This edition of IAPH Insider covers:
- #IAPH2021 hosts world’s container industry leaders
- #IAPH2021 sneak preview webinar on 21 May
- #IAPH2021: 64 candidates for the Sustainability Awards
- #IAPH2021: discover the Technical Committee sessions
- #IAPH2021: IAPH renews ties with WCO
- #IAPH2021: have you considered sponsoring?
- Welcome to new associate members
- Your opinion: is vessel size increase still sustainable?
- Global shippers’ webinar on Suez aftermath
- Discover the first global container port performance index
- US calls for zero GHG emissions of shipping by 2050
- IAPH Clean Marine Fuels presents new audio-visual
- IMO facilitated future fuels discussion
- World Bank critical about LNG as maritime fuel
- IMO supports new crew change protocols
- Member Port News
- World Maritime News
- Calendar of Events
#IAPH2021 hosts world’s container industry leaders
We are delighted to announce that Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM, and Bai Jingtao, CEO of China Merchants Port Holdings have joined the stellar speakers’ cast at this year’s World Ports Conference. Mr Saadé and Dr Bai will be addressing the conference’s main theme, ‘Changing of the Guard’, in a panel debate with IAPH Vice-President Robin Silvester, CEO of Port of Vancouver. The conference programme already featured Søren Toft, CEO of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag Lloyd and Tan Chong Meng, Group CEO of PSA International. #IAPH2021 is not just about containers though, it covers all aspects of todays and tomorrow’s port business, organised in four thematic streams: business innovation, data collaboration, risk and resilience and climate and energy. In addition, we have a dedicated stream on African port development. It does not get more global than at the 2021 IAPH World Ports Conference, register today!
#IAPH2021 sneak preview webinar on 21 May
Our last pre-conference webinar will be fully devoted to the World Ports Conference itself. Together with our partners Port of Antwerp and IHS Markit we will be providing you with a sneak preview of the conference highlights, anticipating some of the main debates that you will be able to experience at the end of June and explaining how to make the most of your registration in terms of content and networking. Register here and join Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp, Peter Tirschwell, Vice-President Maritime & Trade IHS Markit and Patrick Verhoeven, IAPH Managing Director- Policy and Strategy on Friday 21 May at 3 PM CEST. This webinar concludes a full-year cycle that we started in May 2020, boasting a total of ten sessions with superb content, which you can still watch on demand via the World Ports Conference website.
#IAPH2021: 64 candidates for the Sustainability Awards
64 projects were submitted by 37 IAPH member ports from 21 countries as entries for the 2021 World Ports Sustainability Awards, bringing the overall project portfolio on the World Ports Sustainability Program database to well over 200. The projects are described and illustrated in detail on IAPH’s dedicated portal sustainableworldports.org. This year the diversity of the projects covers a much wider spectrum of the areas of interest of the World Ports Sustainability Program. In addition to the categories of Climate & Energy and Governance & Ethics, ‘health’ was added to the Safety and Security category given the high number of entries from ports with innovations which responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, two joint awards will be decided upon in the Resilient Infrastructure category, one for the multitude of digital projects submitted and another for physical infrastructure. As with last year, two joint awards will also be made in the Community Outreach category, one for projects that have an emphasis on social benefits and another for projects having a positive impact on the environment. The independent jury of experts is now analysing the candidate long list of projects with the aim of whittling the selection down to three finalists for each of the seven awards. The jury members are Jan Hoffman – Chief Trade Logistics Branch at UNCTAD, Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry – President of the World Maritime University, Geraldine Knatz – Professor of the Practice of Policy and Engineering at the University of Southern California, Gerald Munjanganja – Line Manager at Seatrade, Namrata Nadkarni – CEO and Founder at Intent Communications and Henri van der Weide – Policy Advisor at Port of Amsterdam and IAPH Council Member (photo). The Awards finalists are scheduled to be announced on 14th May to enable the public to vote for their favourite choices on the WPSP website which will contribute to the overall decision on the winners. Following this public vote, the WPSP Award winners for 2021 will be exclusively announced to delegates of the #IAPH2021 World Ports Conference at a gala online event on Thursday 24th June hosted by Francesca Vanthielen, who presented last year’s awards as well.
#IAPH2021: discover the Technical Committee sessions
The IAPH Technical Committees each have a dedicated session in the World Ports Conference programme, during which the results of their recent work will be presented. The Risk and Resilience Committee airs on 22 June, presenting the results of a series of in-depth interviews on resilience management carried out among twelve ports across the globe. The Committee will also provide a preview of the business continuity guidelines it is developing. The Climate and Energy Committee will be broadcast on 23 June, showcasing the new features of the Environmental Ship Index and Clean Marine Fuels toolbox and the role IAPH plays in the IMO-Norway GreenVoyage2050 programme. Finally, the Data Collaboration Committee will give on 25 June a presentation of the port and port facility cybersecurity guidelines a dedicated working group is currently producing with the aim to submit them to the IMO early July. The next regular meetings of the Technical Committees are scheduled for 30 June (Climate and Energy), 7 July (Risk and Resilience) and 12 July (Data Collaboration).
#IAPH2021: IAPH renews ties with WCO
IAPH has had a memorandum of understanding with the World Customs Organization (WCO) since 1987. In recent years, the cooperation with WCO however slowed down to become virtually non-existent. Thanks to the chairman of the IAPH Data Collaboration Committee, Pascal Ollivier, this has now changed. To mark the renewed partnership WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya (photo) is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the World Ports Conference on the subject of free zones. Following an initial meeting with the Secretary General earlier this year, we have been invited to join several WCO work streams, most recently on the reporting of passenger data, notably advance passenger information (API) and passenger name records (PNR), initially for cruise vessels and later also for ferries. We are also exploring capacity building prospects with WCO on collaboration between port and customs authorities. Members of the IAPH Data Collaboration Committee will be kept informed about further developments on both topics.
#IAPH2021: have you considered sponsoring?
The 2021 IAPH World Ports Conference offers a wide range of sponsorship opportunities to both regular and associate members of IAPH. Sponsorship places your organisation in a position of authority and enables you to build and strengthen your relationships and increase visibility to global stakeholders including shipowners, ports, logistics providers, local communities, regulators, equipment providers and related third parties. Sponsors benefit from the extensive range of marketing and public relations carried out before, during and after the event, all incorporating your organisation’s brand and underlining your expertise and leadership through this global port summit. Thanks to its innovative online configuration, the World Ports Conference will help your organisation generate new business leads and build on existing ones with direct access to established industry leaders and emerging personnel. Want to find out more? Get in touch with the IHS Markit sponsorship team.
Welcome to new associate members
We are happy to announce that two new associate members from the United States and Mauritania have joined the IAPH family. Formed in 2020, the Maritime Transportation System Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MTS-ISAC) is a non-profit organisation to promote and facilitate maritime cybersecurity information sharing, awareness, training, and collaboration efforts between private and public sector stakeholders. Its mission is to effectively improve cyber risk management across the entire maritime transport community through effective information sharing for the improved identification, protection, detection, response and recovery efforts related to cyber risks. Based in Nouakchott, Get Shipping Mauritania Group offers a range of intermodal logistics and transportation services covering sea, land and air, and is specialised in warehousing, custom clearance and project cargo. Welcome to both members, looking forward to our collaboration!
Your opinion: is vessel size increase still sustainable?
The grounding of the Ever Given in the Suez Canal in March has on one side resulted in delays and backlogs in port callings, but it has also served as a reminder of how much container ships have grown. This has sparked a discussion if the size of those ultra large vessels has outgrown the infrastructure of ports, but also of the wider maritime assets such as transit canals. Ports are trying to catch up with those 20,000+ TEU vessels as most expansion projects have been initiated as navigation channels and berths are incapable of servicing them. While these projects provide work for the civil and marine engineering industries, they raise concerns in ports: how safe is this expansion when a single incident is capable of bringing world trade to a brief halt? We invite you to have your say, by answering our next Ports & Harbors poll question: considering the impact on ports and infrastructure, is further container vessel size expansion sustainable? Please give your answer here.
Global shippers’ webinar on Suez aftermath
The blockage of the Suez Canal by the Ever Given has had considerable knock-on effects on maritime supply chains and raised multiple questions about the vulnerability of them. To discuss the perspective of the cargo interests, the Global Shippers’ Alliance (GSA) is organising a webinar on 30 April that features keynotes by Jan Hoffmann, Chief Trade Logistics Branch at UNCTAD and Lars Jensen, CEO & Partner at Sea Intelligence Consulting as well as a panel discussion with legal experts discussing the fallout for shippers, including competition issues and claims. The Global Shippers’ Alliance (GSA) consists of the Asian Shippers’ Alliance (ASA), the European Shippers’ Council (ESC), and the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI). You can register for the webinar free of charge here.
Discover the first global container port performance index
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role that ports play in the global economy. It also highlighted the need to ensure business continuity and improve the resilience of the maritime gateways, as ports act as crucial nodes in the global logistical system, keeping supply chains moving, economies functioning, and people employed. Developed by the Transport Global Practice of the World Bank and the Maritime & Trade Division of IHS Markit, the first global Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) is a comparable index of global container port performance that is intended to serve as a reference point for key stakeholders in the global economy. This includes national governments, port authorities, development agencies, supra-national organizations and private operators of trade, logistics and supply chain services. As that reference point, the CPPI is intended to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement in container port operations, and to stimulate a dialogue among key stakeholders and move this essential agenda forward. The Container Port Performance Index will be presented on 5 May, during a webinar with members of the joint World Bank and IHS Markit team that created it, as well as industry guests, including IAPH MD- Policy and Strategy, Patrick Verhoeven. They will discuss the scope, underlying data and methodology, as well as its purpose and uses. The webinar will be broadcast on 5 May at 10.00 AM Eastern Daylight Time and is repeated on 6 May 11.00 AM Singapore Time. Participation is free, you can register here.
US calls for zero GHG emissions of shipping by 2050
Ahead of the global leaders’ climate summit organised by President Joe Biden last week, special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry (photo) announced that the United States wants the International Maritime Organization to modify its GHG ship emissions target, achieving zero emissions from international shipping by 2050. The current IMO target is to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 levels. Mr Kerry indicated that the United States is committing to work with IMO Member States to adopt the zero emissions goal and to adopt ambitious measures that will place the entire sector on a pathway to achieve it. The IMO is scheduled to revise its decarbonisation target and its wider GHG emissions strategy in 2023. The US declaration is the first commitment by a country to strengthen the IMO’s target to zero emissions by mid-century.
IAPH Clean Marine Fuels presents new audio-visual
Last week, members of the IAPH Clean Marine Fuels Working Group met online for two 120-minute videoconferences to make a workable meeting in the new virtual environment, including breakout sessions of its safety and communications workstreams. The Group welcomed the Port of Barcelona as new member. The safety team looked at the roadmap of safety products including the development of a generic audit tool for multiple alternative fuels, a run through on existing and upcoming checklists including ones for multiple truck-to-ship for flammable and/or toxic liquids as well as for cryogen. The communications stream further refined the messaging around the definition of the working group’s activity as it extends into other clean marine fuels. The result of this work can be seen a two-and-half minute audiovisual about the Working Group which debuted during yesterday’s World Ports Conference webinar on proactive steps ports can take to provide landside bunkering infrastructure for alternative fuels. You can discover the video below.
IMO facilitated future fuels discussion
IMO has facilitated virtual discussion sessions on 14 and 15 April, on lifecycle GHG/carbon intensity for potential future fuels for shipping. The sessions provided a platform for all IMO Member States and organisations in consultative status with IMO to exchange views and share updated information on how to assess and potentially regulate the lifecycle of carbon emissions. The webinar-like discussion sessions, attended by more than 280 participants, contributed to increasing the understanding of the carbon lifecycle of various fuel options and how these might be considered in future. The discussion was based on the presentations of all relevant submissions to the 7th IMO Intersessional Working Group on GHG emission from ships, which were not discussed during the Working Group’s scheduled meeting last fall due to time constraints and the priority given to the short-term measures under the IMO GHG strategy. The moderator of the sessions and chairman of the IMO Marine Environment and Protection Committee, Sveinung Oftedal of Norway, highlighted in his summary of the constructive discussions that addressing the full life cycle GHG/carbon intensity of sustainable alternative fuels is a clear priority and invited delegations to submit proposals to the forthcoming sessions of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee on how to develop and agree on respective guidelines.
World Bank critical about LNG as maritime fuel
On 15 April, the World Bank published two research reports on decarbonising the maritime transport sector with findings that indicate significant business and development opportunities for countries, including for developing and emerging economies. The first report identifies two alternative fuels – ammonia and hydrogen – as the most promising zero-carbon bunker fuels for shipping at present, more scalable and cost-competitive than other biofuel or synthetic carbon-based options. The second report finds that liquefied natural gas (LNG) is likely to play a limited role in the decarbonisation of the shipping sector, noting its specific niche applications on pre-existing routes or in specific vessel types. The research further recommends that countries should avoid new public policy that supports LNG as a bunker fuel, reconsider existing policy support, and continue to regulate methane emissions. By transitioning toward zero-carbon shipping, many countries, especially those with large renewable energy resources, can break into a future zero-carbon fuel market, while modernising their own domestic energy and industrial infrastructure. The reports evaluate which developing and developed countries may be well positioned to take advantage of this emerging investment opportunity, and present initial case studies for Brazil, India, Mauritius and Malaysia. The research makes the case that strategic policy interventions are needed to hasten the sector’s energy transition and seize opportunities for wider economic, energy, and industrial development in developing countries. For instance, the introduction of a meaningful carbon price would create a level playing field for the development and utilisation of zero-carbon bunker fuels. Revenue generated by such a market-based measure can help support developing countries in their energy transitions and accelerate crucial research, development, and deployment of these fuels. Business should also focus on ‘no-regret’ options, such as increased energy efficiency and maximum fuel flexibility. Constructive collaboration between industry stakeholders and policymakers, both at the IMO and on a national/regional level, can also create greater certainty on the availability, pricing, and timing of zero-carbon bunker fuels which can further boost their rapid uptake from 2030. You can download the reports Potential of Zero-Carbon Bunker Fuels in Developing Countries and Role of LNG in the Transition Toward Low-and Zero-Carbon Shipping as well as a Summary for Policymakers and Industry from the World Bank website.
IMO supports new crew change protocols
Last year IAPH joined a broad cross section of global industry associations representing the maritime transport sector in promoting a recommended framework of protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The protocols were supported by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which recognised their importance at its November Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 102) and authorised the IMO Secretariat to distribute any revised versions of it. Under the leadership of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the protocols have now been revised to take account of issues relevant to the global rollout of vaccines and the critical part they will play in facilitating ships’ crew changes and the efficient movement of world trade. The revised protocols support the joint call of the IMO, the World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization and others, urging all United Nations Member States to prioritise seafarers in their national COVID-19 vaccination programmes, to protect them through vaccination as soon as possible and to facilitate their safe movement across borders. The IMO Secretariat has now invited Member States to consider the new protocols and advise owners, operators and managers of ships entitled to fly their flag, as appropriate, as well as shipboard personnel employed or engaged on such ships to act accordingly. The Secretariat has also called upon intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Organization are also invited to consider the protocols, and other guidance, and advise their membership accordingly. You can download the revised crew change protocols here.
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: Autoridad Portuaria de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Antwerp Port Authority, Autoridad Portuaria de Huelva, Port Autonome de Conakry, Port of Rotterdam Authority, Administração dos Portos de Sines e do Algarve, Bulgarian Ports Infrastructure Company, Port Authority of Genoa, Port Autonome de San Pedro, Ports of Cabo Verde, Port of Helsinki, Hamburg Port Authority, Autoridad Portuaria de Valencia, Port Autonome d’ Abidjan, Port Autonome de San Pedro, Port of Amsterdam, Port of Bergen, Port of Gdansk Authority, Port of Rotterdam Authority, Autoridad Portuaria de la Bahìa de Algeciras, bremenports, Gibraltar Port Authority, Baku International Sea Trade Port, Freeport of Riga Authority, Hamburg Port Authority, North Sea Port, Port of Helsinki
- America Region: Montreal Port Authority, Panama Maritime Authority, Port of Seattle, Canaveral Port Authority, Port of Los Angeles, National Port Administration (Uruguay), Port of San Diego, Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), Port Authority of the Cayman Islands
- Asia and Oceania Region: Kuwait Ports Authority, Port Klang Authority, Busan Regional Office of Oceans and Fisheries, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Gladstone Ports Corporation, Guangzhou Port Authority, Lyttelton Port Company, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Solomon Islands Ports Authority, China Merchants Port Holdings Company, Incheon Port Authority, Maldives Ports, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Abu Dhabi Ports, Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, Ports and Maritime Organization Iran, Ulsan Port Authority
World Maritime News
These maritime news stories made the headlines over the past two weeks:
- Container equipment shortages push up container prices
- Maersk/OOCL doubles earning outlook on high rates, soaring demand
- MSC closes in on Maersk as largest operator of container tonnage
- World containership fleet update
- Hydrogen fueled shipping
- IMO discusses lifecycle GHG/carbon intensity of cleaner fuels for shipping
- Shipping green fuel levy faces opposition from developing nations
- World Bank calls on policy makers to cut support for LNG bunkering
- US will push IMO to adopt target of absolute zero emissions by 2050
- Awake.AI’s predictive analytics will improve quality of vessel scheduling
Calendar of Events
IAPH events and events where IAPH is represented
- 28 April – IAPH Data Collaboration Committee (4 PM CEST)
- 5-7 May – World Conference Transport Research SIG A2
- 5-14 May – IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 103)
- 24-28 May – IMO GHG Intersessional (ISWG-GHG 8)
- 1-7 June – IMO Facilitation Committee (FAL 45)
- 14-18 June – IMO Marine Environment Protection C. (MEPC 76)
- 21-25 June – Antwerp – 2021 IAPH World Ports Conference
- 30 June – IAPH Climate and Energy Committee
- 5-8 July – 13th Annual UK Ports Conference
- 7 July – IAPH Risk and Resilience Committee
- 12 July – IAPH Data Collaboration Committee
- 13-17 September – London International Shipping Week