TotalEnergies becomes the eighth partner of the Castor Initiative
The Castor Initiative has announced that global energy major TotalEnergies has become the eighth partner to the global coalition that is committed to make zero emission shipping a reality.
The global coalition, which includes MISC Berhad (MISC), Lloyd’s Register (LR), Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), MAN Energy Solutions (MAN), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Yara Clean Ammonia (Yara) and Jurong Port, was established in January 2020 and its most recent project milestone was the April 2022 memorandum of understanding for a pair of zero emission deepsea tankers vessels.
With TotalEnergies as the Castor Initiative’s latest partner, the multinational coalition has added to its diverse circle of maritime expertise to ensure and support the complete ecosystem required for ammonia-fuelled tankers to operate sustainably and safely. As a leading energy major on a global scale, and its commitment to sustainability, TotalEnergies brings its extensive operational experience to this global alliance to support the maritime industry’s drive to decarbonisation. The experience and expertise of each Castor Initiative partner will be central to the success of the initiative, from conception to project realization.
To meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2050 ambitions on halving greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2008 levels, zero-carbon vessels need to enter the world fleet by 2030. This Joint Development Project has been motivated by the partners’ shared belief that the maritime industry needs leadership and greater collaboration if shipping is to meet the IMO’s GHG ambitions.
While ammonia is one of the fuels being considered by maritime stakeholders, the partners also recognise that the shipping industry will need to explore multiple decarbonisation pathways and hope their collaboration will spur others in the maritime industry to work collectively on addressing this global challenge.