Silk Alliance created to develop green corridors across intra-Asia container trades
The intra-Asia trades, container shipping’s pipelines, are set to get the green corridor treatment.
Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub announced today it is working with 11 cross-supply chain stakeholders to develop a fleet fuel transition strategy that can enable the establishment of a highly scalable green fuel corridor cluster.
The new Silk Alliance, named after the fabled Silk Road, brings together shipowners, such as Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), Pacific International Lines (PIL), Wan Hai Lines, X-Press Feeders, Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp; shipyard, Keppel Offshore & Marine; bunker logistical supplier, Singfar International; engine manufacturer, Wärtsilä; shipmanager, Wilhelmsen Ship Management; and financial institutions, the Asian Development Bank and ING.
The Silk Alliance presents an opportunity for the industry to leapfrog the progress of fuel transition
At the outset, these members will collaborate to send an aggregated demand signal for other stakeholders such as fuel providers, port operators and governments to support the green corridor cluster concept.
Charles Haskell, Lloyd’s Register’s decarbonisation programme manager, said: “This is a first-of-its-kind in developing fleet transition strategies for multiple stakeholders, not just with the support of major players within the maritime industry, but also with operators in other industries that serve the maritime supply network – the shipowners, shipyard managers, financial institutions, bunker suppliers and engine manufacturers.”
Carl Schou, CEO and President of Wilhelmsen Ship Management, said: “The Silk Alliance presents an opportunity for the industry to leapfrog the progress of fuel transition.”
Green corridors, which were heavily trumpeted at climate summit COP26 last year, are fast emerging around the world – and not just for container shipping with iron ore channels also being discussed.
