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Anglo American eyes carbon neutral shipping by 2040

UK-based mining giant Anglo American has set an ambition to achieve carbon neutrality across its controlled ocean freight activities by 2040, with an interim 30% reduction in emissions by 2030.

The ambition for carbon neutral controlled ocean freight is an extension of Anglo American’s commitment to be carbon neutral across its mining operations by 2040.

Peter Whitcutt, CEO of Anglo American’s Marketing business, said: “Since establishing our shipping desk in 2012, we have built a diverse portfolio and today we transport more than 70 million tonnes of dry bulk products per year to our customers around the world. We are committed to playing an active role in accelerating the transition to a more sustainable shipping sector, a crucial component in our efforts to extend our positive impact beyond our mine sites. This ambition further cements that commitment and will help us shape a clearer path towards decarbonisation.”

Anglo American said it is exploring several options to decarbonise its ocean freight activities, including vessel retrofits, the use of voyage optimisation software, and support for technology development to help enable the switch from conventional fuel oil to sustainable marine fuels.

In 2020, the miner announced the introduction of LNG-fuelled capesize+ vessels to its chartered fleet. The company is also looking into the development of alternative low-carbon and zero-carbon fuels, such as biofuels and green ammonia, and has partnered to explore the use of emission-free liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC)-based applications on its chartered fleet.

Anglo American recently joined more than 200 industry players as a signatory of the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonisation, calling for decisive government action to enable full decarbonisation of international shipping by 2050. It was a founding signatory and an architect of the Sea Cargo Charter and also a signatory of the Getting to Zero Coalition, an alliance committed to getting commercially viable deep-sea zero emission vessels powered by zero emission fuels into operation by 2030.

Meanwhile, Australian mining company Fortescue has also set out to achieve net zero Scope 3 emissions by 2040 and announced plans to convert its eight 260,000 dwt bulk carriers to run on green ammonia. Rio Tinto aims to reach net zero emissions from shipping by 2050, as well as BHP, in addition to the 2030 goal to support a 40% emissions reduction.

Adis Ajdin

Adis is an experienced news reporter with a background in finance, media and education. He has written across the spectrum of offshore energy and ocean industries for many years and is a member of International Federation of Journalists. Previously he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy, Subsea World News and Marine Energy.
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