August 7, 2025
A two-year Coalition partnership to accelerate decarbonisation efforts in the dry bulk segment has been signed by the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO).
This partnership combines GCMD’s technical insights and experience in executing pilots with INTERCARGO’s member reach and IMO engagement to help close critical adoption and operational gaps. GCMD and INTERCARGO will collaborate to promote the adoption of energy efficiency technologies (EETs) amongst dry bulk shipowners and facilitate mutual knowledge exchange on advancements in low- and zero-carbon-fuelled dry bulk vessels.
By combining GCMD’s strength in executing first-of-a-kind pilots with our members’ operational expertise and consultative status at the IMO, we can accelerate progress towards the industry’s decarbonisation targets
… commented Dimitris Monioudis, Technical Committee Chairman of INTERCARGO.
Together, the two organizations aim to:
- Accelerate the uptake of EETs among dry bulk shipowners
- Facilitate mutual knowledge-sharing on advancements in low- and zero-carbon-fuelled dry bulk vessels
- Advance deployment of solutions, such as drop-in biofuels and onboard carbon capture
Addressing the unique challenges of dry bulk operations
As explained, dry bulk vessels often operate on a ‘tramp’ trade basis with irregular and unpredictable routes, which makes it challenging for these vessels to plan bunkering at ports that offer zero- or near-zero-emission (ZNZ) fuels. Global bunkering infrastructure also remains in development, with ZNZ fuels unlikely to be available at all ports in the foreseeable future.
Whilst the industry works to scale ZNZ fuel availability and ready ports for their handling and bunkering, there is an urgent need to adopt pragmatic, near-term solutions, such as drop-in biofuels, onboard carbon capture systems and EETs, to meet the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) decarbonisation targets.
To address this, GCMD is actively conducting pilots and trials to lower barriers for the broad market adoption of these solutions. With INTERCARGO’s operational expertise and member network, the partnership will help advance the deployment of these solutions across the dry bulk segment.
Supporting dry bulk shipowners in the energy transition
Shipowners often face challenges in deploying EETs due to fuel savings uncertainty and some face limited access to financing. GCMD is installing sensors onboard vessels to validate fuel savings that will underpin Pay-As-You-Save (PAYS), a financing model that GCMD is developing in parallel to link repayments to verified fuel savings. The collaboration aims to accelerate the uptake of EETs in this segment.
This partnership offers a valuable opportunity to deepen our understanding of the dry bulk segment’s operational realities and work collaboratively to address gaps in meeting the industry’s decarbonisation targets. Through INTERCARGO’s consultative status at IMO, we hope to contribute to the development of global regulatory frameworks for maritime decarbonisation
… said Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of GCMD.
