Industry leaders from North America, Asia and Europe have announced the formation of the North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium (NPGCC) whose members and partners will work together to decarbonise the value chain for commodities between North America and Asia.
The NPGCC will apply its collective expertise to develop a corridor for the decarbonised transportation of multiple commodities, including agricultural products, metal concentrates and steelmaking coal. The members of the NPGCC are committed to establishing the consortium as a catalyst for decarbonisation efforts, exploring new markets for low carbon fuels in North America and Asia, exploring propulsion options, and showcasing how carbon reduction initiatives can strengthen commercial partnerships.
The NPGCC brings together sections of the value chain including bulk commodity producers, railway and intermodal transportation providers, marine vessel owners and operators, port facilities and port authorities, and clean technology providers. The nine founding members are Canadian National Railway Company (CN), Mitsubishi Canada, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NYK Bulk and Projects Carriers, Oldendorff Carriers, Prince Rupert Port Authority, Teck Resources, Trigon Pacific Terminals, and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. The NPGCC is open to additional members and partners, in particular end-use customers, to contribute to the development and implementation of the green trade corridor.
The NPGCC’s activities will focus on pathways to optimise energy efficiency with the specific goal of advancing projects and infrastructure required to achieve meaningful emissions reductions in the near term. Consideration will be given to the potential production, storage and bunkering of lower-carbon fuels and propulsion options for use by NPGCC members and other parties. The NPGCC will engage in research, knowledge-sharing, advocacy, member coordination and recruitment to accelerate members’ progress towards their decarbonisation objectives.
Ian Anderson, SVP and CCO Teck, said: “The launch of the North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium is 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. Teck is excited to join the consortium partners on this major decarbonization initiative as part of our ambition to achieve net-zero Scope 3 emissions by 2050.”
Linda Kongerslev, Director, Global Engagement and Sustainability, Oldendorff Carriers, said: “Oldendorff welcomes this opportunity to work with key coalition partners to drive a decarbonized supply chain. 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.”
NYK Bulk and Projects Carriers GM Tatsuhiko Asami said: “We are delighted to join the North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium, which aims to realize decarbonised transport between Canada, Japan, and South Korea. The NYK Group is working to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, which aligns with the NPGCC’s objective. We will keep moving toward global decarbonization and a sustainable society together with our customers and partners through safe and clean transportation.”
Image: NPGCC aims to decarbonize the transportation corridor between Canada, Japan and South Korea (source: NPGCC)
