Copenhagen – The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping announced the establishment of the European Green Corridors Network, kickstarting the initiative in close collaboration with the Port Authorities of Hamburg, Gdynia, Roenne, Rotterdam, and Tallinn.

 The project will demonstrate the early commercialization of alternative fuel supply chains, showcase and support first-mover solutions, and create a blueprint for rolling out green corridors in other areas and regions.

 This is a vital step towards decarbonizing the shipping industry and meeting the EU’s 2030 climate ambitions, said Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO of the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping.

To achieve this, a phased approach by the partners has been planned:

Pre-feasibility: Identify the potential routes, vessel types and fuels to establish high impact green corridors in the region.

Feasibility: Assess the technical, regulatory & commercial feasibility of the shortlisted routes. 

Implementation: Implement the vision and establish green corridors in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea.

Additional public and private stakeholders will be onboarded along the way, activating the full value chain needed to realize the vision. Green corridors have been recognized as a key enabler for shipping’s transition, and the consortium partners are proud to announce this initiative, which directly supports the Clydebank Declaration announced during the COP-26 climate summit in Glasgow last November.

“Until recently, the maritime sector was the only transport sector in the EU not subject to greenhouse gas emission reduction targets,” explains Valdo Kalm, CEO of Port of Tallinn. “We must all work together to reduce CO2 emissions. To achieve maritime sector decarbonization, zero-emission fuels and vessels must be deployed at scale over the next decade. It is undoubtedly a difficult task, but it can be aided by the formation of green corridors in which major ports provide the necessary zero-carbon fuels at the required scale for bunkering.”

 “It’s essential that shipping lines take the initiative to decarbonize their businesses, and that the ports assist them, for instance by making sure the right bunker infrastructure and regulations are in place in time,” said Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

The Northern Europe project follows the announcement of a partnership of cities, ports, shipping companies, and cargo owners to create the first-of-its-kind green shipping corridor between Shanghai and Los Angeles. The project, which includes shipping majors Maersk, CMA CGM, and COSCO Shipping Lines, calls for a plan by the end of 2022 and beginning the transition to zero-carbon fueled ships by 2030 for commercial shipping on one of the busiest ocean shipping routes in the world. (Photo Erik Bakker/Port of Rotterdam)