Green Ship Corridor

Singapore by Sarah Lou via Flickr CC

A study conducted by the maritime classification society American Bureau of Shipping this month says a green and digital shipping corridor (GDSC) between Singapore, Los Angeles and Long Beach might create more than 700 jobs in zero- and near-zero emission fuel production by 2030.

The study, commissioned by Singapore’s Maritime & Port Authority (MPA) and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, also found that the corridor could also lead to health improvements for local communities, as well as economic benefits for participating countries.

The Port of Singapore’s strategic location makes it “one of the busiest and leading container trans-shipment hubs, connecting Asian markets to more than 600 ports in over 120 countries around the world,” the study says. Meanwhile, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the leading U.S. gateways for trans-Pacific trade. “The trans-Pacific trade route between Singapore and Los Angeles/ Long Beach is a “critical enabler” of the strong economic relationship between Singapore and California.

According to APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Corporation), bilateral trade reached $10.344 billion in 2022, establishing Singapore as California’s 12th-largest trading partner. Additionally, California ranks as Singapore’s second-largest trading partner among all U.S. states, representing 13.3% of the national trade in Singapore.

According to the study, the ports of Singapore, Los Angeles and Long Beach already play a “significant role in maritime decarbonization.”

MPA wants to reduce emissions from port terminals by at least 60% from 2005 levels by 2030, and to achieve net zero by 2050. “MPA also aims to reduce absolute emissions from domestic harbor craft fleet by 15% from 2021 levels by 2030, and half the emissions from 2030-level by 2050.”

Singapore is developing various net-zero fuel pathways, including focusing on electrification and biofuels for domestic harbor crafts and building up the value chain for ammonia and methanol for international shipping.

The ports of LA and LB have signed green shipping corridor agreements with ports in Asia to deploy ships with full life cycle low or even zero carbon emission capabilities in this corridor. Since the announcement of the ZEERO (Zero Emissions, Energy Resilient Operation) commitment, Long Beach has invested $300 million in establishing a green fuel hub to cut carbon emissions by 91% since 2005. In 2023, The MPA, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with the support of C40 Cities, established the Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC) to accelerate decarbonization of the maritime industry and the development and deployment of digital technology solutions and enablers

The study provides a baseline of activities and energy demand requirements for vessels operating on the corridor through 2050. The study estimates the quantity of near-zero and zero-emission fuels required for this traffic by modeling the adoption of zero and near-zero carbon alternative fuels by vessels operating on the corridor through 2050, considering various parameters such as fuel production costs and fuel availability, and in view of the targets in the 2023 International Maritime Organization’s Strategy on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships. (The study can be found at c40.me/3xF60Yw.)

“The Port of Long Beach and its partners have been very successful in reducing emissions from cargo-handling equipment, trucks and other mobile sources moving cargo in our harbor,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “One of the most important parts of this partnership is it allows us to better understand and target a source of emissions that is hard for us to control as a local seaport authority – shipborne emissions. This work, vital to our net zero-emission quest, will result in economic and health benefits all along the trans-Pacific trade corridor.”

“This study provides a sense of scale and scope to inform our implementation of the Green and Digital Shipping Corridor,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Achieving the reductions of greenhouse gas emissions required will take coordination and commitment from public and private stakeholders across the maritime and goods movement industries. We’re proud to be collaborating with industry partners to make this corridor a reality.”

A U.S. State Department fact sheet on the green corridor framework notes that green shipping corridors can “spur early and rapid adoption of fuels and technologies that, on a lifecycle basis, deliver low- and zero-emissions across the maritime sector, placing the sector on a pathway to full decarbonization.

“The United States envisions green shipping corridors as maritime routes that showcase low- and zero-emission lifecycle fuels and technologies with the ambition to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions across all aspects of the corridor in support of sector-wide decarbonization no later than 2050.”

In a related green corridor development, X-Press Feeders, a large independent common carrier, has signed of a memorandum of understanding with six European ports: Port of Antwerp Bruges (Belgium), Port of Tallinn (Estonia), Port of Helsinki (Finland), Port of HaminaKotka (Finland), Freeport of Riga (Latvia) and Klaipeda Port (Lithuania).

Through the MOU, X-Press Feeders and the participating ports will pool resources and expertise to develop and implement sustainable practices for maritime operations.

The collaboration between the parties will begin with the establishment of these two shipping routes:

Green Baltic X-PRESS (GBX): Rotterdam – Antwerp Bruges – Klaipeda – Riga – Rotterdam

Green Finland X-PRESS (GFX): Rotterdam – Antwerp Bruges – Helsinki – Tallinn – HaminaKotka – Rotterdam

These services are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of this year. This development is significant as these will be the very first scheduled feeder routes in Europe powered by green methanol, an alternative fuel that produces at least 60% less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional marine fuel.

X-Press Feeders operates a fleet of more than 100 vessels, calling at more than 180 ports worldwide. X-Press Feeders aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

The creation of the first green shipping corridor across the Pacific is taking shape.

Credit: U.S. Naval Institute/Shutterstock

Last week a voluntary partnership of maritime goods movement stakeholders, including the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Shanghai, some of the largest carriers in the world, and key leading cargo owners unveiled a Green Shipping Corridor Implementation Plan Outline designed to accelerate emissions reductions on one of the world’s busiest container shipping routes across the Pacific Ocean.

The plan, the first of its kind, was developed with support from C40 Cities as part of their effort to reduce carbon emissions from the largest cities in the world.

A joint press release from the stakeholders says the plan “is an important step toward decarbonizing the global supply chains that power our economies and transitioning toward zero lifecycle carbon emission ships.” In addition, it will showcase “cutting-edge goods movement technologies, decarbonization applications and best management practices to enhance efficiency, and catalyze technological, economic and policy efforts to progressively decarbonize shipping and port-related activities.”

Carrier partners will begin deploying reduced or zero lifecycle carbon capable ships on the corridor by 2025, and work together to demonstrate by 2030 the feasibility of deploying the world’s first zero lifecycle carbon emission container ship(s).

Carrier partners include CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping Lines Co., Ltd., Maersk, and ONE. Core partners include the Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd., the China Classification Society, and the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre of Asia.

Partnership participants will take steps to reduce carbon emissions and harmful pollutant emissions impacting air quality, through methods such as expanding the use of shore power and supporting the development of clean marine fueling infrastructure. Cargo owner partners have set goals to contract with carriers to use zero lifecycle carbon emission shipping services, and in an effort to measure progress toward decarbonization, all partners will develop metrics to track decarbonization progress.

Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, said, “This trans-Pacific green corridor will be a model for the global cooperation needed to accelerate change throughout the maritime industry. Most of the emissions associated with moving cargo by ship occur in the mid-ocean part of the journey between ports. This corridor will help reduce mid-ocean emissions while continuing the work we have done to cut emissions within our ports.”

The initiative will drive emissions reductions across the world’s largest ocean and lead to greener practices from supply chain participants along these vital trade routes, added Mario Cordero, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Long Beach. “The new and innovative vessel technologies, increased availability of sustainable fuels and better practices created through this green corridor will also impact society’s transition to a cleaner future far beyond the areas served by our ports.”

C40 Cities is a network of world cities that are working to deliver the urgent action needed “to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere can thrive.” Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. Through a Global Green New Deal, mayors are working alongside a broad coalition of representatives from labor, business, the youth climate movement and civil society to go further and faster than ever before.

Established in 2004, Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission (SMTC) undertakes the management and safety supervision of the highways and urban roads, road transportation and urban traffic, ports and shipping, and other transportation industries in Shanghai. SMTC also leads the development of the Shanghai International Shipping Center. SMTC coordinates the air, rail and postal transportation management. SMTC aims to optimize the layout of the transport structure, comprehensively balance the transport capacity, and build an integrated transportation system in Shanghai.

Read the Green Shipping Corridor Implementation Plan Outline.

Watch a video about the Green Shipping Corridor.