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UK and US to forge green shipping corridor

[ December 7, 2023   //   ]

Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced a competition to create a Green Shipping Corridor between the UK and the US at the Transport Day of the COP28 summit in Dubai on 6 December. It would build on similar partnerships with Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, he said.

When the UK hosted COP26 in 2021, the Clydebank Declaration for green shipping corridors declared an ambition to implement zero-emission shipping routes.

It was also announced at COP28 that new shipping corridors will be forged between the Republic of Korea, Lithuania and the United Arab Emirates, taking membership of the scheme to 27.

UK Chamber of Shipping CEO, Sarah Treseder, said: “Green shipping corridors will play an important part in decarbonising shipping, especially on major routes such as the UK and US. To be successful, they require dedicated infrastructure across the corridor to ensure that vessels can access low and zero emission fuels, as well as facilities such as shoreside power. We look forward to working with the UK and US governments, as well as those involved in the competition, to turn this project into a blueprint for how to create a successful green corridor.”

Steve Watkyns, technical director at Portsmouth International Port added: “As a port with bold sustainability ambitions, we welcome the government’s further commitment to establishing green shipping corridors with our European partners and beyond. We’ve recently begun work on our SEA CHANGE shore power project, which means ships will be able to ‘plug-in’ on three berths at the port from April 2025. Combined with our central, well-connected location on the south coast, it makes us an ideal UK base to establish a green corridor from.”

He said the scheme had been made possible by Portsmouth’s successful application for £19.8m from the Zero Emissions Vessels and Infrastructure competition, funded by UK Government and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK backed by £7m of investment from the port’s owner, Portsmouth City Council.

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