The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) in Singapore has announced three new partners – the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA), the International Windship Association (IWSA) and Kpler.
The GCMD was formed on 1 August 2021 with funding from the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and six founding partners: BHP, BW, DNV Foundation, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Ocean Network Express and Sembcorp Marine. The Centre’s mission is to help the maritime industry reduce its carbon emissions as quickly as possible by shaping standards, deploying solutions, financing projects, and fostering collaboration across sectors.
“IBIA’s members are increasingly engaged in the supply and use of alternative fuels, or making plans to do so. We look forward to working with our fellow partners in GCMD to untangle the complexities of the energy transition.”Unni Einemo, IBIA
Since its formation in August last year, the Centre has established partnerships with key stakeholders in the maritime industry. The three new partnerships are part of GCMD’s efforts to extend collaboration beyond the immediate supply chain to the broader ecosystem and are crucial to the pilots and studies in the Centre’s five-year projects outlook.
GCMD has published a paper by researchers advocating for a greening-one-route-at-a-time approach to shipping decarbonisation that is driven by local needs, capabilities, and availability of resources. The organisation expects to have its first pilot study in late 2023, pending the completion of the ammonia bunkering safety study in Q1 2023.
In welcoming the new partners, Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of GCMD said “Working together with our new partners, we look forward to collectively unlocking the full potential of each organisation to amplify the impact for our decarbonisation efforts. With the IBIA, we look to increasing outreach to the bunkering sector, a key stakeholder group especially when we begin preparations for pilots with alternative fuels. GCMD is already working closely with IWSA to gain perspectives and insights relating to wind-assisted propulsion as a near-term retrofit solution. Through Kpler, we will also have access to market data that can help us better understand trade flows which can support us in shaping our pilots and studies.”
“We are excited to partner with GCMD to collaborate on identifying the most effective and workable solutions to reduce GHG emissions from the maritime sector. We saw the importance of cross-industry cooperation and knowledge-sharing to successfully navigate IMO 2020, which IBIA was actively involved in. As we grapple with the much bigger challenges to reach carbon-neutral shipping, collaboration and effective information gathering and sharing is even more important to ensure efforts are aligned,” says IBIA’s Director, Unni Einemo. “IBIA’s members are increasingly engaged in the supply and use of alternative fuels, or making plans to do so. We look forward to working with our fellow partners in GCMD to untangle the complexities of the energy transition.”
“The challenge of decarbonising the shipping industry requires a fundamental shift towards a hybrid approach, utilising all of the tools we have over the coming decade to make shipping cleaner, more efficient, profitable and fit for purpose in a carbon constrained world,” said Gavin Allwright, Secretary General of IWSA. “GCMD brings together a wealth of expertise and experience and is positioned at the very centre of this transition. We are looking forward to working together to help drive innovation and further integrate wind propulsion, so as to meet our shared goals of delivering deep and urgent decarbonisation in the maritime sector.”
“We are honoured to partner with GCMD in its mission. Our data will provide valuable insights and will identify key trends in supply and demand for fuels of crucial importance to the energy transition. We are also delighted to support GCMD, which is based in Singapore – the site of one of our first global offices, established more than five years ago, and a city at the heart of the commodities industry,” said Richard Quin, Kpler’s Chief Strategy Officer.
