Corridor Project could deliver 'lasting benefits'

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 UK and Europe.

- COREENA FORD

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.