Plans for a ‘green corridor’ between the ports of Singapore and Rotterdam are underway.
The lack of available low-carbon fuels means that the initial scheme will be mainly digital in its approach.
Green corridor schemes have made ‘considerable and even unexpected headway’ according to the Global Maritime Forum. However, the decarbonisation schemes have yet to engage the manufacturers and suppliers of zero-carbon fuels.
Singapore’s Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has made an agreement with Gard, a Norwegian maritime insurer, to ‘de-risk’ the transition to green fuels and technology. It plans to do this by assessing the operational risk, including issues such as reduced propulsion from low-sulphur fuels. The agreement will commit to “…provide the insurance needed to test, and eventually scale up these technologies”.
There is also the need to consider landside operations. This was raised at the TOC Asia conference in November, where the infrastructure was questioned. “It is really important to think about the landside as well; without landside infrastructure, you can’t decarbonise shipping,” Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of GCMD.
“There are no green corridors without green infrastructure. The green corridors need to be anchored by ports and infrastructure.”
Until this infrastructure is in place, green shipping corridors can focus on digitalisation initiatives. Optimising arrival times and weather routing can achieve considerable carbon savings. Advance notice of cargo departure can improve customs clearance and double-handling issues, ultimately reducing emissions.
The good news is that green corridors activity is taking off. Global Maritime Forum has reported 110 companies getting involved with the schemes, with over 20 initiatives launched.
"Green corridors have captured the maritime sector’s imagination."
“Green corridors have captured the maritime sector’s imagination, and the number of initiatives that have been launched in one year is genuinely exciting,” said project director for decarbonisation Jesse Fahnestock.