Hamburg and Shanghai Ports to Create Green Shipping Corridor

October 28, 2024

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by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak (Offshore Energy) Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and the Port of Shanghai have signed at a forum in Shanghai a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a green shipping corridor.

As informed, the MOU, inked on October 22, aims to make the shipping industry more environmentally friendly and low-carbon and promote the sustainable development of global maritime transport.

The maritime industry is increasingly focusing on a green transition. Together with shipping giant COSCO Shipping Lines and the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission (SMTC) and the HPA are working on the implementation of the green shipping corridor. The aim is to accelerate the decarbonization of maritime transport by working with technical equipment suppliers, energy suppliers, cargo owners, terminals and shipping companies.

Specifically, the agreed objectives include providing suitable shore power connections to all container terminals in every port, promoting the supply and use of environmentally friendly fuels, encouraging technical equipment suppliers, energy suppliers, cargo owners, terminals and shipping companies to commit to the objectives of the green shipping corridor, and sharing knowledge and information to support the objectives of the corridor and promote best practices.

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Earlier this month, Germany’s government unveiled the National Action Plan for Climate-Friendly Shipping (NAPS) to boost investments centered around maritime energy transition for the German industry. Green shipping corridors are said to be a key area of action in the NAPS.

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Within this context, the port engaged in discussions and partnered up with several other ports in the last few weeks. This month alone, HPA, together with Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC), signed MOU with Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) to propel innovations in port operations, port development, and workforce capacity building.

Last month, HPA also signed a letter of intent (LOI) with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to work on accelerating maritime decarbonization, digitalization, and cybersecurity.

Finally, in late September 2024, HPA announced a joint declaration of intent with the South Korean Busan Port Authority (BPA) and Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) to collaborate on the decarbonization of maritime transport in the future by expanding the use of environmentally friendly marine fuels. READ MORE

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GREEN SHIPPING CORRIDOR PARTNERSHIP Annual Progress Report 2024

Excerpt from Biofuels Digest: The event concluded with a strategic cooperation agreement among the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, Xinhua News Agency, and China Economic Information News Agency, setting the stage for future collaboration in green and digital shipping. This forum reaffirms Shanghai’s commitment to leading global maritime innovation. READ MORE

Excerpt from Port of Long Beach: Three dedicated working groups – Energy Supply, Carriers, and Ports – have been formed to help advance towards the ambitious goals set out in the Corridor’s Implementation Plan Outline and have made significant progress this year:

Energy Supply Working Group

Identifying the demand and supply dynamics for alternative fuels along the Corridor.
Establishing a fuel production and supply schedule to meet the Corridor’s needs.
Setting standards for low- and zero-carbon fuels to be used within the Corridor.

Carriers Working Group

Collecting development roadmaps from shipping companies on their low-emission fleets.
Creating a timeline for vessel, fuel, and technology launches.
Nominating specific shipping services to join the Corridor.

Ports Working Group

Expanding shore power facilities at the Port of Shanghai, allowing ships to turn off engines while at berth.
Enhancing clean energy refueling options at Shanghai’s port.
Engaging fuel providers at LA/LB to support the green corridor.
Aligning LA/LB incentive programs with the needs of the Corridor.

Hard Work Ahead

As the Partnership moves from planning to full-scale implementation, hard work lays ahead. The partners will now begin to address some of the most significant challenges facing the Partnership:

Ensuring the availability of green fuels in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices.
Building the necessary expertise and infrastructure to support the transition to decarbonized shipping.
Formulating a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy, engaging government, industry and communities to support clean shipping solutions.

For a full breakdown of progress and future plans, view the Annual Progress Report here.

About the Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles is North America’s leading trade gateway and has ranked as the No. 1 container port in the United States for 24 consecutive years. In 2023, the Port generated $292 billion in trade and handled a total of 8.6 million container units, sustaining its top rank among U.S. ports. The Port remains focused on community investment, commitment to sustainability and environmental leadership, workforce development, and infrastructure improvement. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura.

About the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission

Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission (SMTC) undertakes the management and safety supervision of the highways and urban roads, road transportation and urban traffic, ports and shipping, and other transportation industries in Shanghai. SMTC also leads the development of Shanghai International Shipping Center. SMTC coordinates the air, rail and postal transportation management. SMTC aims to optimize the layout of the transport structure, comprehensively balance the transport capacity, and build an integrated transportation system in Shanghai.

About the Port of Long Beach

The Port of Long Beach is a global leader in green port initiatives and top-notch customer service, moving cargo with reliability, speed and efficiency. As the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port handles trade valued at $200 billion annually and supports 2.6 million jobs across the United States, including 575,000 in Southern California and 1 in 5 jobs in Long Beach. In 2024, industry leaders named it “The Best West Coast Seaport in North America” for the sixth consecutive year. The second-busiest port in the United States, it moved more than 8 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2023. During the next 10 years, the Port is planning $2.3 billion in capital improvements aimed at enhancing capacity, competitiveness and sustainability.

About C40 Cities

C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities who are working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere can thrive. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. Through a Global Green New Deal, mayors are working alongside a broad coalition of representatives from labour, business, the youth climate movement and civil society to go further and faster than ever before.

The current Chair of C40 is Mayor of London Sadiq Khan; and three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the Board. C40’s work is made possible by our three strategic funders: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and Realdania. To learn more about the work of C40 and our cities, please visit our website, or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. READ MORE