Australia and Singapore plan green shipping corridor

Australia and Singapore have begun talks to build a Singapore-Australia green and digital shipping corridor by the end of 2025.

Australia’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) are jointly leading the cooperation.

They are working with port operators, relevant jurisdictions and maritime and energy value chain stakeholders on both sides to galvanise action to decarbonise and digitalise the shipping industry.

Through coordinated efforts, DITRDCA and MPA aim initially to scope areas of mutual interest and collaboration to reduce carbon emissions in the maritime sector.

This includes the establishment of low and zero-carbon fuel supply chains and greening port services and shipping operations to accelerate the development and uptake of green marine fuel sources.

Collaboration would also involve the identification of digital shipping solutions to facilitate efficient port call and flow of goods, and paperless handling between the ports of Australia and Singapore.

The move aligns with the Green Shipping Cooperation initiative outlined in the Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement in October 2022 signed by Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry, Gan Kim Yong, and Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism, Don Farrell, and witnessed by the Prime Ministers from both sides.

In April 2023, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and San Pedro Bay.