New initiatives for green shipping corridors in Nordic-Baltic region

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute is enhancing its efforts to achieve zero-emission maritime transport through two new initiatives on green shipping corridors – both in the Nordic region and around the Baltic Sea. The projects focus on implementation, financing and closer cooperation between ports, relevant industries and decision-makers.

Green shipping corridors are specific shipping routes between ports where the goal is fully fossil-free operation with drastically reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Green shipping corridors can accelerate the transition to fossil-free shipping. Within the Nordic Roadmap, we are now focusing on identifying promising shipping routes and what needs to be done to strengthen the technical and economic conditions for achieving them, says Julia Hansson, expert on sustainable maritime transport at IVL.

She is project manager for IVL's contribution to the Nordic Roadmap for the introduction of sustainable zero-carbon fuels in shipping. The second phase of the project, which is now starting, will accelerate the transition to renewable fuels and emission-free transport at sea.

The work, which is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers, involves closer cooperation between various key players linked to shipping, with the aim of creating both investment power and demand for the green shipping of the future. An annual barometer will be used to monitor and evaluate developments and progress in the region.

The idea is to combine the industry's practical experience with new knowledge about renewable fuels and financing opportunities. Several important pieces of the puzzle are falling into place, says Julia Hansson.

At the same time, the focus is being broadened to encompass the entire Baltic Sea region through the newly launched Baltic Sea Green Shipping Corridors initiative, which is funded by the Swedish Institute and led by IVL.

Together, the projects complement each other – with the Nordic Roadmap as the Nordic engine for emission-free fuels and Baltic Sea Green Shipping Corridors as a platform for broad cooperation around the Baltic Sea.

IVL's work in the projects ranges from producing technical and financial analyses to building consortia and collaboration platforms, in order to strengthen the exchange of knowledge between researchers, industry and decision-makers.

Kick-off in Stockholm paved the way for Baltic cooperation

As a first activity within Baltic Sea Green Shipping Corridors, a start-up meeting was held in Stockholm in early December. The meeting brought together project partners, experts and representatives from government agencies, the EU cooperation EUSBSR's Policy Area Ship and Transport, as well as leading passenger shipping companies.

The aim was to create a broad dialogue and a common basis for continued work. It was particularly valuable to bring together both private and public actors around the same table, says Ignė Stalmokaitė, project manager for Baltic Sea Green Shipping Corridors at IVL.

The meeting resulted in a joint roadmap for the continuation of the work and an enhanced sharing of experiences regarding how green shipping corridors can support the transition of shipping and port operations in the Baltic Sea.

For more information, contact:
Julia Hansson, julia.hansson@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 66 51
Ignė Stalmokaitė, igne.stalmokaite@ivl.se tel. +46 (0)10-788 66 77