The Ministry of Energy in Chile and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping today announced a formal agreement to establish a network of green corridors allowing for green maritime transportation of goods in and out of Chile. The project will include direct support from the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The joint project is called Chilean Green Corridors Network and was announced during the Our Ocean Conference hosted by the governments of the Republic of Palau and the United States in Palau with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry.
“We need large-scale projects like green corridors to take the decarbonization of the maritime industry from theory to actual demonstration of production, supply and use of alternative fuels in the ports,” declared Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO of Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. “Only this way will we align on standards and obtain the experience and knowledge we need to scale solutions fast enough to meet the end target of net-zero in 2050.”
First project step will comprise the mapping and assessment of the most promising green corridors in the region, based on emission intensity, fuel availability, distance to ports, vessel segments, routes and cargo types, among other relevant aspects. This work will be completed in 2022, and it will pave the way for the deployment of selected green corridors in the coming years.
The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping will lead the pre-feasibility study in close collaboration with representatives from the Chilean Government, engaging relevant stakeholders which operate in the end-to-end value chain associated with the corridors. The aim is to drive the formation of consortia among these stakeholders, who hold the potential of fully realizing green corridors.
The Chilean Green Corridors Network demonstrates effective collaboration between private and public sector, which is critical for the maritime decarbonization and to enable the green transition on a global scale. This is well recognized by the Chilean Government and Ministries, who have put forward an ambitious roadmap for decarbonizing not only Chile, but the entire region. Green maritime transportation is central to this strategy as Chile is highly dependent on domestic as well as international maritime transport due to the country’s geography.
In November 2021, the country was among the first to sign the Clydebank Declaration to support the establishment of green shipping corridors. Regional first mover initiatives like the Chilean Green Corridor Network pave the way for a decarbonized maritime industry. Establishing green corridors will not only create a relevant pull for the development of zero carbon marine fuels and technologies – it will also provide the foundation for new, sustainable business models both onshore and offshore, accelerate research and take us one step closer to a global carbon neutral economy.
The announcement comes only a few days after the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping launched the European Green Corridors Network with five progressive European ports (press release available on www.zerocarbonshipping.com). This confirms the Center’s focus on enabling first movers and support collaboration which accelerates the decarbonization of the global maritime industry. (Photo from Ministry of Energy of Chile shows port in Magallanes destined to become part of green corridor network)
