Fuel consumption data collection, training for crew on energy efficient ship operations and improvements in port efficiency have been identified as priority areas to address for the greening of the Solomon Islands domestic fleet as part of their ongoing National Action Plan to address emissions from ships (NAP) development work.

Significant progress was made on the development of Solomon Islands’ NAP when the IMO-Norway GreenVoyage2050 project team visited the Pacific country last week. During a National Task Force (NTF) meeting held on 4 April, the Solomon Islands Maritime Administration (SIMA) and GreenVoyage2050 team facilitated discussions among maritime stakeholders to identify priority areas to address as part of the NAP development process. Stakeholders were also invited to come forward with potential pilot project ideas which could be supported in their development and implementation by the GreenVoyage2050 project.

The need for data in order to create a baseline against which to benchmark energy efficiency improvements across the domestic fleet was flagged as a high priority action. Training on energy saving at sea to ensure that crew are adequately equipped with the knowledge needed to improve vessel efficiency and measures that can increase utilisation rate of the current fleet were highlighted as being high priority areas. At a port level, improvements in port efficiency to reduce turnaround time and the development of port incentives were also identified as core areas to include in the NAP.

Technical Manager, Astrid Dispert, stated the importance of not leaving any country behind and acknowledge that the challenges Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face when greening maritime operations can vastly differ to those faced by other nations.

As next steps, the Solomon Islands GreenVoyage2050 NTF will re-convene at the end of April to further elaborate on the high priority areas specified for inclusion in the future Solomon Islands NAP. Ahead of that meeting, all individual stakeholder groups have been tasked with identifying concrete actions which could be considered from the perspectives of their respective fields of expertise.

GreenVoyage2050 will support the Solomon Islands through a ship energy efficiency programme or campaign, working together with forward leaning domestic ship owners for the purposes of developing Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans (SEEMP) and robust data collection mechanisms.

Source: IMO

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	Issue 84 of Robban Assafina (March/ April 2023)