MPA and LR sign Silk Alliance green corridor MoU

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (LR MDH) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a fleet-specific decarbonisation strategy and implementation plan for the green corridor project Silk Alliance.

The parties said they will strengthen their commitment to co-creating the corridor and trialing decarbonisation strategies for container ships, primarily those operating in Asia.

LR MDH won the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)-MPA NextGEN Connect Challenge for the “Development of a Route-based Action Plan Methodology based on The Silk Alliance”.

As the green corridor moves toward its implementation phase, MPA said its entry into The Silk Alliance was a significant step forward towards deeper public-private sector collaboration between global maritime industry players and Singapore’s port regulator. The co-operation will focus on unlocking investments across the Indian and Pacific Oceans region, it added.

More specifically, the partners will drive investment into scalable fuel supply infrastructure as Silk Alliance members aggregate demand signals, with an eye to wider regional bunkering demands for alternative fuels. 

The Silk Alliance was launched in May 2022 with 12 public and private stakeholders including PSA, MSC Shipmanagement, Pacific International Lines, Wan Hai Lines, X-Press Feeders, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp, Wärtsilä, Wilhelmsen Ship Management, the Asian Development Bank and ING.  

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Nick Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Lloyd’s Register, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the MPA to the expanding ‘The Silk Alliance’ cross-industry collaboration. Flag and port authorities play a crucial role in increasing the industry’s confidence in zero-emissions shipping, and as the world’s largest bunkering hub, we see Singapore and the MPA as a driving force in advancing the safe uptake of low-to-zero emissions fuel in the global shipping industry.”

Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA, said: “MPA is pleased to be part of The Silk Alliance to accelerate the decarbonisation of container trade.  The Silk Alliance will enable key stakeholders in Singapore to chart the transition towards low- and zero-carbon options. As the world’s largest transhipment container port and bunkering hub, Singapore will take active steps to support the decarbonisation of the container trade in line with IMO’s Revised Strategy to reduce emissions from shipping.”