Developing an appropriate route
THE University of the South Pacific's Micronesian Center for Sustainable Transport (MCST) has enlisted regional and global expertise to develop an appropriate route, suitable transport work, and an optimally efficient vessel design profile.
MCST Project Cerulean project officer Andrew Irvin said they had considered a number of domestic and international route options and are engaged with governments in the region to determine the scope of the service and market research needed to conduct phase two.
"The viability of providing improved low-carbon service through a soft-sail cargo vessel is being assessed," he said.
"Throughout this process, the Government of Fiji has been included in consultation and provided with updates to support informed decisionmaking."
A significant component of identifying transport work involves collecting available trade and productivity data, both concerning domestic and international activities.
"This means understanding the domestic cargo and passenger realities under national shipping services and privately-operated lines (where present)," he said.
"It also includes an understanding of jurisdictional and regulatory issues to address with each country involved to facilitate international trade activities. Beyond Fiji, this necessarily includes coordination of biosecurity, customs, and port authorities, shipping commissions, and other national governments."
MCST had been engaged with all parties to prioritise route options.
"In the context of the Cerulean Project, the focus is primarily on cargo services, as given the regulatory allowances for a vessel of the scale expected, we do not expect to permit more than a dozen passengers on-board for any given leg of the route," he said.
"The Cerulean vessel design is expected to be primarily propelled by sails with auxiliary motor thrust, of a scale up to 40 metres and/or 200 gross tonnage.
"However, at all scales, low carbon technology should be explored for Pacific maritime transport operations."
On low carbon shipping, it will require greater fuel efficiency which means both lower carbon emissions and lower costs.
"Reducing dependence on foreign-sourced fossil fuels will improve prospects for affordability on a national level," he said.
He added that low-carbon vessels for outer island service should see reduced operational costs, lowering the thresholds for profitability, and reducing the downstream costs to outer island residents relying on improvements to regular service.