GCMD, IAPH partner to accelerate maritime decarbonisation

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and the International

Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) have signed a two-year Coalition

partnership agreement aimed at accelerating decarbonisation of the maritime

sector.

This collaboration was announced at the IAPH 2025 World Ports Conference in

Kobe, Japan.

This partnership brings together GCMD’s expertise in closing operational,

safety, and technical gaps across the shipping value chain with IAPH’s Clean

Marine Fuels and Port Readiness Level expert working groups, as part of its

global port network comprising more than 200 port authorities and operators in

over 85 countries.

Together, GCMD and IAPH aim to strengthen the industry’s readiness for

shipping’s fuel transition by tackling challenges and seizing opportunities in

advancing alternative fuels bunkering, developing port infrastructure, and

shaping evolving regulatory frameworks.

Ports are uniquely positioned to accelerate maritime decarbonisation. They

provide essential local expertise, including assessing navigational risks,

liaising with regulators, and engaging with local communities to ensure safe

pilots and trials, and enabling the eventual safe and large-scale adoption of

low-carbon fuels.

In parallel, GCMD executes pilots across the value chain, co-develops

risk-mitigation strategies for deploying new fuels, and establishes operating

procedures for activities such as safe ammonia bunkering and liquid CO2

offloading.

By tailoring findings to port-specific conditions and sharing results

across multiple ports, GCMD seeks to close knowledge gaps and build globally

applicable practices.

Through its Clean Marine Fuels Working Group, IAPH has created practical

tools for ports and shipping that facilitate safe and efficient bunker

operations for all existing and upcoming clean marine fuels.

Leveraging its global port network, IAPH will collaborate with GCMD to

refine its own suite of tools and co-develop new ones to assist ports,

shipowners, and operators in adopting new bunkering fuels in a safe and

efficient manner, as well as in the transportation of low- and zero-carbon fuels

as cargo.

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO, GCMD, said: “In nearly all of GCMD’s pilots, ports

have been pivotal to our success, whether in enabling the world’s first

ship-to-ship ammonia transfer at the Pilbara, bunkering across six biofuel

supply chains in Singapore or the Port of Rotterdam, or demonstrating the full

value chain for onboard captured CO2 in China.

“Our collaboration with IAPH brings global reach and influence that will

help us deepen our work with ports, turning pilot learnings into scalable

operations essential for the energy transition.”

Dr. Patrick Verhoeven, Managing Director, IAPH, commented: “We look forward

to teaming up with GCMD’s experts, who will work with our port members to

co-develop tools to help further accelerate the decarbonisation of the maritime

sector and to derisk long-term investments in port infrastructure, which will be

essential for the industry’s energy transition.”

Earlier this summer, the IAPH unveiled a new set of cyber resilience

guidelines to address the risks associated with emerging technologies in the

maritime supply chain.