Teck Resources, one of Canada’s biggest mining companies, plus big-name bulker operators and ports have come together to reduce carbon emissions in dry cargo supply chains between North America and Asia.
The partners will work together to develop a decarbonised corridor for the transport of commodities, including agricultural products, metal concentrates and steelmaking coal.
Members of the North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium (NPGCC) include bulker operators Oldendorff Carriers and NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers, plus Mitsubishi Canada and shipyard Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
The other founding members are the Canadian National Railway, Canada’s Prince Rupert Port Authority, Trigon Pacific Terminals, which operates terminals at the port, and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
Together, the nine founding members represent around 25% of the more than 100m tonnes of bulk commodities shipped through the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert in Canada each year.
The alliance will explore new markets for low-carbon fuels in North America and Asia, which it said could potentially include the production, storage and bunkering of these fuels and propulsion options for use by NPGCC members and others.
The group said it will also look at how carbon reduction initiatives can strengthen commercial partnerships and plans to share knowledge and research among its members.
The announcement of the membership and their joint ambitions is the first milestone in the NPGCC since it was initiated in June last year, when senior representatives of Teck joined Canada’s minister of transport at the G7 Transport Ministers’ Summit in Japan.
Ian Anderson, Teck’s senior vice president and chief commercial officer, called the launch of the consortium “a major step forward in achieving a sustainable and decarbonised future for the critical minerals value chain”.
“The NPGCC aligns with the Government of Canada’s Green Shipping Corridors Framework by fostering international collaboration and setting ambitious milestones to create a net-zero future from producer to shipper to customer,” said Anderson, who sits on the NPGCC’s board with representatives from each of the other member companies.
Teck aims to achieve net-zero Scope 3 emissions by 2050 and last year partnered with Norden to decarbonise its coal supply chain and with Oldendorff to fit rotor sails on a bulk carrier.
Linda Kongerslev, Oldendorff’s director of global engagement and sustainability, said: “We are continuously looking for ways to reduce the environmental footprint of our shipping services, and the establishment of the North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium is an exciting milestone on this path.”
