Intercargo and GCMD set up two-year partnership

The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo) and the Singapore-based Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) have established a two-year partnership to boost ship decarbonisation in the dry bulk sector.

Bulk carriers make up almost 43% of the world’s merchant fleet in deadweight terms but decarbonising these vessels presents particular challenges because they operate in the tramp trades. This means that convenient access to bunkering infrastructure that supplies new low-carbon fuels presents a major challenge and is often impossible.

Intercargo and the GCMD therefore plan to promote energy efficiency technologies and energy saving devices across the sector. They will also promote knowledge exchange on the development of low-and zero-carbon strategies for bulk carriers in the future.

Chief executive officer of GCMD, Lynn Loo, commented: “This partnership offers a valuable opportunity to deepen our understanding of the dry bulk segment’s operational realities and work collaboratively to address gaps in meeting the industry’s decarbonisation targets. Through Intercargo’s consultative status at IMO, we hope to contribute to the development of global regulatory frameworks for maritime decarbonisation.”

Intercargo’s Technical Committee chairman, Dimitris Monioudis, said: “This partnership helps ensure practical, scalable technologies reach the companies moving most of the world’s essential cargoes. By combining GCMD’s strength in executing first-of-a-kind pilots with our members’ operational expertise and consultative status at the IMO, we can accelerate progress towards the industry’s decarbonisation targets.”