A new green corridor cluster has been formed in Asia to promote the decarbonisation of the Intra Asia container ship trades.
The Lloyd’s Register Decarbonisation Hub is behind the move that involves some of the region’s biggest operators, including MSC Shipmanagement, Pacific International Lines, Wan Hai Lines and Yang Ming Transport Corp.
The green corridor grouping has been named the Silk Alliance, a name which references the former Asian Silk Road trading route.
The Silk Alliance includes different sectors of the shipping supply chain. It also involves shipbuilder Keppel Offshore & Marine, bunker logistical supplier Singfar International, engine manufacturer Wärtsilä, ship manager Wilhelmsen Ship Management, and financers the Asian Development Bank and ING.
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.
The idea is to strengthen leadership and foster collaboration in the maritime industry to meet its commitment to decarbonise the industry by 2050.
It also aims to encourage first movers by lowering the investment risk that is currently preventing the wider uptake of sustainable carbon-neutral fuels.
Fleet specific
“The Silk Alliance aims to establish a fleet-specific decarbonisation strategy and green corridor implementation plan that encompasses key links in the maritime supply network, which are critical to providing maritime players of all sizes with the resources to transition to carbon neutral fuels and vessels,” Lloyd’s Register decarbonisation programme manager Charles Haskell said.
Goh Chung Hun, general manager of Fleet at PIL said: “We are a key proponent of the multi-stakeholder collective approach to developing an effective and feasible decarbonisation strategy for the shipping industry.”
