Australia’s Port Authority of NSW joins Blue Visby Consortium

Australia’s Port Authority of New South Wales has joined the Blue Visby Consortium, a multilateral platform that aims to reduce international shipping carbon emissions by potentially 15 percent.

According to Philip Holliday, Port Authority of NSW CEO, Blue Visby provides a unique platform that optimizes ships’ arrival times at their destination by eliminating the practice of “Sail Fast, then Wait” which can significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

“Supporting the Blue Visby Consortium by participating in this pilot program for visiting ships to the Port of Newcastle reinforces our commitment to working collaboratively with the maritime and shipping sector on a global solution to reduce carbon emissions,” Holliday commented.

The port authority has its own port management system, pilotage and vessel control services that manage the efficient movement of shipping.

“While we are very proud of the efficiency benefits of our own Port Management System by joining this pilot program, we will be helping the development of a system that could see the reduction of shipping emissions along the entirety of a ship’s voyage, which can be thousands of nautical miles,” Holliday explained.

Blue Visby entails various components, including advanced digital technology and a new algorithm for arrival times for groups of vessels en route to the same port. It thereby enables ships to reduce their speed and emissions without losing their scheduled arrival time order.

“Essentially, this is achieved by analysing several factors, including the performance of each ship together with conditions such as weather and congestion at the destination. It also relies on stakeholders working together through the sharing of information,” Holliday added.

“We are already embedding sustainability measures across Port Authority and have set the ambitious target to achieve 75 percent reduction in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and be Net Zero by 2040, as well as to collaborate and partner with key stakeholders to investigate ways to reduce our Scope 3 emissions.”

The Blue Visby Consortium continues to grow and comprises over 30 organizations worldwide and is led by Helsinki-based Napa Oy and London-based Stephenson Harwood LLP, experts in their respective fields of maritime technology and maritime law.

Port Authority of New South Wales manages the navigation, security and operational safety needs of commercial shipping in Sydney Harbour, Port Botany, Newcastle Harbour, Port Kembla, Eden and Yamba.