Funding projects as a technological blueprint and green shipping corridors as model routes for climate-neutral shipping
On 8 October 2024, Germany’s maritime community met in Hamburg: NOW GmbH – once again together with the Maritime Platform – invited participants to the Zero Emission Shipping Symposium for the sixth time. The focus was on environmentally and climate-friendly alternatives to conventional ship propulsion systems and fuels, as well as on green shipping corridors.
The symposium was opened by Susanne Henckel, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV – Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr), and Dieter Janecek, Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Industry and Tourism at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK – Ministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz). In their welcoming addresses, both emphasised the federal government’s support for climate-friendly shipping and then discussed the topic with representatives of the maritime industry on the panel entitled ‘Together on the path to the maritime energy transition’.
The State Secretary at the BMDV, Susanne Henckel, states: “In July 2023, we reached an international consensus with the IMO member states to successively work towards achieving climate-neutral ocean shipping by 2050. For this purpose, we are launching the German government’s National Action Plan for Climate-Friendly Shipping. Together with the shipping industry, we are developing tailored solutions for the specific challenges of the maritime sector. The exchange of know-how and experience is crucial to our joint efforts to test, improve and continuously develop many new ideas in the years ahead. Events such as today’s Zero Emission Shipping Symposium help us to showcase good ideas, to present important projects and initiatives, such as the Green Shipping Corridors, as well as to network and jointly exploit the opportunities of the maritime energy transition for the German shipping industry.”
Dieter Janecek, the Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Industry and Tourism at the BMWK, said: “The shipbuilding and supply industry is a model of success for the German economy: it is a technology leader in many areas, characterised by medium-sized companies and export-oriented. Only by working together will we achieve the ambitious climate protection goals for shipping at the national, European and international level. At the same time, we are seeking to boost the maritime industry’s innovative and value-adding potential and to make it clear that climate protection and industry, transformation and competitiveness go hand in hand.”
The Managing Director of the Maritime Platform, Georg Ehrmann, said: “The shipping industry has set out on the path to climate neutrality. It is investing and making every effort to achieve the ambitious climate targets of the EU and the IMO. However, this can only succeed if sufficient quantities of green molecules are available in the tanks within a foreseeable time frame. Starting with more biofuels, synthetic green fuels will then be needed in considerable quantities. This requires strong stimuli and major support from policymakers. Only if a market ramp-up is generated through massive investments can the maritime energy transition succeed. The industry will not be able to accomplish this feat alone.”
NOW GmbH CEO and spokesperson Dagmar Fehler: “The National Action Plan for Climate-Friendly Shipping brings together the innovative strength of the maritime industry and the expertise of leading specialists into a political strategy. As an interdisciplinary expert, NOW GmbH will continue to actively support the complex coordination of stakeholder participation from the maritime industry, science and federal and state authorities. With our successfully established formats, such as the Zero Emission Shipping Symposium, we also ensure the networking and visibility of technologies, projects and initiatives in the interest of climate protection.”
A broad spectrum of technologies for climate-neutral shipping
At this year’s Zero Emission Shipping Symposium, the progress of selected funding projects was presented with a focus on climate protection technologies in the field of alternative ship propulsion systems and fuels. The presentations highlighted the broad range of technological solutions on the road to zero-emission shipping that are being supported by the funding programmes of the BMDV and the BMWK.
Furthermore, project initiatives and concepts for green shipping corridors as floating real-world laboratories on initial model routes for climate-neutral shipping were presented. Green shipping corridors are a key area of action in the National Action Plan for Climate-Friendly Shipping (NAPS), which has been developed since May 2024 with the participation of a wide range of maritime stakeholders and is intended to serve as a roadmap for climate-neutral shipping in Germany. The green corridors refer to international model routes on which the use of climate-neutral technologies is being tested for the first time. As part of the NAPS development process, NOW GmbH is monitoring the various project initiatives on behalf of the BMDV in order to identify implementation measures for the NAPS from these and to support them in their planning and implementation.
The BMDV and the BMWK are already supporting shipping on its way to the net-zero emissions target with various funding programmes:
- With the funding programmes for the sustainable modernisation of coastal and inland waterway vessels, the BMDV is supporting cross-technology investments in fleet modernisation in both of these shipping markets, thereby contributing to air pollution control and climate protection.
- Complementing this, the BMDV supports the use of innovative technologies for environmentally friendly on-board power and mobile shore-side power supply for seagoing and inland waterway vessels through the BordstromTech funding programme.
- Via the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP), the BMDV specifically supports the development and demonstration of fuel cells – both for use in inland and seagoing shipping.
- The BMWK’s Maritime Research Programme supports research, development and demonstration of climate protection technologies for shipping in the “zeroGHG – Klimaneutrales Schiff” (climate-neutral ship) funding priority.
About NOW GmbH:
Since 2008, NOW GmbH has been supporting the federal government’s targets in its climate and industrial policy. The tasks of the federally-owned company include developing, monitoring and evaluating funding programmes about climate-neutral mobility and energy supply. NOW GmbH experts supervise projects in the areas of hydrogen, fuel cells, battery and renewable fuels. They reimagine mobility and fuels for cars, buses, trains, commercial vehicles, ships and airplanes, and support the establishment and further development of charging infrastructure and hydrogen refuelling stations for cars and trucks. More information on NOW can be found here.
Image: NOW, Franz Josef – Berlin