Regulatory Intermediation and Energy Transition Readiness at the Port of Keelung, Taiwan

Abstract

International maritime environmental regulation is changing port sustainability from a predominantly local environmental-management task into a cross-organisational challenge involving vessels, energy systems, terminal operations, logistics customers, public authorities, and port-city communities. This article examines how the International Maritime Organization’s greenhouse-gas framework and the European Union’s FuelEU Maritime regime transmit strategic pressure to the non-EU Port of Keelung in Taiwan. The study develops a qualitative, embedded single-port research design that combines regulatory mapping, documentary analysis, official performance evidence, and a transparent Keelung Port Regulatory–Energy Transition Readiness Index (K-RTRI). The index is a diagnostic instrument rather than an emissions inventory. It assesses five dimensions on a 0–4 ordinal scale: regulatory exposure, infrastructure preparedness, governance and disclosure, operational incentives, and just-transition capacity. Evidence indicates that Keelung has moved beyond general aspiration. Its ESG roadmap, EcoPort engagement, smart-port initiatives, carbon-reduction programme, port-city cooperation, and planned high-voltage shore-power system at East Wharf No. 4 show meaningful institutional mobilisation. At the same time, publicly available evidence remains stronger for plans and implementation outputs than for recurring measurements of electricity delivered, actual shore-power connections, fuel displaced, or verified emissions avoided. The conservative overall K-RTRI score is 2.0 out of 4.0, signalling emerging readiness with a significant implementation and verification gap. The article proposes a management framework based on regulatory anticipation, contracted utilisation of clean-energy infrastructure, tiered green-port services, modular investment, verified data architecture, and a just port-city transition. The central argument is that Keelung’s competitive advantage will depend less on selecting a single future fuel than on building a governance architecture capable of converting regulatory uncertainty into coordinated investment, measurable environmental performance, and socially legitimate port services.