Maritime Minister, , is in Wales today (5 April
2024) to kickstart the bidding process for the £1.5 million
funding aimed at establishing zero emission shipping routes to
and from the UK. This
pot aims to develop cleaner journeys for passengers and freight,
create new jobs and boost the economy.
The fifth round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration
Competition (CMDC5) will
support feasibility studies focused on accelerating the
development of ‘green corridors'. These studies will map out
infrastructure required along the routes to enable vessels to
access green fuels and power charging systems, as well as look at
further regulations required to push the industry
towards decarbonisation. Importantly, it aims to achieve our net
zero commitments without imposing additional costs to
taxpayers by finding ways to adapt the costs of green fuels,
to bring down the costs in future.
If successful, it will bring about zero emission shipping
routes connecting the UK to the Netherlands, Norway,
Denmark, and Ireland – creating opportunities for the sector to
thrive, both economically and environmentally.
Maritime Minister, Lord Davies, said:
By investing in zero emission routes to and from
the UK, we are not only
creating a greener sector, but are also laying the groundwork for
long-term sustainability, creating jobs and bolstering economic
growth.
This is a major milestone in UK's pledge to keep our waters clean –
with this funding aiming to support the creation of international
zero emission routes by the mid-2020s.
Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Minister of Climate and Environment,
Norway, said:
The UK and Norway
have longstanding relations on shipping, and with the initiative
taken by the UK on
the Clydebank Declaration in 2021, we have cooperated closely on
the development of green shipping corridors. I am very pleased
that we will now see the beginning of green shipping corridors
between our two countries and look forward to contributing with
support through our green shipping programme.
Since the CMDC funding was
first announced, during London International Shipping
Week in 2023, the number of partner countries has increased
and now includes the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Ireland.
This is progressing the UK's commitment at COP26 where
the UK led
the Clydebank Declaration for
Green Shipping Corridors – a ground-breaking global
initiative to develop zero emission shipping routes between
ports.
Today's funding comes from the wider £206 million UK Shipping Office for Reducing
Emissions (UK SHORE)
programme, announced in March 2022. Ireland and the
Netherlands will provide match-funding for organisations in their
countries, while Denmark and Norway will provide other
contributions through access to information and facilitation of
collaboration.
The UK-Ireland
competition will open for bids on 15 April 2024 and
the UK-Netherlands
competition will open for bids shortly after on
3 June 2024. Both countries will provide match funding
of £430,000. The competitions and procurements will be
managed by delivery partner Innovate UK.
Jesse Fahnestock, Director of Decarbonisation at Global Maritime
Forum, said:
The UK has been a
leading voice in promoting green shipping corridors. Today's
announcement is a positive example of governments taking
coordinated action to support the implementation of green
corridors, which will be key to unlocking their potential. We
look forward to seeing how the initiative contributes to
shipping's move to zero emission fuels this decade and inspires
further action by national governments on international shipping
decarbonisation.
Rhett Hatcher, CEO of
the UK Chamber of
Shipping, said:
Green corridors provide a meaningful contribution to
decarbonising the shipping industry and this funding will help
advance them from concept to reality. The UK Chamber of Shipping is committed
to working with partners to activate green corridors as soon and
as widely as possible.
To be most impactful we need to look at the broadest range of
fuels and technologies, including those that are available today
and those that may become available in the future. Additionally,
we must ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place
along the corridor, port to port.
Mike Biddle, Executive Director of Innovate UK, said:
Innovate UK is
proud to be delivering the International Green Corridor Fund
for DfT –
these bilateral research collaborations are an important step to
make green shipping corridors a reality. The required technology
and system developments cannot happen in isolation, which is why
I'm pleased to see pioneering cooperation between
the UK and our
maritime neighbours.
Mark Simmonds, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the
British Ports Association, said:
Green corridors will be an important vehicle for shipping's
transition to net zero. UK ports are ambitious when it comes
to decarbonising their own operations and supporting the shipping
industry in its journey to net zero. This new funding will help
join up efforts across the globe and we are excited to see the
initiatives that will grow from it.
