MPA and Rotterdam strengthen collaboration on shipping corridor initiative

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Port of Rotterdam have signed an agreement to expand their collaboration on the Rotterdam-Singapore Green and Digital Shipping Corridor. The two ports have united 28 partners across the container shipping value chain to advance sustainable fuels and digital solutions along the 15,000-kilometre route, boosting efficiency. Their goal is to cut GHG emissions from large container vessels by 20-30 per cent by 2030 while promoting global standards for efficient, paperless port operations.

The collaboration focuses on testing and scaling sustainable fuels—bio and e-variants of ammonia, methanol, and methane—making them accessible, accepted, and affordable for large-scale use, with dedicated working groups for each fuel type.

The partners want to perform more studies and trials on bio-methane, methanol, and ammonia bunkering to support their future usage along the maritime route while focusing on creating and implementing financial tools to reduce the economic obstacles to adopting low- and near-zero emission fuels. On the digital front, the two ports have successfully tested the exchange of port-to-port data, which includes vessel arrival and departure timestamps. This endeavor, which supports the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s digital efforts, aims to enhance vessel arrival planning and port operations between Singapore and Rotterdam.

Both ports have also created ship-to-shore (STS) data exchange infrastructure to facilitate rapid and secure submission of port clearance information. The first phase of testing global standards and digital solutions began this month, with an improved solution set for testing in the second half of 2025.