At Anglo American, we have set an ambition to achieve carbon neutrality across our controlled ocean freight activities by 2040, with an interim 30% reduction in emissions by 2030.
Peter Whitcutt, CEO of Anglo American’s Marketing business, said: “Connecting our customers with the metals and minerals they need in a way that is safe, efficient and sustainable is a key priority for us, so our ambition for carbon neutral controlled ocean freight is a natural extension of our commitment to be carbon neutral across our mining operations by 2040.
“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.”
This ambition is aligned with the goals of our Sustainable Mining Plan, which include achieving carbon-neutral mining operations by 2040 and an ambition to reduce Scope 3 emissions by 50% by 2040.
Taking action
We are exploring a range of complementary measures to drive more sustainable operations, and will complement our actions with regular performance reporting. 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, are all part of our efforts to decarbonise ocean freight activities.
In 2020, we announced the introduction of LNG-fuelled Capesize+ vessels to our chartered fleet. The environmental benefits of using LNG - liquefied natural gas - include an estimated 35% reduction in carbon emissions compared to standard marine fuel, and the adoption of innovative technology to eliminate the release of unburnt methane, or so-called “methane slip”.
We continue to work with industry partners to facilitate and accelerate the development of low-carbon and zero-carbon fuels. Recently, we conducted a successful trial using sustainable biofuel, converted from waste cooking oil from Singapore’s food and beverage industry, to power a chartered Capesize ship. We are also part of an industry consortium looking into the viability of green ammonia for maritime operations.
We are also joining forces with Hydrogenious Maritime AS, a joint venture between Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies, a portfolio company of AP Ventures, and Johannes Østensjø dy AS, with the aim to collaborate to explore the use of emission-free liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC)-based applications on our chartered fleet.
Anglo American is a signatory of the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonisation, asking governments to take decisive action to enable full decarbonisation of international shipping by 2050; a partner of the Global Maritime Forum; a founding signatory and an architect of the Sea Cargo Charter; and 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.
