The Netherlands has secured EU approval for a €103m ($117.3m) state aid scheme supporting new cleaner and zero-emission vessels and conversions to renewable methanol or renewable hydrogen, according to the European Commission.
The funding will cover passenger ships, cargo vessels and workboats, mainly operating in short-sea shipping. Direct grants will be awarded through an open, transparent and non-discriminatory selection process between 2027 and 2031.
The programme targets the high upfront cost of cleaner maritime technologies and the limited commercial incentives for investing in them. The projects would not proceed on the same scale or within the same timeframe without public support.
The measure was assessed under Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the EU’s 2022 Climate, Environmental Protection and Energy Aid Guidelines. It was found to be necessary, appropriate and proportionate, with a limited impact on competition and trade within the EU.
A non-confidential version of the decision will be published in the EU state aid register under case number SA.120994 once confidentiality issues have been resolved.
The European Commission is the EU’s executive body and reviews support measures notified by member states under the bloc’s state aid rules.