The Shipping Legislation (Use of Fuels and Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2024 will be published in the Gazette this Friday (July 5) to amend the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) Ordinance (Cap. 548) and four pieces of subsidiary legislation to facilitate the use of new fuels by vessels in Hong Kong.
As announced in the Action Plan on Maritime and Port Development Strategy promulgated in 2023, in order to consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's position as an international maritime centre, the Government is committed to developing the city into a green maritime fuel bunkering centre and promoting the use of more environmentally friendly new fuels with less or zero carbon emissions.
The Bill refines the existing legislation to cater for the safe use of new fuels such as liquefied natural gas and methanol by vessels, taking into account the nature and characteristics of new fuels which are different from traditional marine petroleum fuels.
A spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, "Further to the Green Incentive Scheme for eligible Hong Kong-registered ships introduced on June 28, the Bill is another demonstration of the Government's effort and resolution in developing Hong Kong into a green port. We look forward to continuing to work with the maritime industry to ride the tide of maritime decarbonisation and strive to meet the International Maritime Organization's target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by or around 2050."
The Panel on Economic Development of the Legislative Council, as well as the Local Vessels Advisory Committee and the Port Operations Committee of the Marine Department, have been consulted. Members supported the proposal.
The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council on July 10.
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