The Port of Rotterdam and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) are intensifying cooperation on their Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC), aiming to cut emissions and streamline operations along one of the world’s busiest trade routes.
Since the corridor’s launch in 2022, 28 industry partners have joined the initiative, which stretches over 15,000 kilometers between the two ports. The goal: reduce greenhouse gas emissions from large container vessels by 20–30% by 2030. It’s an ambitious target, but early progress is laying a solid foundation.
The joint push focuses on sustainable fuels like bio- and e-versions of ammonia, methanol, and methane. Dedicated working groups have been set up to drive trials and adoption. One such pilot, conducted in Rotterdam, saw the first successful bunkering of mass-balanced liquefied bio-methane. Singapore is set to follow with a similar trial in 2025. Alongside fuel trials, the partners completed a Life Cycle Assessment of green ammonia’s emissions profile, and have been supporting the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH)‘s Port Readiness Framework to help ports prepare for low-carbon fuels.
The effort isn’t only about decarbonisation. It’s also about digitisation. Exchanging vessel arrival and departure data between the two ports has already been trialled. This data-sharing approach aims to trim down waiting times, reduce emissions from idling ships, and improve port operations. In tandem, digital infrastructure is being installed to streamline the submission of port clearance information, which helps eliminate human error and saves time.
The first phase of testing digital standards and solutions began in March, with broader trials coming later this year. By harmonising communication and operations, the ports are working to simplify a notoriously complex logistics chain.
At Singapore Maritime Week, port and government representatives gathered to build on this momentum. Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA, highlighted the significance of public-private partnerships in pushing real-world implementation of climate and tech solutions. Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam, echoed the sentiment, pointing out that while much has been done, even more lies ahead.
As the corridor develops, attention is turning toward overcoming the financial hurdles of low-emission fuel adoption. The next phase includes exploring financing models that make alternative fuels more accessible for the global fleet.
By focusing on real-world trials and systemic integration across ports and shipping lines, the corridor is becoming a proving ground for what scalable, practical decarbonisation and digitalisation might look like across the global supply chain.
