Project Cerulean

In November 2018, the University of the South Pacific (USP) and CNCo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to conduct feasibility studies for the design costs and plan for new generation ships for the Pacific region which is committed to low carbon sea transport.

Under the MOU, Project Cerulean aims to develop a new class of small cargo freighter, which, once proven to be commercially viable to operate, can be scaled up in numbers to provide a cost-effective solution for currently marginalised communities in the PICT. In the immediate term, the project aims to design, build and trial a low carbon Project Ship to service the PICT in partnership with the Micronesian Centre for Sustainable Transport (MCST).

PICTs are almost wholly reliant on sea transport for essential imports and other vital transfer of people and goods. Sea transport, especially at the domestic level, has always presented a particularly difficult issue for PICT to find long-term, sustainable, cost-viable solutions for periods of low energy costs.

Both CNCo and USP will operate and monitor the project's performance for two years from launching and delivery into the project post sea trials to prove the commercial viability of the Project Ship.

Project phases include:

• Phase 1
  Research project feasibility and technical design review phase:
  collate data on the likely routes and cargoes to be served by the Project Ship, and then apply these to optimise the modified design and costings. Estimated at 12 months.


• Phase 2(a)
  Final design and construction phase.
  After completion of Phase 1, and assuming a favourable assessment as to the Project Ship's viability, building a 'proof of concept' prototype of the ship, to demonstrate local scalability.


• Phase 2(b):
  Operations in pilot phase:
  After completion of Phase 2(a), two years of operations and acting as a research platform in various scenarios in the Pacific Ocean. These two years of operations and acting as a research platform are meant for the Project Ship to demonstrate the technology to provide real world data on its performance and ability, with each task informing the work of the next.

Phase 1 started mid-2019 and is expected to be completed by the end of June 2020.

This project is aligned with CNCoTHRIVE ambitions in the areas of:

• Pursuing a long-term goal of decarbonisation and optimising energy efficiency;
• Using natural resources and systems responsibly and sustainably;
• Connecting with and empowering the local communities that we touch;
• Offering services to enable our stakeholders to live more sustainably;

The project aims to address the following Sustainable Development Goals:

11 Sustainable Cities and Communities;
12 Responsible Consumption and Production, and;
13 Climate Action.

Photo top of page: Franceso Ungaro on Unsplash