United States and Korean Ports Join Forces to Advance Green Shipping and Maritime Decarbonisation

The Busan Port Authority (BPA), Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), Port of Tacoma (PoT), Port of Seattle (PoS), and Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation and advance maritime decarbonisation initiatives. The agreement aims to enhance green shipping corridors, reduce emissions from port operations, and accelerate the shift to clean marine fuels.

This collaboration builds on three years of joint work between the NWSA and its Korean partners under the US – Korea Green Shipping Corridors Project. The project has been assessing the feasibility of transitioning trade lanes between NWSA ports and Ulsan and Busan to zero- or net-zero (ZNZ) marine fuels, examining fuel demand, supply chain readiness, bunkering infrastructure, safety standards, and overall cost comparisons.

Environmental leaders have praised the initiative. Fern Uennatornwaranggoon, Climate Campaign Ports Director at Pacific Environment, highlighted that electrifying ports and transitioning ships to zero emissions will significantly reduce pollution-related health risks for port communities and workers. Hyunju Kang, Asia Climate Campaign Director, emphasized South Korea’s strong commitment to green shipping targets and its dedication to transforming the maritime sector.

Under the MoU, the ports will cooperate across multiple areas including decarbonisation strategies, reducing in-port emissions, supporting green corridor development, standardising low-carbon fuel adoption, sharing best practices, and exploring opportunities in digitalisation, data sharing, business development, and marketing.