HAROPA PORT, the Zhejiang Provincial Seaport Group, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV), China Waterborne Transport Research Institute, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) have announced the signing of a new agreement to begin the creation of the first green shipping corridor between France and China.
The initiative aligns with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2023 strategy for achieving carbon neutrality by or around 2050, the Paris Agreement (COP21), the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Franco-Chinese initiative for a green and low-carbon maritime industry and the Clydebank Declaration – of which France is a signatory.
As China’s leading trading partner; HAROPA PORT accounts for 30% of the country’s overall container traffic, with Ningbo Zhoushan Port, the world’s largest port by total cargo tonnage and the third largest in terms of container throughput, representing 22% of this volume.
Together, the two are expected to contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of maritime transport as a whole.
The strategic agreement aims to provide a tangible example of how ports, shipping lines, and terminal operators can come together to reduce the maritime transport industry’s carbon footprint, providing a number of opportunities including:
- The deployment of shore-side electricity connections for vessels
- Progressive electrification of terminals and port equipment using renewable or low-carbon energy sources
- Establishment of supply chains for alternative fuels (such as LNG, bio-LNG, green ammonia, and green hydrogen)
- Development of low-carbon hinterland connections, particularly via inland waterway and rail transport
- Exploration of implementation of on-board CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and storage) pilot projects
The agreement will also serve as an operational framework for mobilising all stakeholders across the value chain.
Benoît Rochet, Chief Executive Officer of HAROPA PORT said:As France’s leading port for international trade and a strategic gateway for Asia–Europe flows, HAROPA PORT carries a key responsibility in driving the maritime energy transition. With this corridor, we are laying the foundations for a decarbonised sea route between China and France.
Our ambition is to make the Seine Axis a benchmark hub for the bunkering and operation of zero-emission vessels, in close cooperation with our Asian and European partners
