<article><p class="lead">Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) plans to set up a global maritime decarbonisation centre in the country and launch a maritime decarbonisation blueprint to 2050, outlining long-term strategies for the sector.</p><p>The port of Singapore is the world's largest bunkering hub, and the city-state is positioning itself as a leader in the race to decarbonise the maritime sector. </p><p>One of the proposals from the International Advisory Panel on Maritime Decarbonisation — which was set up by the private sector-led Singapore Maritime Foundation with support from the MPA — was to establish a global maritime decarbonisation centre where "a cluster of like-minded stakeholders can coordinate, drive and cataylse maritime decarbonisation solutions", said transport minister Ong Ye Kung at the 15th Singapore Maritime Week, which begins today. </p><p>The centre will be set up by the MPA, with support from industry participants.</p><p>The MPA will also launch a public consultation exercise by the end of this year to collect views on the maritime decarbonisation blueprint 2050. "The blueprint will outline Singapore's long-term strategies for a sustainable maritime Singapore," Kung said.</p><p>Separately, Kung said that Singapore supports a global action plan to introduce a non-discriminatory levy on marine fuel consumption to fund research into cleaner marine fuels and maritime decarbonisation.</p><p>He also reiterated that Singapore will continue to invest in LNG bunkering as it is the most practical transitional fuel, with zero-carbon fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen "quite a distance away".</p><p>Demand for alternative, low-carbon bunker fuels is expected to rise substantially in the coming years with the International Maritime Organization's goal of at least a 40pc reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 and 70pc by 2050 compared with 2008 levels. </p><p class="bylines">By Sammy Six</p></article>
