Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat’s visit to Norway and Greece from 29 May to 6 June 2022
Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Transport, and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress, Chee Hong Tat made a visit to Norway and Greece from 29 May to 6 June 2022. SMS Chee was accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
Singapore Pavilion at Posidonia 2022
2. SMS Chee attended the opening ceremony of the Singapore Pavilion as
Guest-of-Honour on 6 June at Posidonia 2022. One of the largest international shipping exhibitions on the global calendar, the 27th Posidonia event was held at the Athens Metropolitan Expo from 6 to 10 June 2022 after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition brought the international community of maritime thought leaders and experts together to discuss pertinent maritime issues such as decarbonisation, digitalisation, and human capital development over high-profile conferences, seminars, and technical workshops.
3. Co-organised by the Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI) and the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), the 203sqm Singapore Pavilion was designed to showcase Singapore’s maritime capabilities and maritime innovations, as well as to facilitate strategic expansion of business networks with international maritime partners for Singapore’s maritime companies. This is the 9thconsecutive staging of the Singapore Pavilion at the biennial event since ASMI and SMF first participated in 2004.
4. Supported by Enterprise Singapore, nine maritime companies from Singapore participated in this year’s tradeshow to showcase the full spectrum of their expertise in shipbuilding and repair, supply of engines and equipment, and provision of shipping solutions. Please refer to Annex A for more information on Exhibitors at the Singapore Pavilion.
Accelerating maritime decarbonisation with Eastern Pacific Shipping
5. Along with the opening of the Singapore Pavilion at Posidonia 2022, SMS Chee also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between MPA and a consortium comprising Eastern Pacific Shipping, Hyundai Heavy Industries, and American Bureau of Shipping.
6. The MOU seeks to review and design ocean-going ammonia dual-fuel gas tankers that will sail under the Singapore Flag. This supports the greening of the Singapore Registry of Ships, one of the key pillars of the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint, in which MPA had set the target of having at least 50% of the SRS fleet to be classified as Green Ships under MPA’s Green Ship Programme by 2050.
Engagement with Maritime Officials and Companies in Norway and Greece
7. In Oslo, SMS Chee met Mr Vidar Ulriksen, State Secretary, Ministry of Trade, Industries and Fisheries, Norway. The meeting reinforced the strong maritime cooperation between both countries. Both sides also exchanged views on how the two Governments can work together to support the transformation of the maritime sector.
8. In Athens, SMS Chee called on Mr Ioannis Plakiotakis, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Greece. Both parties affirmed the strong and longstanding ties between Singapore and Greece as key maritime partners.
9. SMS Chee also met with representatives across the maritime industry value chain including from shipping companies, maritime services and industry associations in Norway and Greece. Norwegian and Greek maritime companies have a significant presence in Singapore, contributing to our economy and providing good jobs for locals. The meetings focused on enhancing maritime collaborations between Singapore and Norway and Greece, in particular Singapore’s commitment to work together with the industry and other entities to spearhead decarbonisation and digitalisation initiatives. The meetings also highlighted the need for the maritime community to better attract and reskill talent for future industry needs.
10. SMS Chee said, “Norway and Greece are important maritime nations with rich heritage, deep expertise, and vibrant entrepreneurship. We value our partnerships with their governments and businesses. The transformation of the global maritime industry through digitalisation and decarbonisation will create new economic opportunities for Maritime Singapore. We can learn from one another and work together to create a greener and better future of the maritime industry.”
SMS Chee at Posidonia 2022