Transport

African maritime experts in Mombasa to discuss impact of shipping on climate

ship

There is need for energy efficiency onboard ships and global mitigation measures. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Maritime experts from the African region converge in Mombasa from Wednesday to discuss the impact of maritime shipping on air quality within ports and effects on climate change.

In the first such workshop in the region, participants will also focus on international laws governing marine pollution and the need for energy efficiency onboard ships and global mitigation measures.

The Maritime Technical Co-operation Centre (MTCC) for African region will also be launched.

Early this year, Kenya won the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) bid for the establishment of the centre on behalf of Africa, beating South Africa, Namibia and Ghana.

According to the IMO, the MTCC will receive allocations from the Sh1.38 billion (€10 million) European Union funding for the project.

They will be established and equipped to become centres of excellence, providing leadership in promoting ship energy-efficiency technologies and operations, and the reduction of harmful emissions from ships.

Besides Kenya, which has been selected to host the MTCC-Africa, the IMO has set up MTCCs in Latin America, the Caribbean, Pacific, and Asia.

The five MTCCs constitute the Global MTCC Network, which is implementing the IMO project titled ‘Capacity Building for Climate Change Mitigation in the Maritime Shipping Industry’.

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Maritime and Shipping Affairs principal secretary Nancy Karigithu said the centre would enhance capacity for the African region in promoting ship energy efficiency technologies and operations.

She said this would be key to reduction of harmful emissions from ships with the aim of mitigating harmful effects of climate change.

“The MTCC-Africa will for the next three years be the focal point for improving compliance with international regulations on energy efficiency for ships sailing in the region, promoting uptake of low-carbon technologies and operations in the maritime sector besides being a system for collecting data and reporting on ships,” she said.

The workshop will be attended by among others Stefan Micallef, director of Marine Environment Division, IMO and Delegation of the European Union to Kenya deputy head Bruno Pozzi.