The North East is playing a major part in a new government-funded initiative designed to advance environmentally friendly travel within Europe and secure green jobs of the future.
Partners from across the UK and Europe came together at the Port of Tyne recently to officially launch the ‘Green North Sea Shipping Corridor Project’, which aims to create one of the world’s first green shipping corridors between the Port of Tyne and the Port of IJmuiden in Amsterdam.
The project is part of a £9million investment announced by Maritime Minister Mike Kane in October while at the Port of Tyne, to decarbonise shipping and turbocharge green jobs, from which the Port of Tyne was successful in winning the International Green Corridors Fund (CMDC5: IGCF).
During the partners visit, representatives from each organisation which includes the two ports as well as DFDS, Ricardo and KVSA, officially launched the project, helping to make smarter, cleaner shipping a reality.
This initiative aligns with the partners’ commitment to sustainability and plans for DFDS to target a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, by transitioning to methanol-fuelled RoRo/RoPax vessels, driving the shift towards a greener future for global trade.
The project aims to establish a Green Shipping Corridor (GSC) between the Ports of Tyne (UK) and IJmuiden (Netherlands), focusing on decarbonising the route currently served by ageing vessels. It will determine the necessary landside infrastructure at the two ports for fuelling and electrification, analyse the fuel supply chain and evaluate the economic and environmental benefits.
The partners already have a longstanding relationship, having connected the North East and the Netherlands via a popular DFDS ferry route for many years, which runs between the Port of Tyne’s International Passenger Terminal and the Port of IJmuiden. The ships currently on the route are mainly transporting passengers and their vehicles, as well as freight units and HGVs carrying vital goods and finished products to and from the continent.
Matt Beeton, CEO at the Port of Tyne, said:
“This initiative represents a huge step forward for the Port in our sustainability journey and it was fantastic to gather with our partners to forge ahead with our plans. The route is a key connection for the region and wider UK, supporting important tourism and trade.
“By establishing this green corridor between the Port of Tyne and the Port of IJmuiden, we aim to significantly reduce carbon emissions between the North East of England and Europe, with the aim of saving up to 850,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. The success of this project will bring more green jobs to the region and drive the development of port infrastructure for electrification and the refuelling of state-of-the-art clean powered vessels.”
Bolstered by its 2050 Maritime Innovation Hub, the Port of Tyne continues to drive sustainable innovation and acts as a focal point for a growing European decarbonised distribution network for green trade and passenger journeys. The River Tyne fuelled the industrial revolution and is now at the forefront of creating more environmentally friendly international travel and logistics.
Declan Walsh, Director Business Development and Strategy at DFDS, said
“DFDS is committed to becoming a carbon neutral Transport & Logistics company by 2050 and the decarbonisation of our Passenger business is a key part of this journey. Transforming our current Amsterdam-Newcastle route to a RoPAX Green Corridor is a massive undertaking and we are fortunate to have such great partners to help us make this happen”.
Tim Scarbrough, Director of Maritime Innovation at Ricardo, said:
“Green corridors represent a crucial milestone on the path to maritime decarbonisation. By focusing on predictable routes and consistent operational profiles, they lower barriers to adoption and create momentum for sustainable change. At Ricardo, we are proud to leverage our expertise in vessel and port decarbonisation to support these transformative projects, delivering insights that help build resilient infrastructure and robust fuel supply chains for a greener future.”
Peter van de Meerakker, Managing Director of Zeehaven IJmuiden N.V. – Port of IJmuiden, said:
“This project is very important for us, as we need to accelerate the reduction of our shipping emissions. With the ‘zero emission’ new tonnage of DFDS, we are taking an important step forward, since a lot needs still to be done on both sides of the North Sea and this project helps enormously speed up and achieve our goals.”
Green corridors are zero emission maritime routes between two or more ports. As part of the £9million funding, a green shipping corridor between the Port of Holyhead and the Port of Dublin, as well as from the UK to Norway and Denmark will also be explored. Consortium partner Ricardo is involved in all of these green shipping corridor feasibility and pre-feasibility studies.
