ABS, US DOE team up on decarbonization of maritime operations

Classification society ABS and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)  to collaborate on clean energy development in the maritime domain and decarbonization of maritime operations.

The agreement between the U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and ABS is designed to leverage the experience and capabilities of both organizations to support emissions reduction initiatives that benefit the maritime industry.

Target areas for collaboration include domestic and international maritime strategy, ABS support to U.S. delegations on zero-emission shipping and other maritime decarbonization initiatives.

This also encompasses action plans for maritime decarbonization and a range of technical advisory interchanges.

“This new agreement allows ABS and the DOE to take advantage of the deep insight and complimentary capabilities of each organization to accelerate development of critical clean energy initiatives. We bring together the unique knowledge and resources of two mission-focused organizations to support maritime clean energy transition in the U.S. and influence international maritime decarbonization strategy in the public interest,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman and CEO.

“As we move to fully decarbonize the global maritime sector by 2050, we need to ensure we are receptive to new information in this ever-changing landscape,” said Michael Berube, DOE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels at EERE. 

Additionally, the MOU between the DOE and ABS will further clean energy development and decarbonization of the maritime industry by facilitating open engagement, information sharing and collaborative research on U.S. maritime transportation decarbonization strategies.

ABS recently joined the BlueBARGE Project, a program funded by the Horizon Europe that involves fourteen partners from ten European countries to develop a comprehensive solution for offshore electrical power bunkering.

The classification society will support the consortium in safety, classification and regulatory compliance.