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The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union (EU) have launched a joint project that is aimed at promoting fuel-efficient technologies and operations for ships with a call for formal expressions of interest (EOI) to host centres to promote cooperation in the field of maritime technology.

The project, entitled 'Capacity Building for Climate Change Mitigation in the Maritime Shipping Industry', will see five Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs) established, one in each of five target regions - Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific - to form a global network.

The MTCCs are to receive allocations from the EUR 10 million European Union funding for the project.

In a statement, IMO explained that the MTCCs "will be established and resourced to become centres of excellence, providing leadership in promoting ship energy-efficiency technologies and operations, and the reduction of harmful emissions from ships".

"Each MTCC will be hosted by an existing organization (or consortium of organizations) with credible standing in its region, considerable engagement with industry and government, a track record of regional outreach and the ability to provide the MTCC with in-kind hosting support such as office space, as well as related logistical support."

IMO is inviting organizations located in the target regions with the capacity to set up MTCCs to submit an expression of interest to IMO by May 15, 2016.

The selection process will consist of three steps:

1) Call for expressions of interest;
2) Due diligence missions to short-listed entities; and
3) Call for full proposals.

The five organizations whose bids are successful will go on to host MTCCs with initial funding support from the project. They will enter into a contract with IMO to deliver mutually-agreed project milestones over a three-year period.

IMO says that the project will enable developing countries in the target regions to effectively implement energy-efficiency measures through technical assistance and capacity building.

Once operational, IMO says the MTCCs will act as focal points to:

- improve capability in the region by working with maritime administrations, port authorities, other relevant government departments and related shipping stakeholders, to facilitate compliance with international regulations on energy efficiency for ships;

- promote the uptake of low-carbon technologies and operations in the maritime sector through the implementation of pilot projects;

- raise awareness about policies, strategies and measures for the reduction of GHG and other emissions from the maritime transport sector;

- establish a pilot-scale system for data collection and reporting on ships' fuel consumption to improve shipowners' and maritime administrations' understanding in this regard; and

- develop and implement strategies to sustain the impact of MTCC results and activities beyond the project time-line.