ClassNK awards first-ever green steel notation, boosting ship retrofit and construction market
Green steel reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during production, setting a new standard for environmental measures in ship construction and retrofitting, and helping to address growing industry demand to cut GHG emissions across the entire supply chain. Bright Queen, built by Higaki Shipbuilding Co., used JFE Steel Corporation's ‘JGreeX’ green steel, with ClassNK verifying GHG reductions in the manufacturing process. This achievement highlights ClassNK's commitment to supporting innovative decarbonisation initiatives, in line with its recently introduced environmental guidelines, which outline notations for ships with advanced sustainability features. Encouraging the adoption of sustainable materials in both newbuilds and vessel upgrades, as regulations tighten and the maritime industry seeks greener solutions, retrofitting existing ships with green steel components presents an opportunity to reduce carbon footprints and comply with evolving environmental standards.