Stena Bulk reveals decarbonisation plan for net zero emissions by 2050

Leading tanker shipping company Stena Bulk has announced 5 milestone decarbonisation targets, which set out the company’s roadmap to becoming a net zero emissions business by 2050.

Erik Hånell, President and CEO, Stena Bulk, said: “The shipping industry collectively faces a challenge where we must consider how we alter our entire energy needs. In order to decarbonise, the maritime community must take risks, push sustainability boundaries, and embrace a partnership approach that enhances collaboration between industry partners and customers.”

The first of the 5 milestones has already been achieved in 2020, when Stena Bulk started to offer low-carbon shipping options to customers with up to 100% reduction of CO2 emissions. These options are based on the use of biofuels and an internal carbon emissions offsetting program, allowing the organisation to offer low-carbon options on any voyage, regardless of ports and specific ships used.

Next year, Stena Bulk will launch the first of three planned carbon neutral-ready, methanol fuelled vessels in collaboration with Proman, after announcing the requirement to start transitioning to a more sustainable fleet. This methanol fuelled vessel will also be able to be operated on VLFSO, and is aimed to come into service 18 years ahead of the company’s ambition to be one of the first carbon neutral vessel operators in the world by 2040.

This collaboration will directly support Stena Bulk’s second target, which requires every new ship from 2030 to come with a roadmap to be upgraded to carbon neutral status, through either retrofitting new technology or switching to carbon neutral fuels.

Stena Bulk’s third milestone to reaching net-zero comes hand in hand with the recently unveiled vessel design InfinityMAX concept, which is the company’s take on zero emissions, self-sufficient and flexible seaborn transportation. The company aims for a similarly designed ship to be operating on water by 2035 at the latest.

The company’s fourth milestone aims to be by 2040, in which it plans to become a fully carbon neutral tanker operator. To achieve this a combination of measures will be implemented: some of the company’s vessels will be zero emissions, some will run on carbon-neutral fuels, and there will also be carbon emissions offsetting programmes in place to fully achieve the carbon neutral operations goal.

The fifth and final milestone will be achieved by Stena Bulk in 2050, in which it plans to become a fully net zero emissions business. This means that it will take account not only for its own operations and indirect emissions to the business, but also for the cargo carried by its vessels. By 2050, all cargo carried by its fleet will need to be climate neutral, which is a shared responsibility between Stena Bulk and its customers.

Hånell, added: “The set of decarbonisation targets and wider roadmap that we are presenting today is another example of Stena Bulk’s commitment to a sustainable shipping future, and we are immensely proud to be one of the first industry players to propose a plan that makes our own net zero journey tangible, achievable, and measurable. This is a challenging and demanding path ahead of us that we remain prepared and eager to explore, and we look forward to working across the sector to achieve our goals.”

---

Want to connect with a growing network of over 1,500 transport, energy and policy professionals mapping the next phase of the transport transition? Join Climate Action at the Transport Transition Summit on the 11 & 12 May by registering here.