A Green and Digital Shipping Corridor is being established, which will help decarbonise and digitalise shipping routes between Singapore and Australia.
Both countries formalised their cooperation on establishing a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 5 March 2024. This arrangement represents a significant step forward for Singapore and Australia in taking a joint leadership role by supporting global efforts to decarbonise the maritime industry, including by trialling green and digital solutions across various shipping activities and port operations.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) will work together with interested Australian state and territory governments, port authorities and operators, and maritime and energy value chain stakeholders to establish the Corridor. The Corridor aligns with the Green Shipping Cooperation initiative outlined in the Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement signed in October 2022.
The Corridor galvanises the action from both countries to accelerate maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation, to meet the 2023 International Maritime Organization (IMO) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Strategy's enhanced targets for international shipping, which includes a target to reach net-zero GHG emissions by or around, i.e. close to, 2050.
What is the Green and Digital Shipping Corridor?
The Green and Digital Shipping Corridor seeks to enable the piloting of solutions to enhance the resilience, efficiency and sustainability of global supply chains and logistics through Singapore and Australia.
Under the green corridor workstream, the focus is on catalysing the development and uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies, fuels and/or energy sources, with the aim of accelerating maritime decarbonisation as aligned with targets of the IMO and national efforts. Under the digital corridor workstream, the focus is on expediting the adoption of solutions and global standards to facilitate efficient port call and flow of vessels, and paperless transaction through Singapore and Australia.
The Green and Digital Shipping Corridor will bring together stakeholders across the maritime and energy value chain as well as governments to collaborate and accelerate maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation.
Areas of action
Areas to be actioned under the Corridor are expected to involve:
- exploring opportunities for a joint supply chain and logistics of zero or near-zero GHG emission fuels,
- developing training programs to safely handle zero or near-zero GHG emission fuels,
- supporting bunkering requirements and standards for vessels servicing the maritime route between the two countries,
- conducting test pilots and demonstration projects for bunkering zero or near-zero GHG emission fuels,
- collaborating in leveraging digital technologies to enable and enhance port call optimisation, and identifying opportunities for shared platforms, technologies or processes to streamlining port calls,
- exchanging information to enable just-in-time arrivals, departures, and marine services.
Next steps
MPA and DITRDCA are continuing discussions with interested Australian state and territory governments, port authorities and operators, and maritime and energy value chain stakeholders to commence work on the action areas.