EVE BURNS
The newest state of the art sailing cargo-passenger vessel added to Marshall Islands fleet is none other than the SV Juren Ae, which was welcomed home last Wednesday.
Witnessing the arrival of the Juren Ae were President Hilda Heine, and a lineup of VIPs and general public. Leading the welcoming ceremony was Shipping Corporation’s Kroselina Wase.
Built on South Korea’s Geoje Island using cutting-edge design concepts, the SV Juren Ae is a low-carbon cargo and training ship.
This project was funded by the German government’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection through the International Climate Initiative and is being carried out by Germany’s International Aid Cooperation agency known as GIZ, along with a number of national and international partners like the Ministry of Transport, the Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation, and University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer in Germany.
The project intends to make the region’s maritime transportation more energy efficient.
During the welcoming ceremony, Minister of Transport Hilton Kendall conveyed his gratitude and excitement for the arrival of the vessel. “This ship is more than simply a ship,” he said. “It represents the Marshall Islands’ sustainable marine transportation, a ray of hope, and a vital component of maritime education and training. An important turning point in our attempts to move towards a sustainable, energy-efficient future has been reached with the arrival of the SV Juren Ae.”
“A major milestone of the bilateral partnership between Germany and the Marshall Islands is achieved with the arrival of SV Juren Ae in her homeport Majuro,” said Raffael Held, Project Director at GIZ, stressing the wider significance of this achievement.
By utilizing renewable resources such as wind and solar energy, the vessel will significantly reduce the Marshall Islands’ dependence on imported fossil fuels, leading to substantial economic and environmental benefits.