IAPH Insider – 30 September 2021

 

This edition of IAPH Insider covers:

 

 

 

This week’s Insider highlights with MD Patrick Verhoeven

 

 

 

Today is World Maritime Day!

World Maritime Day is an official United Nations international observance which takes place every year at the end of September. It is organised by IMO and aims to increase awareness on the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment, and annually emphasises a particular theme relevant to IMO’s work, which for 2021 is Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future. To address this theme, the IMO is organising an online event from 12.00 to 01.00 PM British Standard Time (01.00 – 02.00 PM CEST) today which will cover four main thematic areas: the crew change crisis; diversity, the environment; and safety.  A panel composed of ship officers and crew will also look into how the COVID-19 pandemic has made this year’s theme even more relevant and the challenges it has presented for shipping and the well-being of seafarers. The debate will be moderated by Frederick J. Kenney, Director, Legal Affairs and External Relations Division at IMO, and participants will be able to submit questions during the webinar. No advance registration is required, you can access the Live Teams event through this link. It is also possible to follow the webcast via the IMO YouTube channel.

 

 

 

 

IAPH Liaison Officer introduced to IMO SecGen

During London International Shipping Week, IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven paid a visit to the IMO headquarters to introduce our IMO Liaison Officer Rhona Macdonald to Secretary General Kitack Lim and some of his senior leadership team. Rhona was appointed to the post last April, on a part-time arrangement with our associate member the British Ports Association. Working from the BPA offices in London, Rhona’s responsibilities for IAPH focus on the regulatory and capacity-building agenda of the IMO, covering work areas relevant to ports, including maritime emissions, trade facilitation, digital transformation, automation, safety and security. She also maintains the network with the IMO secretariat and member states’ representations in London. You can contact Rhona on [email protected]

 

 

 

 

17 ports and IAPH join call to accelerate decarbonisation

The Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonisation initiated by the Getting to Zero Coalition under the auspices of the Global Maritime Forum was made public last week, in conjunction with the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.  The call has 155 signatories from across all segments of the shipping value chain and across geographies, putting forward climate targets and commitments to action and calling on governments to take action to enable the sector’s timely and comprehensive energy transition, thereby responding to the urgent need for climate action. The signatories for the Call to Action concretely urge governments to 1) commit to decarbonising international shipping by 2050; 2) support industrial scale zero emission shipping projects through national action and 3) deliver policy measures (including market-based measures) that will make zero emission shipping the default choice by 2030. The following port authorities and port operators signed up to the call: Aarhus, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Bremen/Bremerhaven, Esbjerg, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Kiel, London, Northwest Seaport Alliance (Seattle/Tacoma), Panama, PSA International, Rotterdam, Solomon Islands, Valencia and Vancouver. IAPH signed the call as supporting organisation of the Getting to Zero Coalition. The Global Maritime Forum has prepared a report compiling the company specific targets and commitments to action received to date. It holds valuable inspiration for those organisations that are still about to prepare their response to the sector’s energy transition. It also inspires confidence to governments and decision-makers that the transition can happen, thereby paving the way for necessary policy and regulation. Please find the report on this link.  It is still possible to join the call ahead of the forthcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November. If you are interested, please contact the Global Maritime Forum at [email protected], referring to your affiliation with IAPH.

 

 

 

IMO progresses with fuel lifecycle guidelines

The 9th meeting of the IMO Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions (ISWG-GHG 9) took place from 15 to 17 September. Concrete progress was made in developing lifecycle GHG/carbon intensity guidelines (LCA guidelines), to be utilised when assessing the overall climate impact of new fuels, which shipping needs to transition to in order to meet the IMO GHG reduction ambitions. Candidate future low- and zero-carbon fuels for shipping have diverse production pathways entailing significant differences in their overall environmental footprint. The IMO LCA guidelines will set a common framework for the lifecycle assessment of the GHG intensity of marine fuels, covering both the upstream and the downstream parts. The determination of lifecycle GHG intensity values for a wide range of fuels requires assessments using a scientific approach. In this regard, the working group agreed that there was a need to develop a procedure with clear and objective criteria to be used to determine default emission values, or actual values under certain circumstances, including documentation, verification and certification. The working group identified priority areas for further work to advance the development of the guidelines, including identification of sustainability criteria, of appropriate fuel certification schemes, and of approaches for regular review by IMO of both upstream and downstream emission values. The working group also considered proposals to reduce methane slip and emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The next Intersessional Working Group meeting on GHG (ISWG–GHG 10) will take place from 18 to 22 October. This session will consider, inter alia, proposals for mid-term measures to reduce GHG emissions, including a number of submissions related to potential market-based measures. This is in line with the work plan approved by MEPC 76 last June.  

 

 

 

IAPH and SGMF initiate cooperation on ammonia fuel

IAPH signed a memorandum of understanding with the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF). The aim is to increase understanding regarding the safe, effective and sustainable use of all gases as marine fuel, including, in particular, the potential use of ammonia and related safety, operational and sustainability considerations. The partnership ties in closely with the agenda of the IAPH Clean Marine Fuels working group. The MoU covers technical collaboration and mutual support at institutional level, amongst other issues. The SGMF is a non-governmental organisation established to promote safety and industry best practice in the use of gas as a marine fuel. It is based in London, and, like IAPH, it has consultative status with the IMO. More information about SGMF can be found here.

 

 

 

IAPH supports COP 26 maritime events

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 31 October to 12 November. Next to the actual summit, several industry and NGO events are being held during the week, including some covering maritime transport and ports. IAPH President Subramaniam will be attending a conference co-organised by our colleagues at the British Ports Association on ‘Practical Climate Change Adaptation Challenges and Good Practice Solutions for Ports’, which will be held on 2 and 3 November. The two half-day sessions are timed to facilitate participation on day one from Europe and the Americas, and on day two from Europe and Asia/Australia. Speakers from ports around the world will explain the climate change challenges they are facing and will share experiences on what they are doing to strengthen resilience and adapt port infrastructure and operations. You can find details here, including a link to register your interest in joining this free-to-attend hybrid event. IAPH is furthermore proud to be a partner of the high-profile ‘Shaping the Future of Shipping’ conference which is organised by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) on 6 November. The unprecedented day-long event presents a major opportunity to meet and discuss with some of the world’s leading figures on decarbonisation from across the globe, including government representatives, regulators and policymakers, and to seek the high-level political support needed to ensure progress of the industry’s decarbonisation activities. The conference will address key strategic issues in shipping’s rapidly evolving decarbonisation journey and will showcase its efforts to decarbonise and deliver a sustainable and equitable future for the industry. More information can be found on the ICS website.

 

 

 

UK video on decarbonising ports and shipping

During London International Shipping Week, the British Ports Association and the UK Chamber of Shipping launched a video highlighting the value of the ports and shipping sectors and their contribution to achieving net zero emissions. The video consists of two news and current affairs style programmes describing the story of the industry’s transformative journey to a sustainable future. The programmes explore progress in green technology and fuels, automation, efficiencies, digitisation, collaboration, market-based measures and lobbying efforts for further regulation. It provides a platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices, whilst raising awareness on these critical issues and in turn, inspire the next generations. You can watch the ports’ programme below. The shipping programme is available here.

 

 

 

 

Our new P&H poll: a bonus-malus system for port dues?

With November playing host to two significant meetings pertaining to the global journey of emission reductions, COP26 and IMO’s 77th Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting, we want to look at voluntary — or even mandatory — measures ports can introduce to expedite this journey. With them being gateways to the world, ports also have the opportunity and responsibility to foster sustainable business practices among shipping as well as transport companies. For the November-December edition of Ports & Harbors, we therefore want to discuss if port authorities should introduce differentiated port dues (both positive and negative) that are based on the carbon footprint of the fuel a shipping company uses. This is aimed at encouraging low emission fuels and aid with reducing toxic air pollution. Our question to you: should ports consider a bonus-malus system based on the environmental performance in terms of air and GHG emissions? Click here to submit your answer to this month’s poll.

 

 

 

 

IAPH Risk and Resilience Committee met 28 September

Members of the IAPH Risk and Resilience Committee met online on 28 September. Main items on the agenda were the results of the interviews conducted over summer on ports’ approaches to resilience and the concept of the Global Port Tracker, which will succeed the COVID-19 port economic impact barometer. Members also had an initial discussion on the work programme of the Committee for the next two years. To replace the vacancy left by Tessa Major (former Port of Açu), the Committee nominated Ann Yuan (Port of Guangzhou) and Niels Vanlaer (Port of Antwerp) respective as its chair and vice-chair. The nominations will be presented to the IAPH Board for formal appointment. Members of the Committee will be receiving the summary record of the meeting soon, together with other documentation. The next meeting is envisaged for early December.

 

 

 

Today at 4 PM CEST: JOC webinar on port productivity

When a terminal at the Port of Ningbo in eastern China temporarily closed in mid-August because of a COVID-19 outbreak, it was the latest link in a chain of painful events for ports, the ocean carriers that serve them, and the shippers whose businesses rely on the steady flow of goods. In North America, especially, the container shipping system has maxed out its capacity, and there are growing signs that it will only get messier in the near and mid-term as monthly cargo volumes have increased by double digits since August 2020 show no signs of letting up. With the pre-holiday peak shipping season in full swing, and shippers struggling to find any space on ships at Asian origins, ports and terminal operators are facing some of the worst congestion in recent memory. How the ports handle the surge will have a direct impact on product availability, and some shippers are concerned about shortages coming this fall. How well ports and terminals handle cargo surges can be based on historical precedent, as borne out by IHS Markit port productivity data and its new Container Port Performance Index, developed in partnership with the World Bank. The Journal of Commerce (JOC), daughter company of IHS Markit, is holding a webcast later today at 10 AM Eastern Daylight Time (4 PM CEST), which will analyse the latest surge ports are confronting, how long the surge might last, what ports in what regions are handling it best, and why. Speakers are Turloch Mooney, Associate Director Product Management at the Maritime & Trade division of IHS Markit and Joris Kersten, General Manager at NxtPort USA. You can attend the event free of charge, by registering via this link.

 

 

 

Preparations start for 2022 World Ports Conference

Earlier this week, the conference production teams at IHS Markit and IAPH met online with colleagues at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the host sponsor of the 2022 World Ports Conference, which will be held from 16 to 18 May in the Canadian port city. A productive exchange of views took place on the conference theme and programme structure as well as on promotional and organisational aspects. The official ‘save the date’ will be announced in a few weeks’ time, revealing the actual theme and content. Registration is planned to open mid-November. Don’t miss any of it and sign up today for regular updates!

 

 

 

 

Member Port News

In this edition’s round up of member port news, you will find stories from the following IAPH members: 

  • Europe and Africa region: Port Autonome de Kribi, Authority for Transport in Malta, Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company, Hamburg Port Authority, Port Authority of Genoa, Port of Bergen, Port of Göteborg, bremenports, Cyprus Ports Authority, Port of Beirut, Ports of Cabo Verde, Administração dos Portos de Sines e do Algarve, Autoridad Portuaria de Bilbao, Autoridad Portuaria de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, North Sea Port, Oslo Port Authority, Autoridad Portuaria de Huelva, HAROPA (Harbours of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris), Freeport of Riga Authority, Port of Gdansk Authority, Port of Rotterdam Authority, Autoridad Portuaria de Sevilla, Oslo Port Authority, Port of Amsterdam, Port of Helsinki, Autoridad Portuaria de Valencia, Baku International Sea Trade Port, Nigerian Ports Authority, Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahìa de Algeciras, Autoritat Portuària de Barcelona,
  • America Region: Halifax Port Authority, Autoridad Marítima de Panamá, Port of Los Angeles, Port of San Diego, Port of Seattle, Porto do Açu, Canaveral Port Authority, Port Authority of the Cayman Islands, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority,
  • Asia and Oceania Region: Busan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries, Incheon Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Maldives Ports, Ports and Maritime Organization Iran, Abu Dhabi Ports, Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, Sabah Ports, Guangzhou Port Authority, South Port New Zealand, Busan Port Authority, Lyttelton Port Company, Marine and Water Bureau Government of Macau, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Incheon Port Authority, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Korea

 

 

 

World Maritime News

These maritime news stories made the headlines over the past two weeks: 

  • Regulators’ close watch on supply chain crisis and rate freezes implemented by shipping lines
  • Outlook for container shipping market and congestion at LA/LB ports
  • Measures easing the congestion at LA/LB ports and stakeholders’ opinions
  • China port congestion and its impact on the transpacific route
  • Opinion on collaboration with stakeholders for developing alternative marine fuels
  • Several options for solving the shipping decarbonisation

 

 

 

Calendar of Events

IAPH events and events where IAPH is represented

 

 

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