The modern sailing cargo ship SV Juren Ae is ceremoniously handed over to the Marshallese government

Shipping has become more environmentally and climate-friendly in the future and within the framework of international climate targets. Energy-efficient, safe and reliable ships are essential for this. As a project of the International Climate Initiative (IKI) under the leadership of the BMUV, the modern sailing cargo ship has been put into operation by the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The ship impressively demonstrates how innovative solutions can be developed within the framework of international cooperation and what the future of environmentally and climate-friendly maritime shipping can look like.

In the greater Pacific region, a regional change for more environmental and climate protection has been taking place for some time now, which now also includes shipping traffic, which is so important in this region. The project "Transition to low-carbon maritime transport in the Republic of the Marshall Islands", commissioned by the BMUV, is providing significant support for this change. As part of the project, in addition to the construction of the modern ocean-going sailing cargo ship, as well as smaller, environmentally friendly ships for traffic between the atolls, data on greenhouse gas emissions and the energy efficiency of ships in the Marshall Islands will also be used to develop climate-friendly solutions. The project is being implemented locally by GIZ. 

On October 22, 2024, after many years of cooperation, the sailing cargo ship SV Juren Ae was ceremoniously handed over to the Marshallese government. The atoll nation is celebrating the commissioning of the first Pacific sailing cargo ship of modern design. With the SV Juren Ae, the foundation stone is to be laid for a focus on sustainable propulsion technologies in the shipping sector. In this way, dependence on fossil fuel imports can also be successively reduced and the supply situation for the inhabitants of the remote atolls can be significantly improved. Along with this, the ship is also a signal for the efforts at the international level to decarbonize shipping in the coming decades.

The representative of the German Embassy in Manila, Mr. Mathias Kruse, in his role as Deputy Head of the Embassy, emphasized that "the Federal Republic of Germany will continue to strengthen the connection between the countries and will also consider other fields of possible cooperation." 

Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technologies, Hilton T. Kendall, said: "Following the arrival of the vessel in July, Juren Ae already offers the opportunity to provide near-zero emission sea transport to our outer atolls and islands. The ship symbolizes an extremely efficient cooperation between our countries over a period of years. We are deeply connected in a shared vision to usher in a new era in the national and international maritime transport sector."

The SV Juren Ae, with its hull co-developed by the German University of Applied Sciences Emden-Leer and the modern sail system, transports even more than freight and passengers. The ship is already a symbol of modern and climate-friendly maritime transport. It thus stands for sustainability and energy efficiency: compared to the rest of the Marshallese ship fleet, the ship has a savings potential of up to 80 percent of CO2emissions. The three-master, which is almost 50 metres long, can reach a speed of about twelve knots when using the sail system and about seven knots when operating with an auxiliary diesel engine. In addition, the ship has a battery tray that is charged by excess wind energy and supplies the ship's electric drive during slow maneuvers. In addition, the SV Juren Ae serves as a platform for training and further education of existing and future ship crews. In cooperation with the College of the Marshall Islands (CMI), young Marshallese women and men are given the opportunity to enjoy practical training according to international standards on the ship.

In the coming months, SV Juren Ae will drive the paradigm shift in maritime shipping as an ambassador for modern, energy-efficient maritime transport in the Greater Pacific region and promote further efforts to decarbonize shipping. After the ship's arrival in Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands, other Pacific nations have already shown keen interest in the type of ship.