Washington, D.C. | December 17, 2025 – The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) has announced the winners of its landmark second e-fuel tender, marking a decisive milestone in the maritime industry’s transition to clean energy. Hapag-Lloyd and North Sea Container Line (NCL) have secured the bids, enabling ZEMBA members to abate ocean transport emissions by deploying two pioneering categories of scalable, hydrogen-derived e-fuels.
This voluntary private sector initiative bolsters two critical fuel pathways, e-Methanol and e-Ammonia, designed to future-proof the sector, support global economic opportunities, and mitigate the shipping industry’s significant greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint.
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Unprecedented Scale and Abatement Goals
Based on commitments to date, this groundbreaking effort will enable participating member companies to deploy e-fuels on an initial 20 billion tonne nautical miles of transport activity over three years, with some members extending their commitment to five years.
This is projected to result in at least 120,000 metric tonnes of GHG emissions abated, starting in 2027. Contracting remains ongoing, and ZEMBA is actively welcoming additional freight buyers to join this deal through its official website.
The Winning Shipping Lines: Redefining the Possible
Through these deployments, Hapag-Lloyd and NCL are setting a new standard for sustainable logistics:
- Hapag-Lloyd: Will deploy e-methanol on large methanol dual-fuel containerships on a high-volume trans-oceanic lane.
- North Sea Container Line (NCL): Will deploy the world’s first e-ammonia-powered containership, the Yara Eyde, serving a Northern European trade lane.
Both fuels will be produced using low-carbon hydrogen from renewable energy, delivering a carbon intensity reduction of at least 90% on a lifecycle basis relative to conventional high-emission fuels.
Voices of Leadership
“We applaud Hapag-Lloyd and North Sea Container Line’s leadership, collaboration, and innovation, as well as the quality of their offerings in response to ZEMBA’s pioneering market signal,” said Ingrid Irigoyen, President and CEO of ZEMBA. “This voluntary private sector initiative remains on track to invest in rapid on-the-water deployment of vastly scalable, next-generation maritime fuels.”
“At a time when sourcing scalable e-fuels remains a major challenge for the entire industry, winning the second ZEMBA tender is a significant milestone for us. Deploying e-methanol is an essential step in our journey to reach net-zero fleet operations by 2045. We are very grateful for the trust that all ZEMBA members have placed in our capabilities, and we remain fully committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to a greener future for global shipping,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.
“We are proud to be awarded together with Hapag-Lloyd the ZEMBA tender, reaffirming NCL’s commitment to shaping the future of sustainable logistics,” said Bente Hetland, CEO of NCL. “With a dedicated product for ZEMBA’s members who are ready to drive real change, NCL will continue to push the transition towards next generation maritime fuels. We are truly grateful for the strong support from the business community as we work together to deliver efficient and forward-thinking transport solutions.”
The Mechanism: Book and Claim
The announcement reinforces the importance of credible, third-party verified, and transparent book and claim chain-of-custody systems. This system allows demand from global buyers to flow to first-mover suppliers regardless of geographic availability constraints. ZEMBA continues its close partnership for this tender with Katalist, the first nonprofit maritime book and claim system, hosted by the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping and RMI.
ZEMBA looks forward to finalizing the full measurable impact of this second tender in 2026 as contracting concludes with the winning carriers.
About North Sea Container Line (NCL)
North Sea Container Line (NCL) is the market leader in container shipping in Norway.
- Operations: Headquartered in Haugesund, Norway, operating a fleet of container vessels in intra-European trade.
- Green Leadership: Operating two methanol 1300 TEU container vessels in service from Q2 2025 and the world’s first ammonia-powered container vessel under construction for delivery in Q4 2026.
About Hapag-Lloyd
With a fleet of 305 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 2.5 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies.
- Employees & Offices: ~14,000 employees and 400 offices in 140 countries.
- Container Capacity: 3.8 million TEU, including one of the largest reefer fleets.
- Global Reach: 130 liner services connecting more than 600 ports worldwide.
- Terminal & Infrastructure: Equity stakes in 21 terminals across Europe, Latin America, the US, India, and North Africa, supported by 3,000 specialized employees.
ABOUT ZEMBA
The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA), a nonprofit organization, is a first-of-its-kind buyers group within the maritime sector, the aim of which is to accelerate commercial deployment of clean energy-powered shipping, enable economies of scale, and help cargo owners maximize their positive impact beyond what any one freight buyer could accomplish alone.
The Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Program serves as the ZEMBA secretariat. Technical and legal support are provided by several key partners:
- The Center for Green Market Activation (GMA): A US-based, globally focused nonprofit catalyzing the adoption of low-carbon goods in carbon-intensive industries.
- Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub: Working toward a safe, sustainable, and human-centric decarbonized shipping industry.
- Pillsbury: Acts as legal counsel and provides procurement expertise.
Almost 50 current members, including cofounders Amazon, Patagonia, and Tchibo, and members including Beiersdorf, Brooks Running, Green Worldwide Shipping, IKEA, Nike, Poly Medicure Ltd., and Sport-Thieme, encourage additional companies to join the demand signal.
Source: Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA)