The Green Corridor initiative, a collaboration between the ports of Dublin and Holyhead with leading ferry operators, Irish Ferries and Stena Line, and supported by the environmental consultancy Ricardo, Maynooth University and EDF, has received €143,621 in grant funding from the International Green Corridor Fund towards the total project investment, according to Dublin Port's release.
A Green Corridor initiative, aiming to establish a zero-emission shipping route between Dublin and Holyhead, has moved one step closer following a funding boost from the International Green Corridor Fund. A green shipping corridor is a route between two or more ports upon which a zero-emission vessel operates. Reducing emissions along green corridors helps accelerate global maritime decarbonisation.
‘Greening the Irish Sea – The Central Corridor’ is led by ferry operators, Irish Ferries and Stena Line, and supported by Ricardo environmental consultancy in partnership with key stakeholders and is designed to explore the feasibility of a green shipping corridor between Dublin Port and the Port of Holyhead.
The project has secured funding from the International Green Corridor Fund funded by the governments of Ireland and United Kingdom, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK and Ireland’s Marine Institute supported by the respective Department of Transports in UK and Ireland.
The Holyhead-Dublin trade route is the busiest roll-on/roll-off routes between the UK and Ireland. In 2022, nearly 1.5 million people travelled this route, with over 6,000 sailings accounting for more than 74% of all ferry passenger movements between the two countries. The ports of Dublin and Holyhead serve as key economic gateways, handling a significant volume of trade, with Dublin Port handling managing 83% of RoRo freight and 72% of ferry volumes into Ireland. This study aims to advance the decarbonisation of this critical trade artery.
The stakeholder group, which also includes Dublin Port Company and Holyhead Port Authority, the EDF R&D team and academic partners Maynooth University, will use the funding to assess the suitability of the Holyhead-Dublin route as a green shipping corridor.