What is the Castor Initiative?
The Castor initiative is a multinational coalition with a diverse circle of maritime expertise to ensure and support the complete ecosystem required for ammonia-fuelled tankers to operate sustainably and safely.
The global coalition was established in January 2020 and includes:
- MISC Berhad (MISC)
- TotalEnergies
- Lloyd’s Register (LR)
- Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI)
- MAN Energy Solutions (MAN)
- Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
- Yara Clean Ammonia (Yara)
- Jurong Port
The creation of the alliance was motivated by the partners’ shared belief that the maritime industry needs leadership and greater collaboration if shipping is to meet the International Maritime Organisation’s 2050 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission target, an ambition that requires commercially viable deep-sea Zero-Emission Vessels (ZEVs) to be in operation by 2030
The naming of the project is significant. Castor is the second-brightest star in the Gemini constellation, but actually consists of six stars which appear as one. The partners are on track to design, build, and commission the world’s first ammonia-fuelled tanker by 2025.
