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First funds for Irish Sea Green Corridor

[ October 18, 2024   //   ]

The Green Corridor initiative, a collaboration between the ports of Holyhead and Dublin,  Irish Ferries and Stena Line and supported by the environmental consultancy Ricardo, Maynooth University and EDF, has received £122,303 in grant funding from the International Green Corridor Fund.

The project is funded by the UK and Irish governments, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and Ireland’s Marine Institute.

The stakeholder group, which also includes Holyhead Port Authority and Dublin Port Company, will use the funding to assess the suitability of the Holyhead-Dublin route as a green shipping corridor including detailed assessments of existing landside and vessel infrastructure, accompanied by economic and environmental impact analysis.  The initial focus will be on vessels operated by Irish Ferries and Stena Line and the potential for e-methanol as an alternative fuel, although the feasibility of other alternative fuels will also be considered.

The project will also review opportunities for local and national sustainable fuel production, and evaluate the modifications required at the ports to enable sufficient storage and bunkering.

The research team will consult with engine manufacturers, operators, port authorities and alternative fuel suppliers to contrast the viability of converting existing vessels against new builds, whilst there will also be regular engagement with maritime regulatory bodies to ensure any proposals follow international and domestic requirements.

The six-month study commences in October and if established, the Green Shipping Corridor (GSC) between Holyhead and Dublin will be the first green route to operate between the UK and Ireland.

Irish Ferries managing director, Andrew Sheen, said: “We hope the feasibility studies for this project can be conducted quickly so that we can move forward to establish Ireland’s first ‘Green Corridor’ and advance our own and Ireland’s sustainability agenda.”

Stena Line’s head of UK port authorities, Ian Davies, added that the project was one of many initiatives that the operator was is undertaking across ships and ports in the Irish Sea to support our sustainability strategy, adding: “We are already working to future-proof our fleet across Europe by investing in new hybrid ships and have plans to convert existing ships to be able to operate on alternative fuel. This project will allow us to determine the best way forward for our vessels on this key trading route between Dublin and Holyhead, and to assess the infrastructure needs at Holyhead Port to support a fossil free shipping corridor.”

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