Under the Global MTTC Network (GMN) project, Shanghai Maritime University in China will host the MTCC for the Asia region (MTCC-Asia), while the University of Trinidad and Tobago will host MTCC-Caribbean. Three further MTCCs will be established in other target regions - Africa, Latin America and the Pacific – to form a global network.

The five regional MTCCs will deliver mutually-agreed project milestones over a three-year period, making a significant contribution to IMO’s continuing, widespread efforts to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the global energy-efficiency regulations for international shipping.

The MTCCs will receive allocations from the €10 million European Union funding for the project. They will be established and resourced to become regional centres of excellence, providing leadership in promoting ship energy-efficiency technologies and operations, and the reduction of harmful emissions from ships. 

The selection of Shanghai Maritime University and the University of Trinidad and Tobago, both confirmed this week, followed a competitive tendering process.

Aims of the GMN project

Greenhouse gas emissions from shipping are expected to increase but developing countries, which play a significant role in international shipping, often lack the means to improve energy efficiency in their shipping sectors. This project, formally entitled “Capacity Building for Climate Change Mitigation in the Maritime Shipping Industry” will enable developing countries, especially Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, in the target regions to effectively implement energy-efficiency measures through technical assistance, capacity building and promoting technical cooperation.

The project will be implemented through the network of MTCCs which, once operational, will act as focal points for:

- improving capability in the region - by working with maritime administrations, port authorities, other relevant government departments and related shipping stakeholders to facilitate compliance with international regulations on energy efficiency for ships

- promoting the uptake of low-carbon technologies and operations in the maritime sector through pilot projects

- raising awareness about policies, strategies and measures for the reduction of ghg and other emissions from the maritime transport sector

- demonstrating a pilot-scale system for collecting data and reporting on ships’ fuel consumption to improve shipowners’ and maritime administrations’ understanding in this regard, and

- developing and implementing strategies to sustain the impact of MTCC results and activities beyond the project time-line.

Vira Maritime