MPC Container Ships opts for zero44’s CO2 management tech

Norwegian company MPC Container Ships has partnered with Berlin-based zero44 to use its digital CO2 management solution for its entire fleet. 

The solution was selected after a joint development and testing phase that began in February 2022.

The software focuses on the implications of the CII and the EU ETS regulation introduced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the European Union (EU). With zero44’s digital solution, shipping companies gain control over the emissions of their vessels as well as concrete decision-making aids for their commercial planning.

“Zero emissions is the ultimate goal for the entire industry and at MPC Container Ships, we aim to keep all vessels in our fleet consistently compliant under the new CII scheme from January 2023. To do this, we need software that will allow us to monitor the CII rating daily,” said Philipp Niesing, responsible for Marine Decarbonisation Solutions in the MPC Group.

Niesing added that with the software, the company will be able to coordinate the deployment of the vessels with the respective charterers and jointly ensure that the CII targets are met throughout the charter year.

Shipping must become emission-free, but the necessary technologies and fuels are not yet globally available at scale. At the same time, the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) will come into force from January 2023. The new EU regulations (EU ETS) are also expected to be applied soon, an important change for the shipping industry.

The zero44 team has set itself the task of helping shipping companies in the bridge phase toward true zero emissions to manage and optimize their CO2 emissions in the best possible way and to make the most economically sensible decisions.

“We are pleased that the company entered into a joint development process with us so early on, which is now bearing fruit. From now on, we want to focus on the rollout for the broad market and the consistent further development of our solution,” Friederike Hesse, Co-Founder and Managing Director of zero44 added.

MPC Container Ships has recognized that the transition of the maritime industry requires broad cooperation amongst all market participants. At the beginning of the year, the company joined the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping, underlining its commitment to the center’s mission and vision of pursuing decarbonisation goals.

In line with its decarbonisation agenda, the company also ordered two carbon-neutral 1,300 TEU newbuildings at Chinese shipyard Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering.

Slated for delivery in the second half of 2024, the vessels come with a dual-fuel engine setup which enables operation on methanol as well as conventional marine gasoil (MGO).

They will be also highly automated, enabling higher efficiency, and feature several new safety measures to eliminate the risks of injury during operations.