The UK has announced partners that will develop what it says are the world’s first ‘green maritime corridors’ –zero-emission maritime routes–between the UK and Europe, accessing prime destinations like Amsterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen and Dublin. The routes would only be accessible to zero-emission vessels. The program’s goal is to turbocharge the use of sustainable fuels, secure the green jobs of the future and advance environmentally friendly travel to major European capitals.
UK Maritime Minister Mike Kane has announced the projects that will receive funds to develop these future routes, including the Port of Tyne to the Port of IJmuiden (Netherlands) and the Port of Holyhead to the Port of Dublin. The government will invest up to £9 million (roughly USD$11.75 million) to decarbonize shipping.
Matt Beeton, CEO of the Port of Tyne, said, “Today’s funding announcement will support the development of port infrastructure for electrification and the refuelling of state-of-the-art clean powered vessels. This important green infrastructure will ensure that the Port of Tyne and the Port of IJmuiden are supporting decarbonised routes between the North East of England and Europe with the aim of saving up to 850,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.”
The funding comes from the fifth round of the government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC5), which focuses on driving innovative solutions and new technologies to decarbonise the industry and grow the economy.
Ian Davies, Head of UK Port Authorities at Stena Line, said,”We’re delighted to have been awarded this funding to explore establishing the first ‘green corridor’ between Wales and Ireland…. We’re currently working to futureproof our fleet across Europe by investing in new ships and have plans to convert existing ships to be able to operate on alternative fuel. This feasibility study will help us determine the best way forward for our 2 vessels on this key trading route to support our ambitious sustainability goals.”
Maritime Minister, Mike Kane, said, “Shipping is a big contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, so these new green corridors could be a real game changer for industry. This is exactly the direction we need to be going in to achieve our mission of becoming a clean energy superpower. “
The Maritime Minister also announced up to £8 million of match funding for 30 projects across the UK to accelerate plans to develop smart technologies, such as autonomous systems, AI, robotics and sensors to help position the UK as a world leader in maritime decarbonization.
Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, said, “With this year’s round of competitions delivering a host of exciting prospective technologies, from smart shipping drones to methanol-fuelled vessels, UK SHORE looks to accelerate the adoption of these sustainable solutions and help the UK drive towards its net zero targets.”
This latest round of funding comes from the £206 million UK SHORE programme which is focused on decarbonising the UK maritime sector through tech innovation.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is also funding the development of green shipping routes from the UK to Norway and Denmark – the organisations that will lead these are soon to be announced.
