ABS in new agreement with U.S. DOE

ABS and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are to collaborate on clean energy development in the maritime domain and decarbonization of maritime operations after signing a new memorandum of understanding (MOU).

The agreement between the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and ABS is designed to draw on experience and capabilities from both organizations to support emissions reduction initiatives that benefit the maritime industry.

“This new agreement allows ABS and the DOE to take advantage of the deep insight and complimentary capabilities of each organization to accelerate development of critical clean energy initiatives. We bring together the unique knowledge and resources of two mission-focused organizations to support maritime clean energy transition in the U.S. and influence international maritime decarbonization strategy in the public interest,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS chairman and CEO.

“As we move to fully decarbonize the global maritime sector by 2050, we need to ensure we are receptive to new information in this ever-changing landscape,” said Michael Berube, DOE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels at EERE. The MOU between the DOE and ABS will further clean energy development and decarbonization of the maritime industry by facilitating open engagement, information sharing and collaborative research on U.S. maritime transportation decarbonization strategies.

Target areas for collaboration include domestic and international maritime strategy, ABS support to U.S. delegations on zero emission shipping and other maritime decarbonization initiatives, action plans for maritime decarbonization, and a range of technical advisory interchanges.