The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Port of Rotterdam (PoR) and 20 partners in the Green & Digital Shipping Corridor are working to reduce 20% to 30% of emissions from international shipping by 2030, according to MPA on Wednesday (20 September). 

This was agreed at the third Green Corridor workshop, held this week in Rotterdam.

The Green & Digital Shipping Corridor was established in August 2022 to bring together partners across the supply chain to realise zero and near-zero emissions shipping on the Rotterdam-Singapore route, with the ultimate aim to reach net-zero emissions in 2050. Over the past year, the corridor attracted strong support from global value-chain partners, including shipping lines, port authorities and operators, fuel suppliers, fuel coalitions and associations, banks, leading institutes of higher learning and knowledge partners.

The project partners are working towards reducing GHG emissions from this international shipping corridor by 20%, striving for 30%, by 2030, compared to 20221. The corridor will continue to deepen efforts towards achieving the strengthened ambition of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships. This is to be achieved through the development and uptake of zero and near-zero emission fuels in large containers vessels (of at least 8,000 TEU) deployed on the 15,000 km route, supported by a combination of operational and digital efficiencies.

A modelling study led by the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero-Carbon Shipping, one of the corridor partners for the project, and supported by the ports, explored multiple alternative fuels across a variety of zero and near-zero emission pathways, including synthetic and bio- variants of methanol, ammonia and LNG. Beyond the study, hydrogen is one other alternative fuel pathway to be looked at. Efforts are underway to aggregate demand and supply to reduce cost gap towards adoption of sustainable fuels.

Working groups have been established to look into the deployment of all of these fuels on the trade lane, spanning across demand and supply of fuel, standards, safety procedures, financing and regulations. The corridor partners gathered in Rotterdam this week to identify action steps for the various fuel pathways.

Enabling the use of new bunker fuels

Low carbon marine fuels will likely be more expensive than existing fuels and a separate working group has been formed with the support of the Global Maritime Forum, the Centre for Maritime Studies of the National University of Singapore, University of Oxford, and Citi, to address gaps in regulation and financing. The study includes modelling price-gap differences to incentivise the uptake of alternative bunker fuels.

In addition, Singapore and Rotterdam have jointly assessed the readiness of both ports and steps ahead such as adopting similar bunkering standards and safety frameworks to accelerate the adoption of zero and near-zero emission fuels on this major trade route. This was put into action in Q3 2023 with the conduct of ship-to-ship green methanol bunkering on the world’s first methanol-fuelled container ship at both Port of Singapore and Rotterdam.

The partners believe that the corridor’s approach, supported by the strong industry coalition, will provide greater certainty in demand and help scale-up production of zero and near-zero emission fuels. This will help to close the cost gap and encourage even wider adoption of such fuels.

Digital trade lanes

Rotterdam and Singapore are the first ports adopting and sharing port and vessel information such as arrival and departure timings in accordance with global standards, namely the IMO & International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) standards to enable systems interoperability. 

Both ports are also promoting the use of electronic bills of lading and digital solutions such as just-in-time planning and coordination to enhance efficiencies and reduce GHG emissions.

Partners in the Rotterdam-Singapore Green & Digital Shipping Corridor:

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the Port of Rotterdam, A.P. Moller Maersk A/S, bp, the Centre for Maritime Studies of the National University of Singapore, Citi, Clifford Capital, CMA CGM, Digital Container Shipping Association, the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, the Global Maritime Forum, the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero- Carbon Shipping, Methanol Institute, MSC, Nanyang Technological University Maritime Energy and Sustainable Development Centre of Excellence, Ocean Network Express, PSA International, RMI , SEA-LNG, Shell, University of Oxford, Yara Clean Ammonia.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 20 September, 2023

Climate and public health campaign Ship It Zero on Tuesday (19 September) called on shipping giants Maersk and CMA CGM to accelerate this transition from heavy fuel oils to truly zero-emission maritime fuel and technology fast enough to align with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warnings and peak their emissions before 2025 while cutting them in half from 2019 levels by 2030. 

This came following Maersk and CMA CGM announcing they will join forces to move shipping decarbonization forward, including setting net zero targets and investing in the energy transition, as well as working together to develop the use of alternative greener bunker fuels for container ships. 

Ship It Zero pointed out that CMA CGM has additionally just moved forward with liquefied natural gas (LNG) newbuild orders. 

“Methane emissions are 80 times more damaging to the climate than CO2, in the short term. Methane is notorious for fugitive emissions which are difficult to account for and occur frequently from production to end use,” it said in a statement. 

Eric Leveridge, Ship It Zero Lead, Pacific Environment, said: “We are encouraged by Maersk and CMA CGM’s partnership to move to green methanol-fueled ships, but we are still concerned about the use of fossil-fueled LNG ships and the climate destruction that they bring. The shipping industry must listen to the dire warnings from the IPCC and transition to real solutions now to peak the sector’s climate emissions before 2025 – not continue to support false solutions like LNG.”

The global shipping industry accounts for 3% of global climate emissions, more than global air travel. If shipping were a country, it would be the world’s sixth largest climate polluter. But since maritime shipping negotiated itself out of the U.N. Paris Agreement, the effort to reduce emissions in the industry has been slower than in other sectors.

Approximately 90% of the world trade is transported by sea, and current business-as-usual scenarios project emissions will grow up to 50% over 2018 levels. While the International Maritime Organization noted increased ship size and operational improvements aimed at creating better fuel efficiency have resulted in a decrease in emissions intensity, annual absolute emissions are still increasing.

Related: Wärtsilä to supply LNG fuel gas supply systems for CMA CGM newbuildings
Related: CMA CGM intends to order two LNG-fuelled, methanol-ready vessels
Related: A.P. Moller Holding, Maersk form firm to produce 3 million tonnes of green methanol by 2030
Related: World’s first methanol-fuelled boxship christened and named “Laura Maersk”
Related: Maersk and Equinor ink agreement for supply of green methanol bunker fuel
Related: Maersk and Amazon partner to transport containers using biofuel and methanol bunkers
Related: East Port Said Port enters milestone with first methanol bunkering operation
Related: Singapore bunkering sector enters milestone with first methanol marine refuelling op
Related: The Methanol Institute: Singapore takes first-mover advantage in Asia with methanol bunkering pilot
Related: OCI Global completes first green methanol bunkering of Maersk methanol-fuelled boxship
Related: Maersk orders six more green methanol-powered container ships from Chinese shipbuilder
Related: OCI Global to deliver green methanol bunker fuel for Maersk boxship on maiden voyage
Related: EC President to be godmother of Maersk green methanol powered vessel
Related: Maersk to hold festivities welcoming world’s first green methanol-powered boxship in September

Photo credit: CHUTTERSNAP from Unsplash
Published: 20 September, 2023

China Classification Society on Tuesday (19 September) said the first of two LNG dual-fuel ocean-going Pure Car And Truck Carriers (PCTC), ordered by SAIC Anji Logistics Co.Ltd, was successfully launched.

SAIC Anji Logistics Co., Ltd. ordered the two 7,600-unit capacity PCTCs, which complied with statutory inspections by CCS and classification by both CCS and DNV.

Measuring 199.9 meters in length, 38 meters in width, 15.5 meters in depth and at a service speed of 19 knots, SAIC ANJI SINCERITY is an advanced super-Panamax PCTC that meets the latest international emission regulations. 

It was purpose-built to accommodate various types of vehicles, including new energy vehicles such as hydrogen fuel cell and lithium battery-powered vehicles, as well as sedans, trucks, and other wheeled cargos. 

The project marked CCS's inaugural large-scale PCTC classification project exceeding 7,000 unit capacity.

Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co., Ltd. has begun construction on the second ship of the LNG dual-fuel ocean-going 7,800-vehicle carrier project for SAIC Anji Logistics as well. Four ships in total are under construction as part of the PCTC project, all meticulously surveyed by CCS.

Photo credit: China Classification Society
Published: 19 September 2023