Over 200 international stakeholders from across the maritime industry’s value chain, attended the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) Clean Energy Supply Chain Conference to develop Hong Kong’s potential as a hub for the maritime industry’s green transition.
Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV), a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification, took part in the GBA Clean Energy Supply Chain Conference organized by Hong Kong Chamber of Shipping (HKCoS) yesterday, at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Following the success of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Clean Energy Supply Chain Workshop, which took place in November 2024, the conference brought together industry stakeholders from across the maritime sector to discuss the critical pathways that will support the development of the industry’s energy transition, including alternative fuels, electrification, and green corridors.
Supporting the development of decarbonization initiatives across the GBA maritime ecosystem, as well as developing Hong Kong as a Green shipping centre, will 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.
The event’s guests of honour and speakers included The Hon C.Y. Leung, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Founder Member and Honorary Advisor of the Chamber; The Hon Mable Chan, Secretary for Transport and Logistics of the HKSAR Government; Professor Nancy Ip, President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; and Mr Hing Chao, Founder Member and Chairman of the Chamber.
The opening sessions of the conference featured a discussion on the impacts that the recent announcements following IMO’s MEPC 83 will have on the industry. BV’s Sustainability Manager, North Asia Zone, Gerrit Bunt provided an overview of the new GHG fuel intensity (GFI) measures, whilst outlining the likely impact that the introduction of the GFI will have on owners and operators in their efforts to remain compliant.
Alex Gregg-Smith, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific (APA), Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, took part in a panel discussion on the global impact of IMO’s MEPC 83. He also shared his expertise and insight across all three decarbonization enablers, exploring the opportunities and challenges that the maritime industry’s faces in achieving its net-zero 2050 targets, whilst illustrating the importance of establish Hong Kong as a green port centre that is primed to support net-zero shipping.
Nick Brown, Corporate Affairs Director, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, who had led a “Green Corridors” workshop with HKUST’s Christine Loh, said: “Today’s conference has provided a unique opportunity to explore the available technologies and pathways that will transform Hong Kong and the GBA into a thriving green maritime hub of the future. Hong Kong exists in a unique ecosystem with the GBA’s maritime activity, including three of biggest container ports in the world, shipyards including one of the largest in China, and a myriad of other cargo and shipping activities as well as finance, legal, insurance and the world’s third part ship management centre of gravity. Today’s conference and workshops focused on the potential for a new green fuel supply chain to develop in China, the need to provide onshore electrical power in Hong Kong’s ports and the preconditions for financeable models for green corridors into and out of GBA ports.”
