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Ismaning/Buxtehude, October 02, 2025
NSB GROUP, one of Germany’s leading ship managers, has entered into a partnership with Phlair GmbH, a German direct air capture company. Under the agreement, Phlair will deliver carbon dioxide removal credits (CDR) generated through its Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology to help NSB address unavoidable and hard-to-abate residual emissions from its onshore maritime operations. The credits will be produced by capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere at Phlair’s DAC facility, “Dawn”, and permanently storing it underground.
With this offtake, NSB GROUP positions itself as one of the pioneers in the shipping industry, deliberately moving beyond compliance. The company is taking a forward-looking approach to decarbonization and investing in innovative technologies like Direct Air Capture to lay the groundwork for a sustainable maritime future.
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Tim Ponath, CEO NSB GROUP (right) and Malte Feucht, CEO Phlair (left)
NSB GROUP has placed sustainability at the heart of its long-term strategy, combining practical operational measures with forward-looking innovation. By the start of the CDR delivery by Phlair, NSB will cover Scope 1 emissions by using alternative zero-emission technology. The company will use DAC to address its Scope 3 emissions.
NSB’s partnership with Phlair underscores the role that carbon removal technologies can play in hard-to-abate industries. Shipping is one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonize, yet global trade depends on it. It is responsible for about 3 % of global CO₂ emissions, and even with advances in fuel efficiency and alternative fuels, a share of emissions will persist. These hard-to-abate emissions are exactly where carbon removal will be needed most.
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"Our goal is simple: what we emit in a given year, we want to capture in the same year. We aim for a measurable and direct effect. That’s why we are starting now in the fast-developing decarbonization technology.”
Tim Ponath, CEO NSB GROUP
“Direct Air Capture and Storage is one of the most scientific and reliable approaches to carbon removal. This ensures that our commitments result in measurable impact,” says Tim Ponath, CEO of NSB. “We decided to partner with Phlair because we want to do more than planting trees or using other options today and count it against emissions ten or twenty years down the line. Our goal is simple: what we emit in a given year, we want to capture in the same year. We aim for a measurable and direct effect. That’s why we are starting now in the fast-developing decarbonization technology.”
For Phlair, the partnership is a signal that the shipping industry is ready to engage with breakthrough technologies and take needed steps toward climate-neutral operations.
Malte Feucht, CEO Phlair
“Working with NSB shows what’s possible when a shipping company is willing to go beyond business as usual.”
“Working with NSB shows what’s possible when a shipping company is willing to go beyond business as usual,” said Malte Feucht, CEO at Phlair. “While this partnership will strengthen NSB’s long-term competitive edge, it is not just about compliance or cost savings. It’s about showing leadership in one of the most difficult industries to decarbonize and sets a precedent for others to follow. Tim’s vision was key to driving the partnership and highlights their commitment to explore future-oriented solutions.”
This agreement marks the first step in a long-term strategy to integrate carbon removal into maritime decarbonization.
About NSB GROUP
NSB GROUP is a maritime service company with headquarters in Buxtehude and locations in Singapore, on the Philippines, Korea, and China. Its history goes back to 1982. In addition to traditional technical management, the services offered by the ship management company include commercial management, crew management and training, insurance services, engineering, and newbuilding. In total, NSB manages a fleet of about 50 ships. NSB GROUP employs around 150 people on shore and 1,900 at sea worldwide. With a strong focus on safety, innovation, and sustainability, NSB is actively shaping the future of global shipping.
About Phlair
Phlair is revolutionizing carbon removal. With its unique hydrolyzer-based Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, Phlair is enabling CO2 capture from ambient air: scalable and at low cost. The captured CO2 is permanently stored or used for CO2-negative chemicals. The Munich-based company serves leading customers in carbon removal, including Google, McKinsey, JPMorganChase, Shopify, Stripe, H&M, and Deep Sky.