SEA-LNG coalition welcomes ZIM

SEA-LNG, the multi-sector industry coalition established to demonstrate LNG’s benefits as a viable marine fuel, has welcomed Israeli container shipping company ZIM to its membership.

A member of the Clean Cargo Working Group (CCWG) since 2013, ZIM has been engaged in improving the environmental performance of marine container transport and recognises the LNG pathway as central to achieving this.

ZIM is striving for zero environmental impact in its operations, as the shipping industry aims for a net-zero carbon future. LNG is a fuel in transition from fossil through bio towards renewable synthetic LNG, able to meet existing and expected regulations.

“Working collaboratively with the wider SEA-LNG coalition, we will continue to demonstrate the opportunity provided by the LNG pathway – meeting our decarbonisation goals through the gradual introduction of bio-LNG and eventually renewable synthetic LNG,” David Arbel, ZIM COO, said.

The vast majority of new capacity that ZIM will add to its fleet is LNG-powered, with a total of 28 LNG vessels, in the size of 15,000 and 7,700 TEU. The first vessels will be delivered as of beginning of 2023 and will be introduced on the Asia – US route.

The steel cutting ceremony for the first vessel, ZIM Sammy Ofer, was held at Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in South Korea this January.

According to Peter Keller, Chairman SEA-LNG, ZIM’s commitment to LNG “is yet another clear recognition that LNG is one of the fuel pathways to underpin the decarbonisation of shipping”.

“As ZIM understands, the benefit of LNG is that it is available at scale for deep sea shipping today, and its pathway benefits from existing LNG infrastructure which can also be used for bio-LNG and renewable synthetic LNG as they become increasingly available.”