RAK PORTS, the internationally recognized ports operator in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre of Sustainable Ship Building. The MoU aims to develop a maritime innovation and technology park that will provide a unique ecosystem for advanced ship and boatyards and maritime technology providers, all within the framework of sustainable development in the UAE.
The Centre for Sustainable Ship Building (CSSB) will provide tenants with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and shared machinery. Twelve, mostly international companies, have already signed a Letter of Intent to participate in the sustainable development, with these first tenants being world leaders in the fields of e-propulsion and ultra-lightweight vessel construction.
Unique construction methodologies produce a reduced weight-to-size ratio never seen before in the history of shipbuilding. This has contributed to a boat designed and built in the UAE, being nominated for European Powerboat of the Year 2024. Another 2022-built sailing yacht model outperformed the competition in prestigious 2023 international regattas.
This declaration of intent is an important milestone for the sustainable development of maritime transport. The shipping industry, which is responsible for 6.7% of global oil consumption, plays a crucial role in securing the future of our planet. The partnership between RAK PORTS and CSSB aims to support various infrastructure and construction projects, with a focus on promoting the development and implementation of new sustainable technologies.
Roy Cummins, CEO of RAK PORTS, says: “We are delighted to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with CSSB. This cluster fits in with our vision of sustainable development and investment. This MoU will not only strengthen our business development, but also accelerate sustainable development in the shipping industry. We look forward to exploring the possibilities of this partnership, which will make a valuable contribution to the UAE’s strategies towards sustainable development. We are excited about the potential this partnership holds for our international network of industrial players and we hope to welcome many more partners.”
“Climate change mitigation and ocean resilience are key to the global effort to tackle climate change. The CSSB is ready to take a leadership role in partnership with RAK PORTS by developing science-based solutions and easy-to-integrate tools to reverse the decline in ocean health,” said Hans Genthe, founder of CSSB. “We want to help capture carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it into long-lasting products or convert it into fuels. Our vision is to grow the organic raw materials locally and take care of recycling of waste and end products. Our production cycle should bind CO2 and not emit it, so that we can offer CO2 certificates to our partners.”
Kolja Rafferty, CFO of CSSB, commented on the partnership as follows: “Our partnership with RAK PORTS is a strategic move that aligns with our commitment to sustainable development and geographic expansion. It strengthens the core areas of infrastructure and construction, the maritime sector and promotes tourism.”
A future tenant of CSSB in Ras Al Khaimah, Michael Stusch, Executive Chairman & CEO of H2-Enterprises, said: “Producing hydrogen from plastic and organic waste and storing it under ambient conditions in liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC), instead of pressurizing or cooling it down to -253°C solves many problems, and makes it easily feasible to power all-electric ships with zero-emission hydrogen, safely stored in LOHC. We also look forward to scaling our technology for use in small boats or cars, and starting production at the CSSB.”
