UK backs green shipping corridor projects with fresh funding

The UK Government has decided to award funds for new green shipping corridor projects that could boost the use of sustainable fuels, secure more green jobs, and advance environmentally friendly travel within Europe.

Green corridors are zero-emission maritime routes between two or more ports. The UK led the development of green corridors through the launch of the Clydebank Declaration at COP26.

Maritime Minister Mike Kane revealed that new projects will receive funds to develop future routes, including the Port of Tyne to the Port of Ijmuiden (Netherlands) and the Port of Holyhead to the Port of Dublin.   

The Department for Transport (DfT) is also financing the development of green shipping routes from the UK to Norway and Denmark, while the organizations that will lead these are soon to be announced.

The officials said that up to £8 million of funding will be given to 30 projects across the UK to accelerate plans to develop smart technologies, such as autonomous systems, AI, robotics, and sensors.   

They also noted that the world’s first ‘green shipping corridors’ are to be created between the UK and Europe, accessing prime destinations like Amsterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen and Dublin.

“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,” Minister Kane said.

“These new corridors could turbocharge the use of sustainable fuels, secure the green jobs of the future and advance environmentally friendly travel to major European capitals like Amsterdam and Dublin.”

“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,” Matt Beeton, CEO of the Port of Tyne, stated.

“We’re delighted to have been awarded this funding to explore establishing the first ‘green corridor’ between Wales and Ireland. Stena Line aims to be a leader in sustainability in the industry and we look forward to collaborating with our partners to assess the infrastructure needs in Holyhead Port to support a fossil free shipping corridor to Dublin Port, working together with both ferry operators,” Ian Davies, Head of UK Port Authorities at Stena Line, commented.

“Like so many industries, the maritime sector is under immense pressure to decarbonise its transport and process methods. Innovate UK is proud to be a key delivery partner for DfT’s UK SHORE programme, which provides a unique platform for innovators and collaborators to demonstrate real-world solutions to some of the sector’s most pressing challenges,” Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, added.

This latest round of funding comes from the £206 million UK SHORE program which is focused on decarbonizing the UK maritime sector through tech innovation.