”

Bo Cerup-Simonsen, former vice president and head of Mærsk Maritime Technology at AP Moller – Maersk, will serve as the centre’s ceo. The centre expects to recruit around 100 employees over the first two to three years of operation.

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Dr Uwe Lauber, ceo of MAN Energy Solutions, commented: “Joining this partnership makes perfect sense for us as our business strategy is already significantly underpinned by system technologies that are leading our customers to a decarbonized future. We welcome the opportunity to work with industry partners in achieving this strategy and have publicly spoken in favour of a ‘maritime energy transition’ for some time now, which draws on the increased use of low-emission fuels.”

ABS chairman, president and ceo, Christopher J. Wiernicki said: “Through our extensive research on low carbon strategies for shipping, we understand how decarbonization is a complex riddle of vessel technologies, fuels and operational optimization. ABS is proud to contribute to the work of the MCZCS (Maersk-McKinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping), which will undoubtedly play a significant role in solving this riddle for the industry.”

AP Moller – Maersk said the centre expects to attract several more partner companies in the future.