WPCAP joins IAPH to boost decarbonisation efforts

The World Ports Climate Action Program (WPCAP) will merge into the IAPH Climate and Energy Committee, strengthening global decarbonisation efforts and accelerating sustainable fuel initiatives.

WPCAP joins IAPH to boost decarbonisation efforts

The announcement was made at the IAPH 2024 World Ports Conference, held on 8-10 October in Hamburg, Germany.

Established in 2018, WPCAP brought together major ports including Rotterdam, Antwerp-Bruges, Barcelona, and Los Angeles, to advance emission reduction and sustainable fuel adoption strategies.

As of January 2025, WPCAP’s initiatives will be fully absorbed into the IAPH committee. This merger aims to streamline resources and foster collaboration between large and small ports in addressing climate challenges.

WPCAP’s efforts have focused on promoting renewable energy for ships, encouraging the development of low-carbon fuels, and advancing decarbonisation efforts in port operations.

One of WPCAP’s notable contributions has been the development of the Port Readiness Level for Marine Fuels (PRL-MF) self-assessment tool, launched digitally during the IAPH 2024 World Ports Conference.

This tool allows ports to evaluate their readiness for bunkering operations with low- and zero-carbon fuels. It provides a structured framework for ports to assess and communicate their progress in research, development, and deployment of sustainable fuel technologies.

The PRL-MF tool is fuel-agnostic and offers a roadmap to help ports identify areas requiring further investment and collaboration, supporting a global shift towards cleaner energy. By fostering transparent communication between ports, ship operators, and other stakeholders, it ensures the maritime industry can meet future environmental targets.

The integration of WPCAP’s work into IAPH reinforces the global commitment to achieving these ambitious goals.

IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven commented on the integration: “We look forward to the pooling of resources within the IAPH Climate and Energy Technical Committee which will further focus inclusive efforts of both large and small ports worldwide on industry decarbonisation.

“We shall continue to aim at ensuring all ports have the necessary tools and safety procedures to accelerate power to ship solutions at berth, facilitate port calls by ships using new fuels, enable port to select bunkering operators effectively and standardise bunkering protocols, terminal readiness and future ship-to-shore alternative fuel cargo transfer standards across the industry.”