IAPH Insider 16, May


This edition covers:

 


This week’s Insider highlight with Patrick Verhoeven

 

 


Countdown for IAPH Sustainability Awards submissions

With the deadline of close of business next week – Friday 24 May – ports are requested to submit their sustainability projects for the 2024 IAPH Sustainability Awards. When submitting projects to the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP) portal, all you need to do is add a short description, any relevant document attachments, a couple of high-resolution illustrations or pictures, and links to any relevant portals, website or social media accounts. With that, your project will get checked and then added to the IAPH World Ports Sustainability Program database which is the world’s most comprehensive guide to port sustainability best practices. The most inspiring projects in each of the six awards categories will be awarded during a prestigious ceremony to take place at the gala dinner of the World Ports Conference in Hamburg on 9 October. Don’t miss out on having your project showcased on the global stage! For any questions regarding how to submit your projects and all related practicalities, please contact Antonis Michail.

 

 


ESI 2026: launch workshops held, and a Seatrade profile

Special online launch events held on Tuesday 14 May brought more details of important changes to the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) for the scheme’s Incentive Providers and Incentive Receivers. There were more than 200 attendees across the two digital events, which provided updates on an expanded suite of performance modules, coming online in 2026, to support ports and vessel owners on the journey to decarbonisation and lowering emissions. Information was provided on how Incentive Providers and Receivers will be affected by these necessary changes, the timeline for the changes and resources to support the transition. ESI stakeholders interested in receiving the presentation from the events, or further information on the transition, should contact the ESI administrator, Green Award Foundation. In a separate development, ESI was also profiled extensively in a new publication, Seatrade Maritime’s Global Ports Report 2024. The article, which can be found on pages 23-25, explores how port incentives are helping the maritime industry meet the decarbonisation challenge. The digital edition of the report provides a link to the ESI whitepaper published late last year; hard copies of this special Seatrade Maritime report will be available at TOC Europe in Rotterdam in June.
 
 

IAPH presents to Clean Energy Ministerial senior officials

On 15 May, IAPH technical director Antonis Michail joined the Clean Energy Ministerial senior officials meeting of the CEM Hubs initiative in Bali, Indonesia. Attending the meeting remotely, Antonis presented on the existing and planned IAPH tools that can contribute to the work program of CEM Hubs, including the safety toolkit under the Clean Marine Fuels (CMF) working group and the joint work with the World Ports Climate Action Program (WPCAP) and Mission Innovation on the digital Port Readiness Level (PRL) assessment tool for marine fuels, which is due to be launched at the 2024 World Ports Conference, held 8-10 October in Hamburg, Germany. The CEM Hubs initiative is supported by ICS, IAPH, the Clean Energy Ministerial and led by the energy and transport ministries of seven nations – Brazil, Canada, Norway, Panama, Uruguay, the UAE and Greece. The 15 May meeting was also attended by representatives from other countries who are considering joining the initiative, including the USA, Singapore, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea.

 


The May-June edition of Ports & Harbors is out

Eman Abdalla is our cover story interview for the latest edition of Ports & Harbors, in which she talks to new editor Martin Clark and IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven. Eman, who is the global operations director of Cargill Ocean Transportation, speaks about the innovative wind-assisted propulsion technology deployed on the company’s chartered tonnage, as well as looking towards collaborating with ports globally in the areas of sustainability and data collaboration. There is a feature on the Indian Subcontinent focusing on how best to build port capacity further in India, as well as a Wake Up Call analysis by Andrew Penfold on how those ambitions can be realised. The latest IAPH World Ports Tracker summary is included, which notably tracks investments per land-use type. There are also articles on the return of carriers as investors in terminal and port infrastructure, and on the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Eastern European trade. Meanwhile, regular contributor Felicity Landon looks at the changing global port landscape as numerous authorities look at becoming energy hubs. Samskip Group CEO Karri-Peka Laaksonen writes about the organisation’s experiences using biofuels with newbuilds and the challenges it faces as a European short sea owner-operator with the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). Regular features include Mike Mundy’s views on digitalisation in The Column and a book review of the 6th edition of The Geography of Transport Systems.
 

 


IAPH gives industry view on cyber at global symposium

The UK Department of Transport (DfT) invited IAPH to offer ‘the industry perspective’ on cybersecurity during the Global MTS Cyber Security Symposium 2024 (GMTSC24), which took place 8-10 May in Westminster, London. Speaking as a panellist, business development director Nick Blackmore explained IAPH’s role in accelerating digitalisation across the maritime supply chain, with specific reference to the association’s Cybersecurity Guidelines for Ports and Port Facilities, which are recognised within the IMO’s Guidelines on Maritime Cyber Risk Management. Nick further highlighted IAPH’s recent submission at FAL 48 (‘Safeguarding the cybersecurity of the Maritime Single Window’) and its co-sponsorship of a submission to revise the 2017 IMO Guidelines on Maritime Cyber Risk Management at MSC 108, beginning this week. DfT hosted the symposium in its role as Chair of the International Partnership for Maritime Cyber Security (IMPCS) – a partnership between Denmark, the Netherlands, the USA, Australia, Singapore and the UK.

 

 

Nick Blackmore, right, speaks at GMTSC24 on a panel moderated by Miles Gidlow (DfT),

featuring Geraint Evans (UKMPG) and Ritesh Prakashan (Zodiac Shipping)

 


IAPH at first Green Ports & Shipping Congress in Singapore

IAPH attended the first ever Green Ports and Shipping Congress in Singapore on 8 and 9 May. Themed around ‘reducing emissions together’, the congress was attended by 120 delegates and covered a range of topics addressing aspects of maritime energy transition. IAPH technical director Antonis Michail participated in the keynote opening panel, which focused on collaboration between ports and shipping to achieve the 2050 decarbonization targets of the IMO GHG strategy. Antonis was joined by senior executives of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization, BIMCO and Maersk, and the panel was moderated by managing director of Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonization Hub, James Forsdyke. On 9 May, Antonis moderated a technical session on further unlocking the potential of onshore power supply (OPS) with executives from DNV, Igus GmbH, ERMA FIRST and ABB. The congress was organised by Mercator Media and supported by BIMCO, ICS and IAPH.

 

 


Fourth International Port Strategy course ends

The in-person part of the International Port Strategy course co-organised by IAPH and its associate members APEC and C-MAT is being held this week, featuring a series of lectures at the Antwerp Port House and on-site visits to port facilities and logistics companies in Antwerp and Zeebrugge. 25 delegates are present, comprising port and maritime organisations from Albania, Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Suriname, Tanzania and Thailand. On Tuesday, IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven chaired a panel discussion on resilience of maritime supply chains. The session started with a presentation by Stefan Verberckmoes, senior analyst at Alphaliner/AXS Marine, who provided background on the behaviour of container carriers in times of crisis. His findings were then discussed by Didier Duponselle, commercial director at Ahlers, Michel Marstboom, chief commercial officer at DP World, and Ingrid Vanstreels, port strategy manager at Port of Antwerp-Bruges International. The course continues today with a round of Port Endeavor, IAPH’s port sustainability business game, and ends on Friday with a closing ceremony. It is the fourth year that APEC, C-MAT and IAPH have teamed up in organising the International Port Strategy course.

 

 

Patrick Verhoeven, Stefan Verberckmoes, Ingrid Vanstreels, Michel Marstboom and Didier Duponselle

 


Simone Maraschi new chairman of Cruise Europe

IAPH’s Cruise Committee chairman Simone Maraschi has been announced as the newly elected chairman for Cruise Europe, one of the leading associations representing ports across Europe. Simone, who is managing director of Cruise Gate Hamburg – the operator of Hamburg’s cruise centres – was elected during the Annual Conference of Cruise Europe in Stockholm on 14 May. You can read more about Simone’s appointment here.

 

 

Michael McCarthy, Simone Maraschi and Jens Skrede (Credit Susan Parker/Cruise Europe)

 


IAPH at Greentech for Ports and Terminals

In Barcelona last week, IAPH’s communications director Victor Shieh and data collaboration committee vice chair Gadi Benmoshe spoke at and moderated sessions at the Greentech for Ports and Terminals conference. The event was organised by Port Technology International and took place at the World Trade Center at the Port of Barcelona, with director of strategy and innovation Emma Cobos introducing the main theme of ‘The Road to Net Zero’. Victor participated on the main decarbonisation panel and moderated a session on Port Call Optimization, with Gadi speaking and moderating at two sessions on innovation. Numerous IAPH regular and associate members were in attendance as speakers and moderators, including representatives from the ports of Gothenberg, Oslo, Hamburg, Valencia, Vigo, HAROPA, PortXchange, Awake AI, Wärtsilä, and Portchain.

 

 

Emma Cobos makes her opening address at Greentech for Ports and Terminals

 


IAPH meets with Ports Australia in London

Representatives from IAPH met with Ports Australia in London in early May, during a visit to the UK by Ports Australia chairman Stewart Lammin. Ports Australia is the national member body for Australia’s ports and is an associate member of IAPH. Stewart is CEO of Flinders Port Holdings, South Australia’s leading port operator with ports at Port Adelaide, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Thevenard, Port Giles, Wallaroo and Klein Point. Stewart, along with IAPH business development director Nick Blackmore and British Ports Association chief executive Richard Ballantyne OBE were joined remotely by IAPH/BPA IMO policy liaison officer Rhona McDonald. The group enjoyed a wide-ranging comparative discussion of the ports industry in Australia and in the UK, and agreed on the importance of links between national associations to share knowledge and best practice. IAPH president Jens Meier and managing director Patrick Verhoeven are both guest speakers at Ports Australia’s Biennial Conference, held in Hobart 29-31 October.

 

 

Richard Ballantyne, Stewart Lammin and Nick Blackmore

 


Member Port News

You can find the latest overview of news from IAPH member ports on the dedicated Member Ports News page on our website.

 


World Maritime News

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

  • Record boxship capacity already delivered in 2024
  • Maersk remains cautious on capacity outlook
  • Namibia’s Walvis Bay could become key green bunkering hub
  • Shipping’s green fuel gold rush could create up to 4m jobs
  • China State Shipbuilding Corp’s tech firm and Evergreen trial onboard carbon capture
  • Nitrous oxide emissions are no laughing matter

For details of each story, please visit the World Maritime News section on our website.

 


Calendar of Events

IAPH events and events where IAPH is represented

Translate