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GreenVoyage2050: Eleven states collaborate in IMO-Norway Decarbonisation Project

Project actively supports States in progress on decarbonising shipping and builds capacity in developing countries, including small island developing states.
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IMO GreenVoyage2050

The IMO-Norway project is supporting States to implement energy efficiency measures and explore opportunities for low carbon shipping, noted the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Friday (5 March).

Eleven States from across the globe are partnering in the International Maritime Organization (IMO)-Norway GreenVoyage2050 Project, which is supporting the path to decarbonisation in the shipping sector, in line with the IMO Initial Strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from shipping (IMO Initial GHG Strategy), it added. 

Through the IMO Initial GHG Strategy, IMO Member States have pledged to cut annual greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by at least half by 2050, compared with their level in 2008, and work towards phasing out GHG emissions from shipping entirely as soon as possible in this century.

The GreenVoyage2050 Project is actively supporting States in progressing in this decarbonisation path. The project will also build capacity in developing countries, including small island developing states (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs), to fulfil their commitments to meet climate-change and energy-efficiency goals for international shipping.

This will be achieved through supporting States in implementing the already-adopted IMO energy-efficiency measures (contained in Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)) and to reduce GHG emissions from ships in line with the IMO Initial GHG Strategy.

As of today, Azerbaijan, Belize, China, Cook Islands, Ecuador, Georgia, India, Kenya, Solomon Islands, South Africa and Sri Lanka are partnering countries in the GreenVoyage2050 Project.

Through their participation in the project, they will aim to strengthen their MARPOL Annex VI compliance, facilitate sharing of operational best practices, catalyze the uptake of energy efficient technologies and explore opportunities for low- and zero-carbon fuels. New fuels, new technologies and innovation will be needed to meet the IMO GHG Strategy ambitions. 

Specifically, the project is supporting States to:

* draft legislation to implement MARPOL Annex VI into national law;

* undertake assessments of maritime emissions; develop policy frameworks and National Action Plans (NAPs) to address GHG emissions from ships;

* assess emissions and develop port-specific emission reduction strategies;

* identify opportunities and deliver pilot projects, through the establishment of public-private sector partnerships and mobilisation of financial resources;

* access funding and investments into low carbon solutions; and

* establish partnerships with the industry to develop new and innovative solutions to support low carbon shipping.

The project is also supporting cooperation between ship and port sectors in the individual States.

Since individual States are at different stages in terms of implementation of IMO’s energy efficiency measures and other processes such as baseline assessments, the partnering countries have been categorised into “New Pilot Countries” and “Pioneer Pilot Countries”.

New Pilot Countries (NPCs) are those that, as a first step, are undertaking the development of a national maritime emissions assessment, establishing a baseline and building the information base. These actions will lay the foundation for the development of a robust and informed National Action Plan (NAP) to address GHG emissions from ships.

New Pilot Countries are: Azerbaijan, Belize, Cook Islands, Ecuador, Kenya, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka.

Pioneer Pilot Countries (PPCs) are those that have already undertaken maritime emissions baseline work and have initiated development of their NAP to address GHG emissions from ships. The GreenVoyage2050 Project is supporting PPCs to finalise their NAP, identify pilot project opportunities and develop them further with a view to securing funding for their implementation.

Pioneer Pilot Countries are: China, Georgia, India, South Africa.

All partnering countries will be provided training on the regulatory developments related to MARPOL Annex VI and the Initial IMO GHG Strategy, as well as training on key low carbon technologies and fuels.

Other activities include capacity-building on sustainable port initiatives and measures to reduce emissions at the ship-port interface.


Photo credit: International Maritime Organization
Published: 9 March, 2021

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Shipping Corridor

Industry partners launch Brazil-Belgium e-fuel green shipping corridor initiative

A new consortium facilitated by the Global Maritime Forum and RMI will work to establish a green shipping corridor between the Port of Açu in Brazil and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium.
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A new consortium facilitated by the Global Maritime Forum and RMI will work to establish a green shipping corridor between the Port of Açu in Brazil and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, according to Global Maritime Forum on Thursday (4 June). 

In addition to the port teams on both ends of the corridor, the consortium includes HIF Global, Fuella, NYK Line, Höegh Autoliners, and Wallenius Wilhelmsen. 

The consortium will assess infrastructure, vessels, and business models to create a roadmap for transporting zero-carbon fuels produced in Açu, such as e-ammonia or e-methanol. The transport itself would also be powered by the same zero- or near-zero-emission fuels.

“We’re thrilled to be working with these partners to take these important steps towards Brazil’s e-fuel production and bunkering opportunity, whilst supporting the growing demand for e-fuels in Europe,” said Eleanor Wells, a senior project manager at the Global Maritime Forum.

The new consortium builds on a pre-feasibility study developed by RMI and the Global Maritime Forum in November 2025. 

The study highlighted the competitive projected costs of e-fuel produced in Açu, due to Brazilian policies supportive of green hydrogen production, the country’s largely renewable electricity grid, its abundance of renewable energy sources, and a relatively low cost of capital. A 2024 report from the same two organisations, Oceans of Opportunity, identified the Port of Açu as a high-potential e-fuel export hub.

Green shipping corridors are dedicated trade routes where the feasibility of zero-emission shipping is catalysed by public and private action. These routes are seen as central to delivering on the shipping industry’s goal of having zero-emission fuels account for 5% of all fuels by 2030. 

While green corridors have rapidly expanded in popularity worldwide, and a handful of initiatives have now reached the realisation stage, the most recent edition of the Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors warned that progress is being stalled by a ‘feasibility wall’ created by the cost gap between conventional and zero-emission fuels.

The Global Maritime Forum and RMI will continue to facilitate the realisation of the Açu-Antwerp green corridor, with work already moving at pace to progress beyond pre-feasibility and develop a feasibility analysis for the corridor. The feasibility analysis is expected to be published by the end of the year, with the consortium meeting regularly in the meantime.

 

Photo credit: william william on Unsplash
Published: 5 June, 2026

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Emissions reporting

StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and UK ETS requirements.
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June 4, 2026

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StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Weather intelligence and decision support solutions provider StormGeo and Hamburg-based technology platform OceanScore on Wednesday (3 June) said they have deepened their ongoing cooperation through the signing of a collaboration agreement during Posidonia 2026 in Athens on 2 June.

The cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements.

Together, the companies aim to help shipping companies seamlessly navigate increasing regulatory complexity more efficiently — from emissions reporting and data validation to compliance exposure management, pooling and financial settlement.

As emissions regulation becomes an increasingly important part of commercial shipping operations, the need for reliable operational data and streamlined compliance processes continues to grow. The cooperation between StormGeo and OceanScore is designed to support shipping companies with more connected, transparent and actionable processes across operational and commercial teams.

“From the outside, companies like StormGeo and OceanScore may sometimes be perceived as competitors because both operate around emissions and compliance workflows,” said Albrecht Grell, Managing Director at OceanScore. 

“But in reality, the industry increasingly needs both perspectives working together: trusted operational emissions data on one side and commercial compliance execution on the other. Our cooperation reflects that shipping companies are no longer looking for isolated solutions — they need connected processes, automated across different systems and reliable decision-making throughout the full compliance chain.”

By connecting validated operational emissions data with commercial compliance management, the cooperation supports workflows across:

  • emissions reporting and validation 
  • compliance management across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements
  • exposure visibility and cost transparency
  • pooling, settlement and financial processes 

The cooperation also aims to improve commercial transparency and coordination across operational and commercial stakeholders.

“StormGeo plays a central role in helping shipping companies turn operational vessel and emissions data into trusted, decision-ready insights,” said Espen Martinsen, Chief Commercial Officer at StormGeo. 

“As emissions regulations become more complex, this data is essential for transparent and efficient compliance management. By working with OceanScore, we can help customers connect StormGeo’s validated operational data with commercial compliance processes, creating a more integrated and practical approach to emissions management.”

The signing ceremony took place at the StormGeo booth during Posidonia 2026 in Athens and was attended by representatives from both companies.

Both companies expect the cooperation to continue evolving alongside upcoming regulatory developments, including FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS, the upcoming UK ETS and future emissions-related frameworks affecting global shipping.

 

Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 4 June, 2026

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Methanol

Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd complete first of five methanol vessel retrofit

Following “Seaspan Yangtze”, the remaining vessels planned for retrofit under the methanol retrofit programme are “Seaspan Amazon”, “Seaspan Ganges”, “Seaspan Thames”, and “Seaspan Zambezi”.
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Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd complete first of five methanol vessel retrofit

Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan) and Hapag-Lloyd on Wednesday (3 June) announced the successful completion of the first of the five vessel conversions under their methanol retrofit programme with the delivery of Seaspan Yangtze.

From the early SAVER (Seaspan Action for Vessel Energy Reduction) programme to today’s CleanBlue initiative, Seaspan has committed over USD 230 USD million across 86 vessels, executing more than 550 efficiency and retrofit projects.

Following Seaspan Yangtze, the remaining vessels planned for retrofit under the programme are Seaspan Amazon, Seaspan Ganges, Seaspan Thames, and Seaspan Zambezi. Each retrofit is expected to reduce well-to-wake CO₂e emissions by approximately 30,000 to 50,000 metric tonnes per vessel annually when operating on low-carbon methanol, while also extending vessel lifespan and enhancing fuel flexibility.

“Decarbonisation is not just about building the fleet of tomorrow, it is also about unlocking the full potential of the fleet we have today. Retrofitting and upgrades on existing fleets play a practical, immediate, and economical role in accelerating shipping’s decarbonization journey,” said Bing Chen, Chairman, President and CEO of Seaspan. 

“Project SAVER CleanBlue highlights Seaspan’s strong customer partnerships, deep technical expertise, and unique platform integrated with JV partners, such as WattSpan Maritime Technology, in executing complex and large-scale retrofit projects.”

“The successful conversion of the Seaspan Yangtze together with the planned retrofit of its four sister vessels is another important step on our ambitious path towards net-zero fleet operations by 2045,” said Silke Lehmköster, Managing Director, Fleet, Hapag-Lloyd. 

“Together with Seaspan, we are demonstrating that retrofitting existing vessels for low-carbon methanol can be a practical way to reduce emissions in shipping.”

 

Photo credit: Seaspan
Published: 4 June, 2026

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