Liner, ferry, and ro-ro operators, along with port and terminal authorities, are sabotaging the implementation of green corridors. The costs of their implementation and maintenance are high. Leading operators and port authorities committed to environmental protection are also using green corridors to build a competitive advantage. A new report by the Getting to Zero Coalition identifies 25 new green shipping corridors.

Green corridors on maritime trade routes are being launched to protect the environment, which is being damaged by intensive ocean and short-sea shipping. They also support developed fisheries (both legal and illegal) and dynamically developing maritime tourism. Green corridors emphasize the use of renewable energy, eco-friendly fuels, and zero-emission technologies. These initiatives are being undertaken in ports and among shipowners who are highly environmentally aware and… financially viable. Including initiatives launched last year, 84 maritime green corridor programs are currently being implemented globally.

Representatives of the Getting to Zero Coalition suggest that the current challenging period for shipping is a good time for innovation. “During this time of uncertainty, corridor stakeholders have an even greater opportunity to proactively engage with IMO and contribute to policymaking,” suggests the report’s authors, “At a Crossroads: Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2025.” According to the report’s authors, “the implementation of multiple global green corridors powered by e-fuels can yield valuable lessons and guarantees regarding the use of alternative fuels, thus building the confidence of IMO member states to continue ambitious regulatory efforts at the global level.”

Green Shipping Corridors. Source: Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2025

15 maritime corridors

By participating in the creation of green corridors, their initiators “can influence the design of the reward mechanism by expressing their preferences regarding its operation.” “Each green corridor has the opportunity to contribute to the [IMO] discussion and proactively work to shape the landscape to their advantage,” says Zer Hien Ng, Head of Sustainability, MPA.

“At a Crossroads: Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2025” reveals that new initiatives have been launched primarily in countries located in Asia, Africa, and South America. European countries and Australia have been joined by China, India, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, and Kenya.

“We have at least 12 months until the adoption of the IMO Net Zero Emissions Framework,” said Jesse Fahnestock, Director of Decarbonization at the Global Maritime Forum. He believes that “This time can be spent waiting or used to implement projects that will deliver strategic economic benefits, generate knowledge that can influence the IMO award mechanism, and ensure participants have priority in future global awards. Those who act now will be best positioned to benefit from regulatory upgrading.”

For the first time since the report’s publication in 2022, four corridors have reached the “implementation stage.” This means that during the design and preparation period, ports and ship operators have begun concrete operational activities. Environmentally friendly ships and terminals have been put into operation. “However, many corridors are still stalled due to the ‘feasibility wall’ created by the cost gap between conventional and zero-emission fuels,” explain the authors of the report, “At a Crossroads: Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2025.”

Entities implementing green corridor projects. Source: Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2025

300 stakeholders

The situation is not so dire, as over 300 stakeholders are currently involved in green corridors on maritime routes. A year ago, there were fewer than 240, according to data from the previous edition of the report prepared by experts “Getting to Zero Coalition.” According to them, “Port authorities continue to play a key role, with the public sector and government entities following closely behind.”

Awareness of the need to protect the marine environment, ports, and coastlines has increased, as “the category of ship owners/operators has increased by over 30% compared to last year.” This indicates that port authorities and governments are having greater success in attracting partners from shipowners. Financial institutions were the only group that did not observe positive changes in the population of entities interested in supporting the development of green corridors. “This may be due to the involvement of funding entities outside the main green corridor consortia,” hypothesizes the “Getting to Zero Coalition.”

This year’s research results also indicate that some government-funded initiatives have stalled. After completing feasibility studies, further design work was halted. This was justified by the identification of a “gap between government priorities and the interests of the maritime industry.” Shipowners and research institutions used government funding to investigate available fuels for use in ship propulsion engines. This reduced the costs of internal research for shipowners and port authorities. However, in many cases, this did not yield the desired results.

Only innovators decided to continue projects and moved from the research to the implementation phase. It turns out that initiatives with significant industry involvement developed the fastest. As a result, four green corridors were launched.

Operatorzy uczestniczący w projektach zielonych korytarzy. Źródło: Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2025

Methanol and Ammonia in Maritime Transport Corridors

Of the 84 projects included in this year’s report by the Getting to Zero Coalition, 24 are in the initiation phase, and 44 are in the exploration phase. This latter group includes 16 green corridor projects in the initial phase and 28 advanced development activities. A group of 12 projects is currently in the preparatory phase. As previously mentioned, four initiatives are in the implementation phase. It emphasizes that “one-third of last year’s 59 initiatives made progress between or within milestones, while the remaining two-thirds maintained their progress status.”

A study conducted in 2025 found that “of the approximately 120 companies that have so far invested in and/or chartered methanol or ammonia vessels, only about 15 are involved in green corridor initiatives.” An analysis of available information indicates that only five of these companies intend to deploy ships with engines adapted to burn methanol or ammonia in the Green Corridor. Tankers adapted to transport methanol are used on routes from Northern Europe and the Far East to Europe.

The distribution of ships with methanol engines geographically overlaps with Green Corridor routes but is largely independent of corridor initiatives. Besides container shipping, TUI and Norwegian Cruise Lines are focusing on European operations. Owners of these methanol-capable cruise ships are also interested in the development of green corridors between ports. Although the routes of methanol-powered ships overlap with projects developing green corridors between ports, this is unrelated to corridor initiatives undertaken in the region, according to the authors of the report “At a Crossroads: Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2025.”

Ammonia is used as a fuel to power engines that power large bulk carriers and liquefied petroleum gas/ammonia vessels. The “Getting to Zero Coalition” suggests there’s a more direct link between the deployment of ammonia-capable bulk carriers and green corridor routes. These are used to transport iron ore from Australia to East Asia. The development of shipping that uses ammonia to propel ships on a larger scale seems uncertain. Respondents indicated that ammonia-powered shipping will expand between ports connecting the US East Coast, the Middle East, India, and China with European ports. However, these are described as “potential routes.”

CRIST has experience in accelerating the implementation of maritime innovations.

Polish shipyards have the opportunity to participate in the development of green corridors. CRIST practically meets all the requirements identified in the “Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2025” as priorities for implementing green corridors. CRIST has over 30 years of experience in building electric ferries and ships with high innovation potential. It is precisely ships equipped with new technologies, alongside ports, that guarantee the implementation of green corridors on a larger scale.

“As a shipbuilding engineer, I would like to say that together with our team at CRIST, we have completed over 500 projects. I would like to emphasize with full responsibility that this vessel, which we are handing over today, is the most technically challenging construction we have ever completed at CRIST. Its implementation required the utmost effort of our engineers and constant collaboration with those personally involved at FLC,” said Ireneusz Ćwirko, CEO of CRIST shipyard, during the handover of the vessel for the construction of the tunnel between Denmark and Germany. “We can call the NB 100 a technological marvel,” said Ireneusz Ćwirko during the ship’s handover to the investor.

CRIST Shipyard has a wide range of innovative vessels in its portfolio. First came Innovation – an installation vessel for the construction of offshore wind farms, and its successor, Vidar, followed by JACK-UP BARGE B392,” explains CEO Ireneusz Ćwirko. After these, the shipyard implemented further innovative individual projects. The original design was the self-elevating barge Zourite (octopus). It had eight legs, hence the name,” Krzysztof Kulczycki recalled in a recent interview with me.

The shipyard’s innovative potential was recognized by the Norwegian and Croatian partners of the ZEV Innovation project – a hub for the production of zero-emission ships. At a meeting at CRIST, they were able to familiarize themselves with Crist’s portfolio of completed projects and orders. The shipyard has built further electric ferries, all of which sail in Finland. The first proved its worth on the route between the ports of Nauvoo and Parainen, among the islands of the Turku Archipelago. The Electra electric ferry, built at the CRIST shipyard in Gdynia and commissioned by FinFerries, is currently operating here. It is the first electric ferry in Finland.

The vessels built in Gdynia can be used in green shipping corridors, wind farm operations, and specialized maritime construction work. CRIST shipyard therefore has the potential to participate in the green transformation of maritime routes and build a series of vessels whose parameters are defined by the Getting to Zero Coal Framework.