IMO Launches Blue Solutions for Southeast Asia Decarbonization
IMO's new Blue Solutions project backs port and vessel decarbonization across six Southeast Asian countries through 2031.
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New Project Targets Port-Level Decarbonization
IMO has announced Blue Solutions, a project to support maritime decarbonization in Southeast Asia, at the 51st meeting of the ASEAN Maritime Transport Working Group (MTWG) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, held on 20–21 October 2026. The announcement was carried by Hellenic Shipping News, citing IMO.
Partner on delivery is Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), alongside six countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.
IMO and PEMSEA had launched a preparatory phase for Blue Solutions, funded by IKI, with a regional kick-off meeting on 28 June 2021, according to IMO.
Focus on Ports and Practical Deployment
Ports, and the part they could play in cutting shipping emissions, are the project’s main focus. IMO says Blue Solutions will help the partner countries assess and demonstrate options such as port and vessel electrification, cleaner technologies and operational improvements.
It is also meant to support greenhouse gas baselines and national action plans, and to build capacity, partnerships and knowledge-sharing in the region.
Funding and Timeline
Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI) is funding the project. Phase 1 has an initially approved budget of EUR 5.9 million, and the project is expected to run until January 2031.
IKI said the shift to low-carbon shipping gives Southeast Asia an important opportunity to strengthen its maritime competitiveness and contribute to global climate goals, and that it was supporting “practical, country-driven action.”
PEMSEA Executive Director Aimee Gonzales said ports are critical nodes linking shipping, energy systems, industry and nearby communities. In her view, pairing IMO’s decarbonization expertise with PEMSEA’s integrated coastal management experience, including green port development, gives a chance to support locally driven solutions with benefits inside ports and across the wider transport system.
Jose Matheickal, who directs IMO’s Technical Cooperation and Implementation Division, said decarbonization depends on strong partnerships and that Blue Solutions brings governments, ports, industry and development partners together to find practical solutions and build local capacity.
Part of a Wider Programme
Blue Solutions sits within IMO’s GreenVoyage2050 Programme and will use its technical expertise and networks, alongside other work on maritime decarbonization in developing countries. IMO says the aim is to help ports move from ambition to implementation and to create conditions for investment and the deployment of low-emission solutions.
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