Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub and partners launch ‘The Silk Alliance’ to develop a Green Corridor Cluster beginning with intra-Asia container trade, according to LR's release.
Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub is working with 11 leading cross-supply chain stakeholders to develop a fleet fuel transition strategy that can enable the establishment of a highly scalable Green Corridor Cluster.
Initiated by the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, The Silk Alliance brings together a diverse group of organisations whose collaboration can advance the decarbonisation of the maritime industry. These include shipowners, such as MSC Shipmanagement Ltd., Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd (PIL), Wan Hai Lines, X-Press Feeders, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.; shipyard, Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M); bunker logistical supplier, Singfar International; engine manufacturer, Wärtsilä; ship manager, Wilhelmsen Ship Management; and financial institutions, the Asian Development Bank and ING.
At the outset, these members will collaborate to send an aggregated demand signal for other stakeholders such as fuel providers, port operators and governments to support the Green Corridor Cluster.
The Silk Alliance members will draw from their individual areas of expertise to develop a fleet-specific fuel transition strategy for container ships operating primarily in Asia, based on the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub’s First Mover Framework. This is designed to strengthen leadership and foster collaboration in the maritime industry to meet its COP26 commitments and to demonstrate tangible actions that can lower the investment risk that is currently preventing the wider uptake of sustainable carbon-neutral fuels.
The initiative is named after the maritime section of the historic Silk Road, linking Southeast Asia to China, the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula, which expanded over the course of centuries to incorporate new technologies and cultures. The cross-supply chain collaboration is dedicated to delivering learnings to enable safe, commercially viable and sustainable marine transport in support of the industry’s long-term strategy to decarbonise international shipping by 2050.