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The Maritime Industry Authority and the World Bank are linking up for the decarbonization and modernization of inter-island ferries in the Philippines
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Under the Interisland Ferry Decarbonization Pilot Project, the two agencies aim to showcase a new study on developing national strategy and designing pilot project for ferry decarbonization, particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Philippines
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the World Bank Group (WB) are linking up for the decarbonization and modernization of inter-island ferries in the Philippines.
Under the Interisland Ferry Decarbonization Pilot Project, the two agencies aim to showcase a new study on developing national strategy and designing pilot project for ferry decarbonization, particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Philippines, MARINA said in a statement.
The conduct of the pilot project is one of the recommendations under a study on the improvement of safety and energy efficiency in domestic ferries by the WB and the International Maritime Organization.
In a recent kickoff meeting and workshop for the project, MARINA deputy administrator for operations Nannette Dinopol expressed the agency’s full support for the project and looks forward for the study to provide practical and technical recommendations towards modernization and decarbonization of ships.
WB Philippines transport program coordinator John Richardson expressed his appreciation to the Japanese and Australian governments for their support, and acknowledged the crucial role of Philippine government agencies and maritime stakeholders.
Australian Embassy in the Philippines Second Secretary Alex Sodomaco said decarbonizing the ferry system is not just an environmental imperative but it is a necessity for the health of communities and ecosystem.
During the meeting, tackled were findings and recommendations of a freight flow model, as well as capacity building workshop for ferry demand assessment and model.
Modernization and expansion of the domestic shipping industry and promotion of environmentally sustainable maritime industry are part of MARINA’s Maritime Industry Development Plan 2028, which aims to achieve a nationally-integrated and globally competitive Philippine maritime industry by 2028.
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