MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has decided not to use the Arctic as a new short cut between northern Europe and Asia and will instead focus on improving environmental performance on existing global trade routes. The Northern Sea Route lies entirely in Arctic waters and has been trialed by other shipping lines seeking to take advantage of melting ice from global warming.
“Our industry should focus its efforts on limiting environmental emissions and protecting the marine environment across existing trade routes,” said Diego Aponte, President & CEO, MSC Group. A surge in container shipping traffic in the Arctic could damage air quality and endanger the biodiversity of untouched marine habitats – a risk MSC is not willing to take.
MSC’s shipping line sails on more than 200 trade routes, calling at over 500 ports. The shipping line is convinced that the 21 million containers moved each year for its customers can be transported around the world without passing through this Arctic corridor
MSC’s decision to avoid the Northern Sea Route is complementary to the company’s broader strategic approach to sustainability. To help tackle climate change, MSC completed a program to retrofit more than 250 ships in its existing fleet with the latest green technologies, cutting about 2 million tons of CO2 emissions each year.
Furthermore, the latest newbuilding additions to the fleet – led by MSC Gülsün, the largest container ship in the world – has introduced a new class of sustainable container shipping, with the lowest carbon footprint by design, at 7.49 grams of CO2 emissions to move 1 ton of cargo 1 nautical mile.
MSC’s fleet improvement program has resulted in a 13% reduction in CO2 emissions per transport work in 2015-18 and will help the container shipping industry make progress towards the United Nations International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2030 CO2 targets. The company remains committed to adopting concrete plans to modernise its green and efficient fleet via the largest container shipping investment program in the industry.
While recent improvements have depended largely on better-performing engines, more efficient propeller and rudder designs and technologies to reduce hull friction, MSC is actively studying the potential of new alternative fuel sources. The company is engaging with potential vendors to investigate solutions related to biofuel blends, hydrogen fuel cells, complementary battery power and, potentially, wind and solar, as part of a long road of discovery in relation to future policy goals.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA is a privately-owned global shipping company founded in 1970 by Gianluigi Aponte. As one of the world’s leading container shipping lines, it operates 493 offices across 155 countries worldwide with over 70,000 employees. With access to an integrated network of road, rail and sea transport resources which stretches across the globe, the company prides itself on delivering global service with local knowledge.
