Kenya to host multi-billion Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre for Africa
Kenya has been chosen to host a multi-billion Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre for Africa, beating South Africa, Ghana and Namibia which had also shown interest. The bids by International Maritime Organization, a UN agency which regulates shipping, were opened in April. The centre will promote co-operation in maritime technology.
Dec 12, 2016: Kenya has been chosen to host a multi-billion Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre for Africa, beating South Africa, Ghana and Namibia which had also shown interest. The bids by International Maritime Organization, a UN agency which regulates shipping, were opened in April. The centre will promote co-operation in maritime technology.
Kenya presented the bid through a consortium of organisations consisting of the Kenya Maritime Authority, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and the Kenya Ports Authority. KMA acting director-general Cosmas Cherop said the centres will be hosted at KMA’s Regional Maritime Rescue Centre located the KPA and JKUAT Mombasa campus.
“The MTCC will be established and resourced to become a centre of excellence, providing leadership in promoting ship energy-efficiency technologies and operations, and the reduction of harmful emissions from ships,” Cherop said in a statement. The centre in Kenya will be one of the five centres to be established worldwide. Others will be established in Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific.
The centres, a joint IMO-European Union project, are aimed at building capacity for climate change mitigation in the maritime shipping industry.According to the IMO, the centres will receive €10 million (about Sh1.09 billion) funding from the EU. The IMO said selection in the target regions was done competitively. “Winning organisations and consortium of organisations had to have credible standing in their regions, considerable engagement with industry and government,” IMO said.
