MMMCZCS, LR Decarb Hub unite to advance zero-carbon shipping goals

July 15, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

In a move that underscores growing collaboration in the race to decarbonize shipping, Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (Decarb Hub) has become the latest Knowledge Partner of the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS).

Illustration; Credit: Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping

The goal of the partnership is described as advancing safety, driving innovation and paving the way for a scalable adoption of environmentally friendly marine fuels as a means of speeding up the transition to Net Zero.

As disclosed, through this collaboration, the Decarb Hub will endeavor to advance the effective application of Human Factor Integration (HFI) to improve seafarer safety. The Hub’s Human Safety and Risk professionals are to provide knowledge in risk and safety engineering, analysis, HFI, as well as policy insights.

What is more, the partners have shared that other focus areas include the safe application of sustainable marine fuels—particularly ammonia—with an emphasis on the use of quantitative risk methods, embedding safety management principles and design mitigations and technical guidance on HFI for the creation of alternative fuel systems in ships.

Speaking about this development, James Forsdyke, Managing Director of The Decarb Hub, highlighted: “By integrating our expertise and experience in green corridor development, quantitative risk assessment, and seafarer competency mapping with the Center’s world-leading capabilities in operational safety and fuel transition modelling, we look forward to driving the safe and scalable adoption of sustainable fuels across the international fleet to deliver meaningful progress toward a zero-emission maritime future.”

“The Decarb Hub has established itself as an independent actor, not-for-profit research and action unit, combining technical insight, systems thinking, and a deep understanding of maritime transition pathways. Their approach aligns closely with our ambition to accelerate a safe and sustainable transition to zero emissions,” Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO of MMMCZCS, further added.

As informed, this new long-term partnership is an extension of the ongoing collaboration between the two players, which was initially kick-started in 2021 via a joint work programme tackling safety and risk management for the use of ammonia—a highly flammable and toxic fuel—as a marine energy source.

MMMCZCS and the Decarb Hub have also worked on studies examining the usage of ammonia as fuel, including the risks and the seafarer training needs. In a February 2025 report, the two organizations underscored that, despite ammonia’s rising ‘popularity’, the maritime transport industry is facing enormous challenges in regards to the workforce.

Even though a separate survey by MMMCZCS showed that the majority of seafarers are willing to work with this sustainable fuel, as many as 800,000 workers need to be upskilled to handle the hazards associated with handling ammonia and ammonia-powered vessels, like toxicity, flammability, explosions and material incompatibility.

In light of these findings, and especially with the fact that the number of vessels fueled by ammonia is on the rise, MMMCZCS and the Decarb Hub underscored that industry players need to act swiftly to ensure a ‘smooth’ green transition by protecting both the workforce and the environment.

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