Singapore Bets Heavily!

Not since the piracy crisis of 2009-2010, has the world been transfixed on eliminating a single menace more urgently and forcefully than the scourge of removing carbon in vessels. Decarbonisation is perhaps the single most defining challenge of the times. Jaya Prakash files this story.

Never a year goes by in Singapore without a tree planting day! Right from the times in 1970 when Singapore’s first Prime Minster Lee Kuan Yew mooted the year, the only exception to the ‘national sport’ was perhaps during the COVID-19 years.

There was no official explanation then in 1970 why tree planting was needed. But by some stroke of a deus ex machina what then looked like a non-event, now lies at the heart of yet another national sport: beating off the ravages brought on climate change and global warming.

Climate change, according to the nation’s port regulatory body, is a complex global challenge that calls for concerted global action.

As part of Singapore’s pledge under the Paris Agreement to reduce national domestic emissions, Singapore has announced its enhanced National Determined Contribution and its Long-Term Low-Emissions Development Strategy to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2020, which aims to peak domestic emissions at 65MtCO2e around 2030, with a view to achieve net zero emissions as soon as viable in the second half of the century.

Recently, Singapore has adopted the Singapore Green Plan 2030 as a whole-of-nation effort, to rally bold and collective action to tackle climate change and decarbonisation.

To ensure it does not get blindsided, the Maritime, and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is developing the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint 2050 to chart out decarbonisation strategies to mitigate Singapore’s maritime transport emissions and reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping.

The consultation focuses on seven areas namely in port terminals, domestic harbour craft, future marine fuels and bunkering standards, Singapore Registry of Ships, efforts at the International Maritime Organisation, carbon accounting awareness and capabilities and maritime decarbonisation research and development.

It may be too soon to rate the effectiveness of the ambitious programme but, they nevertheless represent a very promising and well intentioned, start.

In all fairness shipping does contribute to GHG. Most reports pointing to a 2% to 3% uptick of the noxious emissions having squarely placed the blame on ship-borne traffic. With more than 130,000 ships calling at Singapore’s ports, it is a source of acute concern. Thus, it was and is for that reason, offshore emissions gauging devices are placed in Singapore’s sea frontiers to measure the quantity of emissions spewed so as to have the crafts banished from ever landing on its shores.

Just as to where Singapore is concerned, transhipment is one of the sectors where its bread is buttered; and it is buttered handsomely. Thus, maintaining solidarity with global efforts aimed at tackling decarbonisation is perhaps the only known bit of a Hobson’s choice open to the city-state.

Since the inauguration of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation or GCMD, last August developments aimed at moving decarbonisation have moved at a rapid clip.

Just recently, GCMD signed a knowledge partnership agreement with the Global Maritime Forum to hasten decarbonisation to a low-carbon future.

The two organisations will collaborate around low or net-zero emission projects and programmes, such as the sharing of knowledge and data analytics, and in support of the development of green corridors.

Getting rid of GHG is and always been the driving mission of GCMD. It says ammonia as being one of the alternative fuel solutions available. But there is a caveat.  It adds, supply chain-related gaps need to be addressed before green ammonia can be safely used by the maritime industry and these include global green production capacity and supply, bunkering standards and procedures around safety, operations & the environment, bunkering infrastructure.

That is not all. Attempts are also made to use hydrogen fuel cells for ships which is the first of experiments with GHG in its ‘cross hairs’. Amongst the recommendations are the converting of ferries to run on electricity and the building of ships that use methanol and ammonia as marine fuel.

Multinational companies ABS Group and NOV will be partners in studying how best to store, recover and transport green ammonia, a renewable fuel made from sunlight, air, and water.

If there is indeed something to be guessed, it is Singapore’s solidarity with global agreements and arrangements. The nation’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is earnestly embarking on research, development, demonstration, and deployment of technologies and solutions to equitably transition America to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050. To lead in this transition, EERE’s FY 2022 budget request is $4.7 billion. The request calls for activities and programs to help decarbonise the electricity, transportation, while training the next generation of clean energy workers; supporting state and local economies; creating new, high-quality, good paying jobs in the field; and deploying new, efficient, and clean technologies that are affordable for all Americans. 

Singapore’s PSA Marine, an adjunct body of its main port of Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), has opted for sustainable shipping by reducing its carbon footprint with the use of a digital solution, the vessel pilot communication.

Mr Jimmy Koh, Head of Digital Transformation and Chief Pilot of PSA Marine, said, “We are delighted to garner support from the major shipping lines in our digitalisation and decarbonisation journey. During the pilot trial, the participating shipping lines have provided valuable feedback on the VPC digital solution. With its launch, all vessels calling at the Port of Singapore can benefit from information that can help them play their part in environmental sustainability.”

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In a dry yet bone chilling warning in 2018, the IMO warned that maritime transport emitted 938 tonnes of CO2 in 2012. That is a staggering amount by any measure!

By 2050, shipping CO2 emissions are projected to increase between 50% and 250% if no drastic action is taken. To reverse this trajectory, the 174 member states of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted an “Initial IMO Strategy on reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions from ships” (or “Initial Strategy” for short) in April 2018. The Initial Strategy’s declared aim is to phase out greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping “as soon as possible in this century”. More specifically, the strategy also sets specific emission targets for the shipping sector.

Yet as is commonly known, improving the energy efficiency of ships by technology can reduce the needed emission reductions. To begin are nascent attempts at hull design improvements, air lubrication and bulbous bows to reduce friction or waste heat recovery as a source of energy, says the International Transport Forum (ITF) in one of its publications. And other steps like slow steaming, smoother ship-port interfaces and bigger ships that carry more freight in relation to energy used could achieve further emission reductions. Finally, switching from oil to alternative fuels and renewable energy can cut shipping’s carbon emissions.

In essence that is where the world is at now. Alternative fuels and renewable energy can deliver much of the required reductions, says the ITF. Advanced biofuels are already available, albeit in limited quantities. Gradually, they should be complemented by other natural or synthetic fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia. Wind assistance for ships could reap additional reductions. The first electric ships already provide transport on short-distance routes.