The government is to set guidelines for providing alternative fuels at major seaports in response to a European policy requiring inbound sea vessels to reduce carbon emissions, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday.
The EU Emissions Trading System is introducing a carbon border adjustment mechanism on certain high-emission imported goods, which is to take effect next year. Under the policy, importers must purchase carbon certificates and make financial adjustments based on the emissions of the imported products.
Since January last year, importers in the EU have been required to measure and report their embedded emissions.
Photo: Tsai Yun-jung, Taipei Times
The International Maritime Organization has postponed a vote on carbon-reduction measures until October next year due to opposition from the major oil exporters, the Maritime and Port Bureau said.
Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Kuo-hsien (林國顯) told a maritime forum in Taipei that it would be difficult to comprehensively electrify shipping services.
Aside from upgrading sea vessels, providing alternative energy and fuels, and purchasing carbon allowances would be necessary to ensure Taiwanese shipping service operators meet carbon-emission standards stipulated by the EU, Lin said.
Before the end of this year, the Maritime and Port Bureau, Taiwan International Ports Corp and CR Classification Society are to incorporate production, installation and supply guidelines for alternative fuels into the regulations governing the management of seaports and ships, he said.
Alternative fuels in the maritime industry include liquefied natural gas, methanol, ammonia and hydrogen fuels.
As part of carbon-reduction measures, Taiwanese shipping companies Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp, Evergreen Marine Corp and Wan Hai Lines have purchased more than 90 dual-fuel ships, accounting for nearly one-third of their shipping fleets, bureau Director-General Yeh Hsieh-lung (葉協隆) said.
CPC Corp, Taiwan has produced B24 biofuel for shipping operators, which is available at the Port of Keelung on a trial basis, Yeh said.
“The advantage of B24 is that it can be directly blended and used by ships, and ship operators do not need to change engines,” he said.
The bureau has set up a platform for fuel suppliers and shipping operators with the goal of supplying alternative fuels at the nation’s seaports, he said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
RSS