Lloyd’s Register (LR) and Shandong Marine Group (SDMG) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will enable the two organizations to collaborate on energy transition opportunities.
Shandong’s economy is the third largest in China. The partners say that the province, situated on the country’s eastern coast, has modernized its marine sector in the past decade, adopting novel technologies as well as new energy sources and materials.
SDMG’s diverse fleet
SDMG, through its various subsidiaries, has a diverse fleet that includes bulk carriers, container ships and gas carriers. It reportedly has the largest bulk fleet carrier fleet in China, owning and operating a fleet of handysize, handymax, panamax and capesize vessels.
The group is shifting its focus to developing green energy, with pilot projects for onboard carbon capture systems and other decarbonization solutions gaining momentum. Under the MoU, LR will act as a trusted adviser to SDMG, supporting the group’s energy transition journey as it continues to trial new energy-efficiency and emissions-reduction technologies.
A partnership of opportunity
Nick Brown, CEO of Lloyd’s Register, said, “This MoU signifies the start of a significant partnership between one of China’s leading shipping companies and the world’s first marine classification society. China’s position as a global center for the shipping industry and SDMG’s leading position in the country represent a huge opportunity as the industry grows while taking tangible steps on the pathway toward a sustainable future.”
Jiang Guodong, chairman of SDMG, said, “Over the years, Shandong Marine Group and Lloyd’s Register have established a good foundation for cooperation in the fields of ship technical audit and certification, ship safety assessment and supervision, and environmental protection. In the future, we will further expand cooperation areas and deepen cooperation in the green and low-carbon development of ocean shipping, ship energy-saving transformation, ship new-energy applications, etc. We also hope that Lloyd’s Register will put more business sectors, including ship certification, technical services, energy, consulting, etc, in Shandong and work together to push forward the green and low-carbon and digital transformation, inheritance of friendliness, mutual benefit and win-win situation, and common development.”
In related news, it was recently announced that Lloyd’s Register (LR) is preparing to class two hydrogen-powered passenger ferries ordered by Norwegian transportation company Torghatten Nord. Click here to read the full story.