The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) hosted its second edition of the ‘Accelerating Decarbonisation Conference’ at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. More than 400 industry leaders, academia and experts gathered to discuss efforts to accelerate global maritime decarbonisation, challenges, and opportunities that could be seized in the transition to use of low-carbon and carbon-free energy sources in the maritime sector.   

2.       Mr Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA, delivered the opening remarks at the event, while Mr Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization (IMO), delivered the keynote address. In his address, Mr Kitack emphasised the urgency for shipping to decarbonise and reaffirmed IMO’s commitment and long-standing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping.

3.         Four expert panels were convened to discuss various issues related to the current state of the maritime sector’s transition to low and zero carbon fuels. In particular, panelists covered the potential of green shipping corridors and net-zero fuel pathways to support emissions reduction for the maritime sector, in line with the goals of IMO and countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). See Annex A for full list of panel members.

MaritimeSG LowCarbon50 Award Ceremony 

4.       The MaritimeSG LowCarbon50 Award Ceremony, co-hosted by Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS), was also held at the conference for the second year running. The award was introduced by MPA as part of the Maritime Singapore Green Initiative’s Green Awareness Programme[1] to recognize companies’ contributions to emission reduction.

5.         Twenty companies took part in the second run of the Low Carbon Management workshop in 2022, and companies’ submissions for the award were evaluated by a panel comprising MPA, SSA and GCNS based on three main criteria of emission reduction, innovation and scalability. A total of six awards were given out to:

(i)  Executive Ship Management Pte Ltd,

(ii) Goodwood Ship Management Pte Ltd,

(iii) Hafnia Pools Pte Ltd,

(iv) Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd,

(v) Ocean Network Express Singapore Pte Ltd, and

(iv) X-Press Feeders Pte Ltd.

Singapore-IMO NextGEN Connect Challenge Award Ceremony

6.         The Singapore-IMO NextGEN Connect Challenge award ceremony was also held at the conference to recognise proposals to reduce GHG emissions on a global scale. Launched in April 2022, the award’s call for proposals received multiple high-quality submissions from around the world, proposing route-based action plans to reduce GHG emissions between specific points along shipping routes.

7.         A distinguished panel of international judges from IMO, MPA, the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment and the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre Asia (MTCC-Asia) evaluated the submissions based on a set of criteria supporting IMO 2050 emissions reduction goals, taking into consideration implementation feasibility and inclusiveness.

8.       The winner of the inaugural award went to Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (LR MDH), for their proposal on “Development of a Route-Based Action Plan Methodology based upon Silk Alliance”. The Silk Alliance is a green shipping corridor cluster project to trial decarbonisation strategy for container ships operating primarily in Asia to achieve significant emission-saving impact, based on LR MDH’s First Movers[2].

9.         Charles Haskell, Director of the LR Maritime Decarbonisation Hub said, "This endorsement by the Singapore-IMO NextGen’s Call for Proposals judging panel indicates that our methodology provides a clear focus in estimating the critical mass needed to drive much-needed infrastructure investments, such as port and fuel production infrastructure for alternative fuels, in preparation for shipping’s decarbonisation. By doing so, we not only aim to reduce emissions from the cargo trade in the region, but also incentivise the development of alternative fuel supply infrastructure in strategic positions, including those in the region’s developing countries.”

Exploring feasibility of Ammonia as Marine Fuel

10.       MPA and the Energy Market Authority has called for an Expression of Interest (EOI) for ammonia power generation and bunkering, which will close by 30 April. Four presentations from our research institutes and companies were done to share their initial findings from their studies on the safety and feasibility of ammonia as a marine fuel. See Annex B for full list of speakers. MPA and our agencies will work with shortlisted consortia/companies from the EOI to conduct further studies, table-top exercises and training programmes as part of a rigorous set of evaluation prior to the conduct of any ammonia-related trials in Singapore, or with our Green and Digital Shipping Corridor partners.

Accelerating Decarbonisation through Collaboration

Memorandum of understanding between MPA and Wärtsilä on decarbonisation, digitalisation and talent development

11.      MPA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Wärtsilä[3] to collaborate on the development of the next generation renewable fuels, digital port optimisation and talent development. This MoU expands on the scope of an earlier MoU signed with Wärtsilä Voyage in 2021, and includes the following focus areas:

a.             Green Fuels Technologies and Safety

MPA and Wärtsilä will explore renewable fuel technologies and seek partnerships with various stakeholders to develop green fuel safety concepts and procedures to ensure safe handling and operation of future fuels. Insights gained will support the development of global standards for maritime fuel safety.  

b.             Next Generation Digital Port Optimization

MPA and Wärtsilä will develop reliable, secure and cost-effective data exchanges and AI-enabled intelligent vessel capabilities, to better enable interoperability between vessels and port operators along selected green corridors. 

c.             Talent Development

MPA and Wärtsilä will develop training curriculum and explore new tools, including virtual and augmented reality, to equip the future maritime workforce with new skills and competencies for digitalisation and decarbonisation roles.  

MPA and Classification Societies to establish Standards and Notations

12.       MPA signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with all eight recognised classification societies in Singapore, to explore collaboration on setting standards and technical references in support of maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation, including smart and autonomous shipping, cybersecurity, electrification, and zero & low-carbon fuels, and the corresponding manpower development. This collaboration will help accelerate the development of standards, technical references for digitalisation and decarbonisation in Singapore, as well as for global markets.

13.      The LOI was signed by signed by Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA, Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Bureau of Shipping, Matthieu de Tugny, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, Sun Feng, Chairman and President of China Classification Society, Remi Eriksen, Chief Executive Officer of DNV, Lee Hyungchul, Chief Executive Officer of Korean Register, Nick Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, Hiroaki Sakashita, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) and Paolo Moretti, Chief Executive Officer of RINA Services S.p.A. 

For more details on SMW 2023, visit https://www.smw.sg/.