Green and digital shipping corridors (GDSC) were in focus at the opening of Singapore Maritime Week with the signing of an agreement between the city state and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The GSDC with the ports of LA and Long Beach is the second green corridor Singapore has signed after the world’s longest with the port of Rotterdam in August last year.
“This GDSC, supported by C40 Cities, will accelerate the decarbonization of international shipping along the critical transpacific trade route. This GDSC complements existing bilateral initiatives between Singapore and the United States, such as the US-Singapore Climate Partnership and the US-Singapore Partnership for Growth and Innovation,” said Singapore Transport Minister S Iswaran at the opening ceremony of Singapore Maritime Week.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) Chief Executive Teo Eng Dih, Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka and Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero.
Ports will work to facilitate the supply and roll-out of low-emission and low-carbon fuels and explore the necessary infrastructure and regulations for bunkering.
“No single port or organization can meet the challenge of supply chain decarbonization alone, no matter how innovative their technology or robust efforts,” commented Seroka.
In March, the Port of LA signed agreements with the Port of Tokyo and the Port of Yokohama to establish green shipping corridors.
John Kerry, the US President’s special envoy for climate, said in pre-recorded video at the SMW opening that the maritime sector would be the world’s eighth largest emitter if it were a country and responsible for about one gigatonne of greenhouse gas emissions per year . “But the good news is that many shipping companies, ports and countries are following suit. Today’s MoU is one of those good news stories.”
Also on the green shipping corridors front, Minister Iswaran commented that the NextGEN Connect project launched by the MPA and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at SMW 2022 is beginning to bear fruit. A call for proposals to provide comprehensive solutions for maritime decarbonisation along specific shipping routes had received high-quality submissions, with the winning proposal coming from Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (LR MDH) for the “Development of a route-based action plan methodology” based on the Silk Alliance”.
“The Silk Alliance is a green shipping corridor project. It tests emission saving strategies for container ships operating mainly in Asia, based on LR MDH’s First Mover Framework. This proposal reaffirms the pragmatic and inclusive approach needed to accelerate the roll-out of low- and zero-emission solutions,” the minister said.
The minister also noted growing momentum in the shipping industry towards the use of alternative fuels, with almost half of all container ship orders set to be methanol-capable in the second half of 2022. Biofuel ingestion was also recorded with 140,000 tons sold to ships in Singapore port in 2022.
“Later this year we will complete the expression of interest for ammonia bunkering and power generation and conduct our first pilot project on methanol bunkering,” Minister Iswaran said.
Source: News Network
More Stories
US Coast Guard Students Demand $130 Million for Alleged Sexual Assault
Fuel Cell and CCS Study Aims to Reduce Maritime Emissions
BC Ferries Struggles with Aging Fleet After Propeller Loss of Iconic Vessel