Green corridor growth picks up in 2025 - report
The effort to develop green shipping corridors has gained momentum in 2025, expanding geographically and adding 25 new zero-emission trade routes, the Global Maritime Forum (GMF) reported in its annual progress update.
IMAGE: Model of ammonia-capable ONE ship. Ocean Network Express
Green shipping corridors are trade routes designed to demonstrate the use of zero-emission fuels, vessels and technologies, and increase their commercial use.
Much of this new growth has come from countries including China, Brazil, Chile, Ghana and Kenya, according to the report. India and China each have announced four new green initiatives, while Brazil and Chile have added two each.
“The move of major countries like China, India, and Brazil into green corridors is hugely promising, as these are markets that will determine whether zero-emission shipping scales fast enough to meet global climate goals,” said GMF’s Decarbonisation Director Jesse Fahnestock.
The addition of the 25 new routes has brought the total number of green shipping corridors to 84 globally, according to GMF’s tally.
GMF also noted a growing shift towards deep-sea corridors, with over half of all green corridors now on deep-sea routes.
Methanol and ammonia remain the top options when it came to fuel pathways of these green corridors, while interest in methane and hydrogen is also increasing, the study said.
However, GMF’s analysis indicates persistent uncertainty in fuel choice, with about 38 initiatives yet to decide on a fuel type. This is mainly because around 24 corridors are still in the initiation stage and have not reached agreement on a specific fuel option.
There is also a growing consensus that many stakeholders in these corridors are waiting for market certainty and IMO regulatory clarity before making fuel choice decisions, the report said.
Only four of the 84 green corridors have reached a “realization stage” where actual construction or operation of vessels, infrastructure and fuel plants has taken place, the study said.
GMF said most of these green corridor initiatives are stuck due to the high cost-gap between zero-emission fuels and conventional fuels, something that the IMO framework seeks to address.
Earlier this year, the adoption of IMO’s Net-Zero framework was delayed by a year. If passed, the framework would set greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity reduction targets for each through 2035 and penalties for failing to meet them.
But the report warned against adopting a wait-and-see approach on the global framework and instead focus on making use of emerging policies and programmes from national governments.
“Those who act now will be best positioned to benefit when regulation catches up,” Fahnestock added.
By Nachiket Tekawade
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