The UK is investing in ‘greener’ sea travel by funding the development of new shipping routes only open to ‘zero emission’ vessels.
To this end, up to 9 million GBP is being made available to decarbonise the shipping industry and help develop green jobs in the sector.
The proposed routes will benefit passengers wanting to access popular international destinations such as Amsterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen and Dublin. They will also benefit commerce if shipping companies choose to operate along these routes. This would make international shipping of goods more environmentally friendly.
To get these green shipping corridors under way, the UK’s Maritime Minister Mike Kane on 17 Oct 2024 announced the new projects that will receive funds to develop them, including the Port of Tyne to the Port of Ilmuiden in the Netherlands and the Port of Holyhead to the Port of Dublin.
Additionally, the UK’s DfT is funding the development of green shipping corridors to both Noway and Denmark. The organisations that will lead these will be announced shortly.
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.
These new corridors could turbocharge the use of sustainable fuels, secure the green job of the future and advance environmentally friendly travel to major European capitals like Amsterdam and Dublin.
The funding comes from the fifth round of the government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC5), which aims at driving ‘innovative’ solutions and new technologies to decarbonise the industry as well as grow the economy.
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.
Ian Davies, Head of UK Port Authorities at Stena Line, said he was delighted to have been awarded funding to “explore establishing” the first green corridor between Wales and Ireland.
He said: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.
During a visit to the Port of Tyne, the Maritime Minister announced a further 8 million GBP of match funding for up to 30 projects across the UK aimed at accelerating plans to develop smart tech such as autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, robotics and sensors.
