Marubeni and Navigator Gas undertake world’s first carbon-neutral ethylene voyage
Marubeni Corporation and handysize liquefied-gas carrier owner Navigator Holdings will achieve an environmental milestone with the world’s first carbon-neutral ethylene voyage.
Navigator Triton, a 21,020 cbm ethylene gas carrier, which departed from Houston, Texas, on July 6, will transport its cargo to Antwerp, Belgium on the carbon-neutral sailing.
To offset the CO2 emissions from the voyage, Marubeni and Navigator Gas are investing in an environmental project in Cambodia designed to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
Marubeni said in a release that it intends to further develop this service for its customers. “We wish to take on the challenge of finding further areas for carbon reduction to meet new customer needs and expectations,” said the company’s Executive Officer Satoru Ichinokawa.
In March 2021, Marubeni published its long-term vision on climate change; its goal is to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Among its plans to reach that goal, the company “will abate GHG emissions at a level consistent with the 1.5℃ pathways. Any residual emissions that cannot be abated will be neutralized (GHG elimination) through internationally recognized nature-based solutions (e.g., forests, farmland, etc.), or through technological solutions, with the aim of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.”
Carbon reduction is also a strategic objective for Navigator Gas. Oeyvind Lindeman, Chief Commercial Officer, said, “We … look forward to enabling further carbon-neutral voyages, a first in the ethylene shipping industry.”
