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Greener shipping: why China will help drive the global cargo industry’s adoption of wind power to cut carbon emissions

  • As the world’s ‘shipping mecca’, China is well positioned to build and install wind-assisted propulsion technology, says equipment maker CEO
  • The shipping industry, which accounts for around 3 per cent of global carbon emissions, has committed to net zero by 2050

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The Berge Olympus, a dry bulk vessel, has been retrofitted with wind-assisted propulsion equipment for reducing carbon emissions. Photo: Handout
China is set to play a key role in commercialising technology that harnesses the wind to help propel cargo ships as the global shipping industry faces pressure to slash its carbon footprint, according to industry executives.
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The nation’s established supply chain, offshore engineering capabilities and cost competitiveness put it in a strong position to manufacture and install the efficiency-enhancing equipment, known as wind-assisted propulsion, in both new vessels and existing fleets, said John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies.

“China, without doubt, is the shipping mecca of the world, and therefore we are concentrating our efforts there,” Cooper said.

Shipping accounts for around 3 per cent of global carbon emissions, according to the International Maritime Organisation, a United Nations agency responsible for regulating shipping.

John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies. Photo: Handout
John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies. Photo: Handout
In July the IMO upgraded the global industry’s climate ambitions, committing its 175 member nations to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It also aims to slash emissions per unit of transport work by at least 40 per cent by 2030, compared with 2008 levels, and to boost the industry’s uptake of fuels that emit zero or near-zero greenhouse gasses to at least 5 per cent by 2030.
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