Singapore, Norway and IMO unveiled LR's report at the Voyage to Net-Zero Forum
A collaboration between Singapore, Norway and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), NextGEN Connect - Green Voyage2050 Project, identified a key role for regional hubs to help connect large demand clusters and remote locations, with regional fuel supply sources, in order to enable a more inclusive and effective transition to a low-carbon maritime future, according to MPA's release.
These findings were unveiled in the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (LR MDH) report titled “Routes-based Action Plans: A Toolkit” launched at the Voyage to Net-Zero Forum, which was organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28/CMP8/CMA5) yesterday.
The report was developed following a workshop discussion that was held from 5 to 6 October 2023 in Singapore, with the participation of 40 stakeholders representing ports and National Administrations across Asia, based on the concept of the LR MDH’s First Movers Framework for green corridors. The workshop simulated the process steps of the routes-based action plan methodology, addressing the limitations in its application in the wider Asian context. Additional engagements with stakeholders from the Pacific are envisaged to further refine the methodology.
The NextGEN Connect initiative was established between the IMO and the MPA Singapore in April 2022. The initiative aims to bring industry, academia and global research centres together, to offer inclusive solutions for maritime decarbonisation for trials along shipping routes.
An MoU was subsequently signed by the IMO, the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Norway, and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in March 2023 to cooperate and collaborate on actions to assist developing countries in their efforts to reduce GHG emissions from ships and the activities of ships in ports, within the frameworks of the NextGEN Connect initiative and the IMO-Norway GreenVoyage2050 Project.
The creation of energy producing hubs includes defining a strategy that brings together demand from different countries at different developmental stages across the region to build up investment cases for implementing energy infrastructure at scale, all the while taking into consideration the economic and social benefits for local communities.
The report also emphasised that routes-based action plans should be steered by national governments to give confidence to the industry’s infrastructure investment decisions, with development banks and regional funds needing to play a part to help tailor financing solutions to support infrastructure development.
Essential to driving the implementation of routes-based action plans, as highlighted in the report, is the pooling of resources and capacity building to develop the business case for building the necessary infrastructure for regional hubs that include Least Developing Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This will require regional coordination and collaboration involving governments and all stakeholders across the maritime supply chain.
The International Maritime Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent pollution from ships. It is also involved in legal matters, including liability and compensation issues and the facilitation of international maritime traffic. It was established by means of a Convention adopted under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva on 6 March 1948 and met for the first time in January 1959.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore was established on 2 February 1996 with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre, and to advance and safeguard Singapore’s strategic maritime interests.
The Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment was established in 1972 and has the main responsibility for ensuring integrated governmental climate and environmental policies.
