The IMO’s Global MTCC Network (GMN) of regional maritime technology cooperation centres, which aims to supports maritime decarbonisation in developing countries, has been extended to March 2022.
The extension of the timeframe for the initiative will allow the centres in different parts of the world to continue their decarbonisation pilot projects and training as they work towards financial sustainability in the longer term.
The GMN Project was launched in 2017 by IMO and is funded by the European Union, supporting the implementation of the Initial IMO Strategy for the reduction of GHG emissions from shipping.
The four Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) – based in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific – have gone on to establish regional networks with technical expertise in the field of maritime energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, and have undertaken a range of pilot projects, completed port energy audits and established branch offices in three countries.
The pilot projects range from data collection to installation of solar power on two ferries in the Pacific. MTCC Caribbean has developed an online training programme for Maritime Energy Management and the Implementation of MARPOL Annex VI, while MTCC Asia has developed an e-learning course on energy efficiency.
In the first quarter of 2021, activities included regional maritime technology conferences and exhibitions for the Caribbean and Africa; an MTCC-Africa sulphur limit implementation workshop organised in collaboration with the World Maritime University (WMU) and Danish Maritime; and a regional ship technology conference organised by MTCC-Asia.
