Singapore and Australia formalise collaboration to establish green and digital shipping corridor

Singapore and Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formally collaborate on establishing the Singapore-Australia Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC).

The signing of this MoU was welcomed by the Prime Ministers of Singapore and Australia during their 9th Annual Leaders’ Meeting in Melbourne on 5 March 2024.

Signed by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Singapore’s Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance and the Hon Catherine King, Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the MoU will accelerate maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation.

Under the MoU, both countries will work with interested partners to explore opportunities to develop zero or near-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission fuel supply chains for the maritime industry, including building necessary infrastructure, formalising standards, and developing and implementing the training requirements.

The MoU will also explore facilitating digital information exchange to enable efficient port clearance, port calls and flow of vessels between Singapore and Australia, and facilitate collaboration between the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Australian federal, state and territory governments, as well as industry stakeholders.

Australia holds great potential to be a key producer of green marine fuels, and Singapore is the world’s largest bunkering and busiest transshipment hub port with a vibrant research and innovation ecosystem.

The collaboration is expected to help catalyse the development and uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies and the adoption of digital solutions to enhance the resilience, efficiency and sustainability of global maritime supply chains.

More information on the GDSC, which aligns with the Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement signed in October 2022, can be found here.

Quotes attributable to Singapore’s Minister for Transport Mr Chee Hong Tat:

“The  MoU  affirms  the  shared  commitment  of  Singapore  and  Australia  to  pool  our  expertise  and  resources  to  develop  scalable  green  and  digital  solutions  for  the  maritime sector, and upskill our workforce to support the energy transition.”

Quotes attributable to Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King:

“This is an important partnership for a sustainable global maritime future. Australia is committed to supporting the decarbonisation of international shipping, which plays an important role in economies across the globe.

“This collaboration will place Singapore and Australia amongst the leaders in contributing to the international maritime community’s objectives, while supporting Australia’s exports of clean renewable energy.”

In addition to the MoU, MPA and Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), supported by Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), are working to collaborate on research and development, demonstration projects, and pilots under the Australia-Singapore Initiative on Low Emissions Technologies for Maritime and Port Operations (ASLET)[1]. First announced in 2021, the ASLET is aligned with and will support the Singapore-Australia GDSC outcomes.

[1] The collaboration between MPA and CSIRO aims to collectively address the following areas: (i) reduce costs of using low emissions fuels and technologies in maritime and port operations; (ii) improve technical and commercial readiness of low emissions fuels and technologies in maritime and port operations; and (iii) explore cooperation between Australia and Singapore in green shipping and port infrastructure initiatives.