GHG emissions initiative gains traction

The just-in-time (JIT) Arrival Guide, an initiative up until now of the Global Industry Alliance, provide information to ports on how to facilitate JIT Arrival of ships – with a view to reducing GHG emissions by optimising the port call process. It also corresponds with the four action lines of the IMO Resolution submitted last year on cooperation between ports and shipping on reduction of GHG emissions from ships.

Captain Ben Van Scherpenzeel, chair of International Taskforce Port Call Optimization, commented: “Ship-shore data availability and data sharing around port calls must be supported by robust standards developed by robust organizations in the long run to make GHG emissions reductions a reality.

“Ship owner-operators will simply not be able to work optimally with different data sets amongst all the ports their fleets call at. Equally, a one-size-fits- all global solution is not the answer. The answer lies in a common port call process framework, using existing contractual, hydrographic, and data definition standards.”

The JIT Arrival Guide follows last year’s publication of the latest version of the Taskforce’s Port Information Manual. The manual includes data definitions sourced from existing standards within the shipping and supply chain industry to allow nautical and operational systems to speak with one another optimally.

In February, UNCTAD released a ‘Digitalizing the Port Call Process’ paper which identifies the principal tensions and opportunities arising that are impacting the inevitable and ongoing digitalization process that is underway in the maritime sector.