Aker Clean Hydrogen and Kuehne+Nagel to offer green container shipping

Aker Clean Hydrogen and Kuehne+Nagel – the world’s largest sea logistics provider – are joining forces to offer “green container shipping”. Aker Clean Hydrogen will take responsibility for securing access to green fuels like hydrogen, methanol and ammonia, while Kuehne+Nagel will handle bookings and contracts with their customers. The pair report that they are already in “advanced discussions” with cargo ship owners.

Simplifying the “Mass-Balance-Concept”

In the press release, Kuehne+Nagel indicate that customers will be able to use their new service to decarbonise via the “Mass-Balance-Concept”. In this approach, fossil-based and green fuels are mixed together physically, but segregated during bookkeeping. The calculations-based concept could potentially be complex for individual ship owners to implement, but has the advantage of being able to instantly reduce the carbon footprint of their operations, not to mention that the ship owner is able to keep using the mixed product as they would a traditional, fossil-only product. By providing a service that limits these complexities, Aker Clean Hydrogen and Kuehne+Nagel are aiming for their new partnership to “help scale fossil-free shipping early on”, and allow uptake of alternative fuels as soon as new & retrofit engines have hit the water.

Shipping accounts for approximately 3 percent of the world’s total emissions. With Kuehne+Nagel’s Mass-Balance-Concept and green fuel from our planned hydrogen, ammonia and methanol projects around the world, we are well placed in the transition towards a more sustainable future for global shipping

Knut Nyborg, CEO of Aker Clean Hydrogen in his organisation’s official press release, 11 Feb 2022

The Mass-Balance-Concept is crucial in the transition towards replacing fossil fuels with green fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia,” said . “This partnership with Aker Clean Hydrogen contributes to our commitment to a low-carbon business model. Together with them and our carrier partners we will be able to provide certified green container shipping.

Arne Faaberg, MD of Kuehne+Nagel Norway in Aker’s official press release, 11 Feb 2022

Building green supply chains to offer to customers

Just last week we reported on Yara and Lantmännen’s new commercial agreement to market & distribute fossil-free fertiliser to Lantmännen’s food producing customers. The idea of building green supply chains for customers to tap into and access fossil-free resources (pain free) is quickly coming to fruition, and we look forward to seeing Aker Clean Hydrogen and Kuehne+Nagel develop their new services.