Senior government officials at this year’s Hong Kong Maritime Week set out a detailed vision for how the city aims to anchor emerging green fuel supply chains and strengthen its influence in global rule making.
Liu Chun San, Undersecretary for Transport and Logistics, said at an International Maritime Organization seminar that the territory is preparing for its first methanol bunkering operation and is now assessing how to support green ammonia and hydrogen. He stated that the 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy ‘defines a clear pathway for global shipping to achieve net-zero emissions by or around 2050’ and noted that Hong Kong intends to remain aligned with that objective.
The Undersecretary highlighted Hong Kong’s early introduction of a green incentive linked to the Carbon Intensity Indicator. Ships on the Hong Kong Shipping Registry with an A or B rating can receive a financial reward. By the end of September, 963 ships of 5,000 gross tonnes or more had qualified. He added that Hong Kong implemented legislation in January to govern the safe handling and bunkering of alternative fuels, which has already supported the first liquefied natural gas bunkering operation and the expansion of biodiesel and LNG services.
A separate incentive, the Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering Incentive Scheme introduced in June, aims to encourage first movers to initiate bunkering operations for new fuels. Officials argue that the combination of regulatory clarity and financial support is accelerating industry uptake.
John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, told delegates at the World Maritime Merchants Forum that ‘Hong Kong’s role as a stable, reliable, and dynamic maritime hub has never been more vital’. He stressed that the city offers a low tax regime, free port status and open flows of capital and information. Hong Kong ranked fourth globally for the sixth consecutive year in the International Shipping Centre Development Index.
Much of the government’s strategy depends on harnessing demand from international operators while aligning with China’s growing green fuels industry. Liu said Hong Kong benefits from access to competitively priced green maritime fuels produced on the mainland and from its position as the seventh largest bunkering hub globally. He argued that these factors provide a strong foundation for the development of a green fuel trading ecosystem.
The push is backed by Beijing. Officials stressed that Hong Kong’s evolution into a green maritime hub is ‘staunchly supported by the Central Government’ and fits into broader initiatives, including the Belt and Road framework and the development of the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Greater Bay Area.
Leung Chun-ying, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, urged Hong Kong to expand its function as a ‘super connector’ between mainland China and international markets. He argued that the city should deepen cooperation and invest in technology to become ‘an origin and incubator for new global shipping rules and emerging maritime industries’.
Additional measures under development include a rail sea land river intermodal transport network to improve access to inland cargo flows and the establishment of formal partnerships with mainland and Belt and Road ports. These are intended to complement plans for a future green shipping corridor.
As digitalisation accelerates, Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization, reminded industry leaders that new fuels and technologies will demand extensive upskilling. He emphasised that seafarers must be equipped to manage the operational and safety challenges of low carbon vessels.
Hong Kong’s officials remain confident that the market momentum behind decarbonisation will continue. Despite uncertainty around the IMO’s Net Zero Framework, Liu said the international green consensus ‘remains unshakable’. The strategy suggests that it aims not only to supply cleaner fuels but also to shape the standards, services and financial structures that will underpin the next phase of maritime decarbonisation.
