Netherlands offers €34 million in funding for low-carbon shipping projects

The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management will open applications in May for the second funding round of its €210 million ($247 million) Maritime Masterplan.

IMAGE: View of the entrance to the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands. Getty Images

The ministry will allocate €33.6 million ($40 million) from the National Growth Fund to support companies investing in development and demonstration of ships fuelled with hydrogen, methanol, ammonia or bioethanol.

The ministry is joined by Netherlands Maritime Land (NML) and Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) as funding partners.

Onboard carbon capture and storage on methanol- and LNG-powered ships will also be eligible for the subsidies.

Applications will open on 19 May, and companies have until 3 November to submit their applications.

Companies will be required to apply for funding as a partnership of at least two unrelated companies, with the lead partner required to be of Dutch origin, RVO said.

Projects covered under the funding will include research, development and demonstrations, and companies will receive up to €8 million ($9 million) in subsidies.

Around €21.6 million ($25 million) of the second round’s total budget will be allocated to projects whose requested subsidy is above €4 million ($5 million), while €12 million ($14 million) will be reserved for projects with requirements below €4 million.

The funding is part of the Dutch government's goal of demonstrating 30 alternatively-fuelled vessels over the coming years.

An initial €85 million ($100 million) funding round was launched in 2024 and has supported nine projects spanning hydrogen propulsion, methanol retrofits and carbon capture on LNG vessels.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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