Hapag-Lloyd taps Gasum for waste-based bio-LNG supply in line with ZEMBA tender

After winning the first tender by Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA), Germany’s container shipping major Hapag-Lloyd has selected Nordic energy company Gasum to deliver waste-based liquefied biomethane (bio-LNG) to its vessels during the two-year tender period.

On April 16, 2024, ZEMBA, a first-of-its-kind buyers’ group within the maritime sector with the mission to accelerate commercial deployment of zero-emission (ZE) shipping solutions, revealed Hapag-Lloyd as the winner of the first tender for ocean shipping based on waste-based bio-LNG that achieves at least a 90% reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The shipping company has now teamed up with Gasum to secure bio-LNG supply for its container vessels and fulfill the requirements of the ZEMBA tender.

Specifically, Gasum will bunker Hapag-Lloyd’s vessels with 20,000 mt of waste-based bio-LNG during 2025 and 2026. The bio-LNG will be used on a route between Rotterdam and Singapore during the two-year tender period.

Liquefied biomethane or bio-LNG is described as a fully renewable and environmentally friendly fuel with life-cycle GHG emissions that are, on average, 90% lower when compared with fossil fuel use.

Jacob Granqvist, VP, Maritime, Gasum, commented on the collaboration with Hapag-Lloyd: “This agreement demonstrates that the green transition in the maritime transport sector is picking up speed. Gasum is proud to enable this transition by supplying shipping companies with bio-LNG in the Northern European region. We need all-hands-on-deck to drive the effort, and using bio-LNG to fuel maritime transports is an effective way to reduce emissions already today, rather than in a distant future.”

Jan Christensen, Senior Director of Fuel Purchasing at Hapag-Lloyd, said: “We are confident in our partnership with Gasum to supply waste-based bio-LNG in line with the strict sustainability requirements of ZEMBA and the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII). This agreement is a stepping-stone towards our target to be net-zero carbon by 2045.”