EC Funding Gives Green Light to IMO Energy-Efficiency Project

 

An ambitious IMO project to establish a global network of Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) in developing countries is to go ahead thanks to a €10 million funding contribution from the European Commission (EC).

 

The funds mobilised by the EC illustrate the EU's commitment to support the concrete implementation of a range of measures aimed at addressing energy efficiency and shipping emissions and, through this, contributing to the fight against climate change. This IMO energy-efficiency project is part of the Commission's broader climate financing portfolio aimed at helping less developed countries take climate actions in specific fields or sectors such as the shipping sector.

 

The aim of the project will be to help beneficiary countries limit and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their shipping sectors through technical assistance and capacity building. It will encourage the uptake of innovative energy-efficiency technologies among a large number of users through the widespread dissemination of technical information and know-how. This will heighten the impact of technology transfer.

 

The four-year project will target five regions - Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific. These have been targeted for their significant number of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDSs).

 

The heart of the project will be the establishment of five MTCCs, one in each target region, with seed-funding support from the project. These will have a strong regional dimension, becoming centres of excellence for promoting the uptake of low-carbon technologies and operations in maritime transport. Each MTCC is expected to be hosted by an existing institution with a credible standing in the region. These host institutions will be selected through an open process of competitive bidding against a set of criteria and project deliverables. 

 

The project will be coordinated by IMO’s Marine Environment Division through a dedicated unit at IMO headquarters.

 

The agreement to fund the project was signed on 31 December 2015 by Stefan Micallef, Director of IMO’s Marine Environment Division, and Peter Craig McQuaide, Head of the Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Unit of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development.

 

Speaking at the signing, Micallef said, “Working through the MTCCs, we have taken a novel approach to implementing this major project. Therefore, we welcome the EC contribution to this project which will form a cornerstone of continuing efforts by the Organization to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the energy-efficiency regulations worldwide, and the activities undertaken by the MTCCs should provide an important focus for the promotion of technical co-operation, capacity building and technology transfer relating to the improvement of ships’ energy efficiency.”