The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Port of Rotterdam have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create the world’s largest green and digital corridor.
The MoU will bring together stakeholders across the supply chain to deliver the first sustainable ships sailing on the route by 2027.
Each alternative fuel has its own challenges in terms of cost, availability, safety, and range limitations due to lower energy density compared to fossil fuels.
To address these challenges, the two port authorities have agreed to bring together a broad coalition of shippers, fuel suppliers and other companies to work collaboratively on potential solutions.
The MoU also aims to optimise shipping efficiency, safety, and transparent flow of goods by creating a digital trade lane where relevant data, electronic documentation and standards are shared.
The above will facilitate the smooth movement of ships and cargo and optimise the timely arrival of ships from port to port.
The port authorities will work with the Global Center for Maritime Decarbonisation and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero-Carbon Shipping as action partners, as well as other industry partners across the supply chain, including bp, CMA CGM, Digital Container Shipping Association, Maersk, MSC, Ocean Network Express, PSA International and Shell for starters.
“By bringing together parties across the supply chain along one of the world’s biggest trade lanes, we can enable carriers to switch to zero-carbon fuels and speed up the transition to more sustainable shipping,” said Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam.
This will enable the green and digital corridor project to increase investment confidence, attract green financing and launch joint refueling pilots and trials for digitalisation and the use of low and zero carbon fuels along the route.
“This MoU further strengthens the strong partnership between Singapore and Rotterdam. It reaffirms Singapore’s commitment towards facilitating a multi-fuel bunkering transition as part of the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint 2050, and accelerates our digitalisation efforts to optimise maritime efficiency and improve supply chain resilience,” emphasised Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of MPA.
“The pilot will complement efforts undertaken by the shipping industry, including partners such as Google Cloud, and the IMO to support decarbonisation and digitalisation transition for international shipping, as we work towards developing and scaling up green and digital solutions for wider adoption,” she concluded.
