A coalition of cargo shippers is accepting bids from ocean carriers on a contract to transport their products on vessels powered by e-fuels, with a goal to reduce carbon emissions for primary propulsion systems by 90% over a three to five year agreement.

The group — known as the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliances (ZEMBA) — consists of 40 companies, and was originally founded by e-commerce giant Amazon, outdoor recreation retailer Patagonia, and German coffee chain Tchibo. In a November 13 release, ZEMBA detailed its plans to use near-zero emissions ships to move the equivalent of 1.4 million twenty-foot containers across the Pacific Ocean over the life of the contract, which would start in 2027.

"By creating economies of scale and targeting investment in the right long-term solutions, our members can also accelerate the pace and manage overall costs of this clean energy transition," ZEMBA president and CEO Ingrid Irigoyen said. 

This marks the second contract tender ZEMBA has offered. The first was won by Hapag-Lloyd in April 2024, and will see the German ocean carrier transport goods for ZEMBA spanning 1 billion twenty-foot equivalent unit miles between 2025 and 2026, exclusively using ships powered by waste-based biomethane. The coalition is targeting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its maritime fleets by 2050.