Singapore PM Lee, Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida welcome new green and digital shipping corridor

GREEN AND DIGITAL SHIPPING CORRIDOR

The memorandum of cooperation to establish a green and digital shipping corridor was signed by Singapore’s Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat and Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Saito Tetsuo.

This memorandum marks the first green and digital shipping corridor established between Singapore and Japan to develop standards and best practices supporting the decarbonisation, digitalisation and growth of the maritime industry, said Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT).

Under the collaboration, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will work with six Japanese ports – the ports of Tokyo, Yokohama and Kawasaki supporting the Kanto region, the ports of Osaka and Kobe supporting the Kansai region and the port of Nagoya supporting the Chubu region.

“These six Japanese ports are the key nodes for the major economic regions of Kanto, Kansai and Chubu,” said MOT.

They handled a combined cargo total of about 57 million tonnes in 2020, representing “a significant proportion of total cargo” handled in Japan.

With the establishment of the green and digital shipping corridor, MPA and the Japanese ports aim to embark on pilot projects and trials for alternative marine fuels, such as ammonia and hydrogen.

“The two sides will also work together to develop the necessary bunkering infrastructure, standards and training. They will also encourage development and adoption of technologies to decarbonise port infrastructure,” said MOT.

Singapore and Japan will also identify and implement digital solutions to streamline port clearance processes. Both sides will exchange information and best practices on maritime cybersecurity risks as well as other aspects of maritime digitalisation, said the Transport Ministry.