The Panama Canal Authority and A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S are the latest entities to join the IMO-supported Global Industry Alliance to Support Low Carbon Shipping (GIA).

Launched in June 2017, the GIA is a public-private partnership initiative of the IMO, under the framework of the GEF-UNDP-IMO Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) Project, that aims to bring together maritime industry leaders to support an energy efficient and low carbon maritime transport system. The GIA now has 18 members, including shipowners and operators, classification societies, engine and technology builders and suppliers, big data providers, oil companies and ports.

The new members signed up to the GIA during the fifth meeting of the GIA Taskforce at IMO Headquarters in London, United Kingdom on March 15.

The GIA Taskforce meeting has several on-going projects including the validation of performance of energy efficient technologies, the assessment of barriers to the uptake of just-in-time operation of ships and resulting emission saving opportunities as well as work on the current status and application of alternative fuels in the maritime sector and barriers to their uptake.

During the meeting, the taskforce formalized the extension of the GIA until December 31, 2019 and agreed to develop a white paper outlining its vision and potential priority areas.

The GIA members include ABB Engineering (Shanghai); Bureau Veritas; DNV GL; Grimaldi Group; Lloyd’s Register EMEA; Maersk; MarineTraffic; MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company; Port of Rotterdam; Ricardo UK; Royal Caribbean Cruises; Shell International Trading and Shipping Company; Silverstream Technologies; Stena; Total Marine Fuels; Wärtsilä Corporation and Winterthur Gas & Diesel.

The Maritime Executive