MPA Singapore and Port of Rotterdam partner on sustainable shipping

Sustainable energy

The Netherlands – The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Port of Rotterdam have agreed to establish the world’s longest Green and Digital Corridor to enable low and zero carbon shipping.

To achieve the first environmentally friendly vessels sailing on the route by 2027, the MoU will bring together stakeholders from all points along the supply chain.

As two of the largest bunkering ports in the world, Singapore and Rotterdam serve as crucial links on the Asian-European shipping lanes. While marine gas oil (MGO) and low-sulfur fuel oil still make up the majority of the fuel used in international shipping, sustainable alternatives like biofuels, including biogases, are becoming more widely accessible. Other substitutes, like synthetic methane, hydrogen, and hydrogen-based fuels, like ammonia and methanol, are in various stages of research and development in preparation for upcoming tests and deployment.

Since alternative fuels have lower energy densities than fossil fuels, each one faces unique problems with regard to price, supply, safety, and range limitations. The two port authorities decided to work together to develop potential solutions by assembling a large coalition of shippers, fuel suppliers, and other businesses to address these issues.

The MoU aims to optimize maritime efficiency, safety, and the open flow of goods in addition to alternative fuels by developing a digital trade lane where pertinent data, electronic documentation, and standards are shared. This will simplify the movement of ships and their cargo and improve just-in-time ship arrivals between ports.

Collaboration is essential

The port authorities will collaborate with other business partners along the supply chain, including bp, CMA CGM, Digital Container Shipping Association, Maersk, MSC, Ocean Network Express, PSA International, and Shell, as well as the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation and the Maersk McKinney Mller Center for Zero-Carbon Shipping as action partners. By doing so, the Green and Digital Corridor project will be able to increase investor confidence, draw green financing, and launch joint bunkering pilots and trials for digitalization and the use of low- and zero-carbon fuels along the route.

Tagged