A landmark methodology developed by AkzoNobel’s Marine Coatings has made Neda Maritime Agency Co Ltd, a leading Greek tanker and bulker owner the first ship owner to receive carbon credits through a landmark scheme developed by AkzoNobel.
Through the award winning program Neda Maritime has won a total of 13,375 carbon credits, potentially worth around $60,000. The worthy program was launched in 2014, a scheme first of its kind which rewards ship owners financially for using sustainable hull coatings that improve operational efficiencies and reduce emissions. Tanker vessel Argenta accrued the carbon credits which was converted from a biocidal antifouling system to a premium, biocide-free advanced hull coating from AkzoNobel’s Intersleek range – part of the company’s International® brand and it is to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions on average by 9%.
Costas Mitropoulos, Technical Director at Neda Maritime, said: “We are proud to be the world’s first ship owner to receive carbon credits from AkzoNobel’s carbon credits initiative. As the shipping industry faces more pressure to improve its sustainability, we continue our commitment to further increase our environmental performance standards. To that respect we see a great potential in AkzoNobel’s pioneering carbon credits initiative as part of our strategy to deliver sustainable and successful business.”
Added Oscar Wezenbeek, Managing Director of AkzoNobel’s Marine Coating’s business, “This is a landmark moment for AkzoNobel, Neda Maritime and the wider shipping industry. It demonstrates how our carbon credits initiative can incentivise investment in more sustainable practices, accelerating carbon reduction within the shipping industry and enabling owners to gain from operational, environmental and bottom-line benefits from clean technologies.”
As a part of its ongoing commitment to reduce its impact on the environment, Neda Maritime would use its carbon credits to voluntarily offset other sources of CO2 emissions within its business. Each carbon credit accrued represents the avoidance of one tonne of CO2 being emitted to the atmosphere, meaning that the company has offset a total of 13,735 tonnes of CO2 from its business.
AkzoNobel’s carbon credits initiative was a coincidence with The Gold Standard Foundation and Fremco Group. On a whole, the issuance of the carbon credit award to Neda Maritime through AkzoNobel’s initiative has seen more than 126,000 carbon credits. Also, the name of the second ship owner will be disclosed shortly which has 15 vessels enrolled in the scheme.
Source: AkzoNobel
