Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the UAE outside oil and gas, and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd (K Line Group) will team up on research and pilot projects to decarbonise bulk cargo shipping.

Both have signed an agreement to focus on the development and implementation of new marine decarbonisation technologies suitable for EGA’s bulk cargo shipping routes in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean.

Solutions are likely to include kite systems, alternative fuels and CO2 capture technologies. All of these technologies today have technical and practical challenges to widespread adoption that remain to be overcome, ranging from technology immaturity to lack of support infrastructure.

K Line, one of the world’s largest shipping groups, will lead research into decarbonisation opportunities, and EGA will target pilot projects on its K Line shipping routes.

K Line Group transports some five million tonnes of EGA’s bauxite per annum from the Republic of Guinea to the UAE and some 1.5 million tonnes of alumina each year from Australia to the UAE, under long-term Contracts of Affreightment.

The global shipping industry is responsible for almost three per cent of world greenhouse gas emissions, according to the International Maritime Organisation. Shipping accounts for a proportion of the emissions generated in EGA’s supply chain, known as scope 3 emissions.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “Economy-wide decarbonisation will require cooperation between industries.

For EGA, our goal is to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions not just from our own operations but also from activities in our supply chain. Improving the fuel efficiency of shipping could also reduce our shipping costs.”

Yukikazu Myochin, President & CEO of K Line, said: “Decarbonisation is an essential challenge for the shipping industry to meet the expectations of our customers and global society.”