THE shipping industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. It burns the dirtiest fuel as it moves cargoes and passengers around the world.
In recent years, the industry has been pressured by regulators and environmentalist to reduce their emissions.
A praiseworthy efforts to turn the tide around can be seen with the launching of the world’s first and largest liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership – CMA CGM Jacques Saadé – on September in Shanghai.
CMA CGM Jacques Saadé is able to improve the energy efficiency design index (EEDI) which measures the environmental footprint of a vessel, by 20% compared to a conventional vessel. Thus, it is able to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint and improve air quality.
On the local front, Westports Holdings Bhd, the largest listed port operator in Malaysia, accommodated the maiden call of the containership on her way to China.
With her length overall (LOA) of 400 meters and a carrying capacity of 23,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, CMA CGM Jacques Saadé is the container vessel with the highest nominal capacity that has ever called at Westports.
“Westports made a long-term commitment a few years back to reduce our CO2 emission intensity as we focus on using more energy-efficient equipment,” noted group managing director of Westports Datuk Ruben Emir Gnanalingam.
On her maiden call, CMA CGM Jacques Saadé berthed at container terminal 7. Also, she will be calling Westports regularly under the Ocean Alliance eastbound service FAL1, which starts sailing from Le Havre and ends at Tianjin Xingang.
International shipping accounts for 2.5% of global emissions equivalent to about 1 billion tonnes of CO2 per year.
The International Maritime Organization – a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping – has introduced targets to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by half by 2050. – Dec 10, 2020
