International stakeholders from across the maritime industry’s value chain, attended the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Clean Energy Supply Chain Workshop event today to help decarbonize maritime activity in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and beyond.
Shenzhen, Hong Kong, 15 November 2024: The Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping and Bureau Veritas, supported by the Yantian District Government, Hong Kong Shipowners Association, Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings, and the Equator Fund, hosted a workshop with international stakeholders focused on two clear pathways to decarbonize maritime activity – alternative green fuels and electrification.
The Clean Energy Supply Chain Workshop event represents a significant step forward in accelerating efforts to decarbonize the Greater Bay Area (GBA) maritime eco-system. The event brought together approximately 140 representatives from policy makers, vessel owners and operators, infrastructure operators, fuel makers, technology providers, and financiers to share insights and work towards practical sustainable solutions that will help leverage green energy and technology in deep-sea shipping, port operations, cargo handling, and short-sea and ferry activities.
One of the key focuses of the event was the two closed-door workshops, following two key themes to decarbonize maritime activity, ‘Addressing Alternative Fuels’, and ‘Unlocking Electrification’. The workshop discussions were moderated by Professor Christine Loh, Hong Kong University Science and Technology’s (HKUST) Chief Development Strategist, and Dr Kenneth Leung, Former Principal Assistant Secretary (Air Policy), HKSAR Environment and Ecology Bureau. The sessions explored the current technology and eco-systems required to support the development of green electricity as a power source for modern maritime operations, with a discussion on the supply and demand of alternative fuels especially for green methanol from China, as well as the development of a roadmap for offering green fuel bunkering and export services.
Hing Chao, Founder and Chairman of Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping, and Executive Chairman of Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings, said: “Perspectives and policies to decarbonize maritime must reflect the reality and potential of clean fuel supply changes originating in China, as well as Chinese technology and innovation that can electrify ports and short-sea shipping. There is also a huge opportunity for Hong Kong to play a role in green energy markets related to the supply of green energy. These Clean Energy Supply Chain workshops are a vital example of the continued industry collaboration that is required to achieve the maritime industry’s goals of accelerating the decarbonization transition, whilst making a meaningful impact on the continued protection of the marine environment.”
Subajan Sivandran, Director – Strategy, M&A and Advanced Services, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said: “Ambitions to decarbonize the maritime sector will be shaped by what is happening in China. In the Greater Bay Area, with 86 million people in nine cities, there is massive shipping and ports activity and demand, connected to world markets and trade. This is the perfect eco-system to explore and decide what we can do to create impact – and to do so quickly.”
Driving decarbonization and smart ports across the GBA maritime ecosystem, and developing Hong Kong as a Green Shipping Centre, supported by meaningful policy and infrastructure commitments, could help provide a significant contribution to the IMO’s 2050 GHG reduction targets and establish pathways and models to accelerate the net zero transition of global shipping. These ambitions and their realization will also create business opportunities for both Shenzhen’s and Hong Kong’s maritime, port and financial sectors.
