MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) has unveiled its collaboration with the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) to implement a project aimed at managing safety certification for lithium battery shipments utilizing blockchain technology.
In this joint initiative, MSC will integrate its lithium battery shipment booking procedure with GSBN, leveraging the network’s access to testing laboratories and certification providers in China, including SICIT and Pony Testing.
Upon completion of testing, the laboratories will directly share safe transportation certificates over GSBN’s blockchain network. These certificates will be accessible to MSC during the booking process, replacing conventional paper-based methods prone to verification challenges and susceptible to mislabeling and fraud.
The partnership between MSC and GSBN aims to broaden its scope over time, encompassing a wider range of certificates. Additionally, the collaboration seeks to expand its network of laboratories to enhance coverage for carriers.
Dirk Van de Velde, Chief Health, Safety, Security, and Environment Officer at MSC, highlighted the advantages of the collaboration with GSBN, emphasizing the ability to offer customers a more streamlined experience while ensuring the safe transportation of cargo requiring special handling. Van de Velde attributed this achievement to GSBN’s blockchain network, facilitating access to leading testing laboratories and certification providers in China, a key player in global goods exportation, particularly of items containing lithium-ion batteries.