Summary of the Green Corridors Project
The concept of Green Corridors emerged from the Clydebank Declaration during COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, aiming to facilitate zero-emission shipping routes and drive decarbonization in the maritime sector. This initiative centers around collaboration between ports and various maritime and energy stakeholders. The Association of Independent Maritime Ports (AIVP) is collaborating with PortCityFutures to conduct interviews with members actively involved in different Green Corridors, ultimately producing a publication that elucidates the purpose, strategies, and potential impacts of such corridors on port cities, their hinterlands, and governance.
The Port of Halifax is a key player in the Halifax-Hamburg Green Corridor, vital for enabling shipping between North America and Europe. Currently, Halifax engages in twice-weekly services generating significant carbon emissions, and both ports signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2022 to decarbonize this critical route. This MOU aims to facilitate the transport of green hydrogen and involves improving bunkering infrastructure, building partnerships, and enhancing knowledge-sharing and technology transfer.
Captain Allan Gray, CEO of the Port of Halifax, highlights that this relationship plays a crucial role in supporting hydrogen economies in both countries, with a commitment to creating secure green hydrogen supply chains and an eventual transatlantic corridor to bolster clean energy security in Germany.
Key stakeholders in the Green Corridor include not only the port authorities of Halifax and Hamburg but also shipping companies, fuel providers, railway operators, and local organizations. This collaborative framework emphasizes public and private sector support and aims to secure investments across the supply chain to facilitate green shipping initiatives, generating jobs and enhancing regional economies through innovation and sustainability efforts.
The focus on bunkering green hydrogen and its derivatives stems from the ports’ preparation for alternative fuel-powered vessels. Hamburg’s plans for methanol bunkering by 2024 and the establishment of hydrogen production facilities in Nova Scotia underpins this initiative. The collaboration with EverWind Fuels reflects ambitions for hydrogen production and storage at Halifax, potentially catering to coastal tankers.
Moreover, Canada is at the forefront of establishing Green Shipping Corridors, supported by the Government’s Green Shipping Corridor Framework. This initiative includes substantial funding aimed at accelerating clean shipping technologies and ensuring ports implement environmentally friendly practices consistently.
The Port of Halifax also hosts The PIER lab, a living lab designed to foster innovation in transportation and supply chain management. It aims to address challenges in decarbonization by collaborating with startups and research institutions. In partnership with Hamburg’s homePORT and Valencia’s Opentop, The PIER is working towards creating the Port Innovators Network (PIN), aimed at revolutionizing the industry through collaborative innovation.
Overall, the Green Corridors initiative represents a transformative opportunity for ports to lead in maritime decarbonization while enhancing regional economic ties and establishing a framework for future advancements in sustainable shipping.
