Kenya beats regional peers to host Sh1bn marine tech co-operation centre

Kenya is set to benefit from a Sh1.08 billion (€10 million) European Union (EU) funding after it won a bid to host a Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTTC) for Africa.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) had in April invited formal expressions of interest to host the facility from member states.

Kenya presented the bid through a consortium of organisations consisting the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

It beat South Africa, Namibia and Ghana which has also submitted their bids.

Kenya will now establish the centre as one of the five IMO Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres worldwide. Other centres will be set up in Asia the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific.

The announcement was made last week during the IMO technical committee meeting in London.

Establishment of the MTCCs is a joint IMO – EU project titled “Capacity Building for Climate Change Mitigation in the Maritime Shipping Industry”.

According to IMO, the MTCCs will act as centres of excellence, providing leadership in promoting ship energy-efficiency technologies and operations, and the reduction of harmful emissions from ships. Among other roles, the centre is expected to promote the uptake of low-carbon technologies.

“The selection of countries to host the IMO centres in the target regions was done competitively,” said Cosmas Cherop, acting KMA director general in a statement.

“Winning organisations and consortium of organisations had to have credible standing in their regions, considerable engagement with industry and government, a track record of regional outreach and the ability to provide the MTCC with in-kind hosting support such as office space, as well as related logistical support,” Mr Cherop added.