Houlder, Shell ink decarbonisation collaboration agreement

The agreement will focus on both retrofit and newbuild vessels and span market research, technical analysis of clean solutions from a design and engineering perspective, safety and risk assessment studies, and greenhouse gas emissions abatement quantification and verification.

Houlder chief executive Rupert Hare said, “The maritime industry has to choose technology pathways, supported by regulation, which offer credible, low-cost routes to a net-zero emissions future by 2050. We must collectively do more to accelerate change – this is one of the cornerstones of our forward-thinking collaboration with Shell.”

The companies said safety forms a core component of their agreement. With maritime decarbonisation requiring new technologies and operating procedures, safety remains a central focus for the industry. Changes could introduce risks that may not be adequately managed or eliminated by today’s standards, skills and procedures.

News of this collaboration agreement comes after Houlder announced its work for Shell on the concept design of liquid hydrogen carriers, and studies on hydrogen as a cargo or fuel. The news also comes after the IMO’s MEPC 80 meeting and revised greenhouse gas strategy, which requires a well-defined industry view on green solutions to achieve.

Houlder chief technical officer Jonathan Strachan added, “There are a myriad of maritime decarbonisation solutions available. The challenge is cutting through the noise to find the right solutions for a ship type, specific ship and its unique operating profile. Our collaboration with Shell will support the company in making the right decarbonisation decisions, underpinned by technical design and engineering expertise.”