The imperative to grow our port, and develop our International Maritime Centre, must be accompanied by efforts to protect the marine environment and tackle climate change.
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is moving decisively to develop various net-zero fuel pathways in the port of Singapore. MPA targets for Singapore’s domestic harbour craft sector to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and will require all new harbour craft operating in our port waters to be fully electric, be capable of using B100 biofuels, or be compatible with net-zero fuels from 2030. As a major bunkering hub, Singapore is also building up the ammonia, hydrogen and methanol value-chains to safely offer a range of fuel solutions for the international shipping industry.
In addition, both port terminal operators, PSAC and JPPL, aim to collectively achieve at least 60% reduction of total emissions from port operations by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels, and net-zero emissions by 2050. Tuas Port, when fully operational in the 2040s, will consolidate all container terminal activities in Singapore at a single location. By 2050, the Tuas Port container handling operations will be powered by electricity, supplemented by low or zero-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen. Solar panels will also be used to generate green electrons for the port terminals. MPA has also worked with volunteers from environmental interest groups to relocate coral colonies to St John’s and Sisters’ Islands, to protect them from the impact of Tuas Port development.
To support the green energy transition, in 2011, MPA launched a S$100 million Maritime Singapore Green Initiative (MSGI). This programme was enhanced in 2019 to promote the decarbonisation of ports and shipping.
The 2023 International Maritime Organization (IMO) GHG Strategy commits Member States to peak GHG emissions from international shipping as soon as possible and reach net-zero by or around 2050. As a responsible global hub port, Singapore plays an important role in catalysing the greening of international shipping, and we remain committed to providing zero and near-zero emission solutions to meet the future energy needs of the global shipping industry.
MPA has been actively working with the IMO and other Member States to determine the technical and economic elements that will help the maritime sector reach our mid-term GHG reduction checkpoints. MPA has also ratified all major IMO Conventions relating to the prevention of pollution from ships.
In addition, Singapore has established five bilateral Green and Digital Shipping Corridors (GDSCs) with with the (i) Port of Rotterdam, (ii) Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, (iii) Tianjin, (iv) Japan and (v) Australia, which aim to support the decarbonisation of the maritime industry and improve efficiencies through digitalisation and mobilising demand from the private sector.
The Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint, launched at MOTs’s Committee of Supply in 2022, charts our strategies and concrete targets to drive the decarbonisation of our domestic maritime sector, and plans for collaborations with researchers, industry and international partners to catalyse green shipping. Given the dynamic developments in the global maritime decarbonisation landscape, MPA constantly refines and reviews our strategies and initiatives to ensure alignment with our local and global net-zero targets. Periodic updates will continue to be provided to the industry at relevant fora.
