The organisations leading a Green Shipping Corridor connecting the North East with the Netherlands are now laying the foundations for similar corridors to be introduced across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and Europe.
Last November saw the official launch of the Green North Sea Shipping Corridor Project at the Port of Tyne, a project which forms part of a £9m Government investment introduced by Maritime Minister Mike Kane, which will link the Tyne with the Port of IJmuiden in Amsterdam.
The pioneering project into the green corridor – zero emission maritime routes between two or more ports – aims to decarbonise shipping and provide a catalyst for green jobs growth, with the funding going towards port infrastructure for electrification and refuelling of clean power vessels.
The route, including the ferry between the Port of Tyne’s International Passenger Terminal and Amsterdam, is currently served by ageing vessels, but around 850,000 tonnes of CO2 could be saved through the corridor, which is supported by ferry company DFDS, engineering firm Ricardo and maritime logistics specialist KVSA. DFDS is aiming to significantly slash its emissions by moving to methanol-fuelled RoRo/RoPax vessels.
Now the key º£½ÇÊÓƵ and European project partners have come together at the National 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub at the Port of Tyne, to hear progress on the project.
Representatives including the Netherland’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Department for Transport and Innovate º£½ÇÊÓƵ came together to review the results of initial feasibility studies and technical assessments.
Rolph Spaas, partner at Darel Consultancy, presented results of feasibility studies carried out on behalf of the Port of IJmuiden. They confirmed that, with targeted structural and operational adjustments, the Port of IJmuiden can be made ready to accommodate DFDS’s new vessels.
Matthew Moss, principal consultant at Ricardo, also presented findings from its technical workstreams – a session which gave insights into the type and sourcing of the methanol required, as well as the practical steps needed to ensure compliance and readiness across both ports. As a result, the project is now laying the groundwork for wider adoption of green shipping corridors across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and Europe.
The event also explored opportunities for international collaboration, with discussions centred on how lessons learned from this route could support the º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s wider maritime decarbonisation strategy, while contributing to the development of a global network of zero-emission shipping corridors.
Matt Beeton, CEO at the Port of Tyne, said: “It was a real milestone to welcome our project partners, key tenants and customers and other supporters back to the Port of Tyne and share the progress we’ve made in a relatively short space of time, which is testament to the appetite for the project’s successful execution.
“The establishment of a green corridor between the Port of Tyne and the Port of IJmuiden will significantly reduce carbon emissions between the North East of England and mainland Europe, with the potential to save up to 850,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. The insights shared following this feasibility stage highlight the project’s potential to deliver lasting benefits, from green job creation to the development of next-generation port infrastructure for electrification and methanol refuelling. This is only possible through the continued collaboration which was showcased once again at the event.â€
James Lovett, innovation lead, future maritime technologies, Innovate º£½ÇÊÓƵ, said: “We’ve been collaborating with the Department for Transport to fund this project. This has been a fantastic example of the maritime industry coming together across borders to decarbonise shipping routes. The project has done well to draw some fantastic conclusions, and we’re looking forward to seeing the next steps following today’s discussions.â€
Teun Wim Leene, route director DFDs said: “This project is a vital step for the decarbonisation of the Amsterdam–Newcastle route. When we made the decision at our Copenhagen headquarters to invest in new tonnage for Newcastle, we wanted the vessels to be as green as possible. What we’ve seen today is just one part of a much larger project, and the team has done an excellent job delivering it. It starts with Amsterdam–Newcastle, but I’m confident we’ll see more sustainable vessels introduced across the DFDs network in the future as a result.â€
Matthew Moss, principal consultant, maritime, Ricardo said: “The key takeaway is that collaboration across the entire supply chain is essential. From ports and vessel operators to the fuel supply chain, particularly methanol in this case, and the energy providers supplying electricity to the ports. All parties need to work together as a consortium to move things forward. The next step is to take this project from feasibility to implementation, installing the necessary technologies to make this green corridor a reality.â€
