PIL, PSA and DNV Launch Singapore Land-Sea Service to Cut Scope 3 Shipping Emissions

PIL, PSA International, and DNV have launched a joint land-sea green value-added service in the Port of Singapore that gives cargo owners and shippers a verifiable pathway to reduce Scope 3 emissions across port, shipping, and logistics operations. The service, which formally launched in April under a memorandum of understanding first signed in 2025, will allow customers to allocate carbon reductions generated through the use of lower-carbon fuels across multiple modes of transport, with trials scheduled to begin in May.

 

Structure of the New Land-Sea Service

 

The service has been designed to operate across the full transhipment chain rather than focusing on a single segment of the logistics value chain. By combining the operational capabilities of a major container liner, a global terminal operator, and an independent verification body, the initiative provides shippers and cargo owners with a single mechanism to track and reduce Scope 3 emissions, the third-party greenhouse gas emissions generated upstream and downstream within their supply chain. The cross-segment scope is significant because Scope 3 emissions are typically the largest and most fragmented part of a corporate carbon footprint, and shippers have historically struggled to access verified data on emissions associated with port-side and inland legs of cargo movement.

 

Carbon Allocation and Insetting Mechanism

 

At the core of the service is a carbon allocation mechanism that lets emissions reductions generated through lower-carbon fuels be assigned across multiple transport modes, including shipping, port operations, and inland logistics. PIL chief commercial officer Lionel Patrice Chatelet has framed the initiative around carbon insetting, an approach that aims to embed emissions reductions within a company's own value chain rather than rely on external offsets. The insetting framing is commercially relevant because it ties emissions reductions directly to operational activities that customers are already paying for, which strengthens the integrity of the reduction claims and aligns them more closely with corporate sustainability reporting requirements such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and emerging regulatory disclosure frameworks.

 

PIL's Position in Alternative Fuel Tonnage

 

PIL is one of the leading container shipowners investing in alternative fuel-capable tonnage. The Singapore-based operator controls more than 300,000 TEU across 100 vessels serving 500 locations globally, with operations spanning Africa, the Americas, and Asia. In October, PIL took delivery of Kota Orkid, the fourth vessel in its series of 8,200 TEU LNG dual-fuel O-Class container ships, which became the eighth LNG-powered vessel in its fleet. Before the end of the decade, the company is set to add 12 more LNG dual-fuel vessels from China's Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, comprising five 13,000 TEU vessels with deliveries starting in late 2026 and seven 9,000 TEU vessels with deliveries from 2027. That tonnage profile positions PIL as a credible source of fuel-based emissions reductions that can be allocated through the new service.

 

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PSA's Global Terminal Network

 

PSA International contributes a global terminal footprint that extends the reach of the service well beyond Singapore. Its portfolio includes more than 70 deep-sea, rail, and inland terminals across more than 180 locations in 45 countries, anchored by flagship port operations in Singapore and Belgium. The breadth of PSA's network is commercially relevant because port-side emissions, including those associated with terminal equipment, vessel turnaround time, and inland connectivity, are an important component of the overall Scope 3 footprint of cargo movements. PSA group head of operations, technology, and sustainability Eddy Ng has positioned the collaboration as a contribution to the decarbonisation of maritime supply chains and to Singapore's positioning as a hub for sustainable maritime and low-carbon energy solutions.

 

DNV's Role in Data Verification

 

DNV is providing the verification backbone for the service, drawing on its digital capabilities to facilitate standardised data flows and independent verification for maritime emissions data. The class society's involvement is structurally important because Scope 3 emissions claims are vulnerable to credibility challenges if the underlying data is not standardised, traceable, and independently verified. Mikkel Skou, executive director of Veracity by DNV, has framed the initiative as an example of how a trusted data ecosystem can deliver value across the maritime value chain when shipowners, ports, and cargo stakeholders are connected through standardised, verifiable information. The independent verification layer is what differentiates the service from purely commercial sustainability claims by individual operators.

 

Singapore as a Maritime Decarbonisation Hub

 

The launch reinforces Singapore's positioning as a leading hub for maritime decarbonisation, building on the country's established roles in bunkering, ship management, and maritime finance. The combination of one of the world's largest container ports, a major regional liner operator, and a globally recognised verification body operating under a coordinated framework gives Singapore a differentiated proposition for cargo owners with sustainability commitments. The country has been steadily expanding its low-carbon fuel infrastructure, including methanol and ammonia readiness, and integrated services such as this strengthen the commercial case for routing cargo through Singapore where emissions accountability is becoming a competitive factor.

 

Implications for Cargo Owners and Shippers

 

For cargo owners and shippers, the service introduces a structured pathway to act on Scope 3 emissions in a domain where credible reduction options have historically been limited. Many large corporate shippers face increasing pressure from investors, regulators, and downstream customers to demonstrate measurable progress on supply chain emissions, and access to verified emissions reductions tied to specific cargo movements is becoming a meaningful differentiator. The ability to allocate reductions across shipping, port, and inland operations also allows shippers to align their carbon accounting with the commercial reality of multimodal logistics, rather than treating each segment of the journey in isolation.

 

Outlook for Multi-Stakeholder Decarbonisation Models

 

The PIL, PSA, and DNV initiative reflects a broader trend in which decarbonisation in shipping is moving from single-operator initiatives toward multi-stakeholder service models that integrate vessel operators, port operators, and verification bodies. As regulatory frameworks such as the EU Emissions Trading System, FuelEU Maritime, and the IMO's Net-Zero Framework discussions tighten the requirements on shipping emissions, the value of verifiable, allocatable carbon reductions will continue to grow. The Singapore launch provides one of the first operational templates for how such multi-party services can be structured at scale, and its performance through the upcoming trial phase will be closely watched by other ports, liner operators, and class societies considering similar arrangements in other major trade hubs.