Government to Support Conversion of 889 Vessels to Eco-Friendly Ships... Ushering in Era of "Green Shipping Corridors"

Aiming for 50% Market Share in Zero-Emission Vessels by 2035

Detailed Standards Set for Green Ships Using Methanol, Hydrogen, Ammonia

Support for Design and Demonstration at Small and Medium Shipbuilders and Equipment Firms... Boosting Domestic Construction

The 'Gas Star' ship, which Hyundai Global Service and KSS Shipping are jointly converting into an eco-friendly vessel
[Photo by Hyundai Global Service]

The government will support the conversion of 889 private and public vessels to eco-friendly ships by 2035. It will also establish detailed standards for the creation of “green shipping corridors” connecting ships and ports that use eco-friendly fuels such as methanol, hydrogen, and ammonia, in order to accelerate the decarbonization of the shipping and shipbuilding industries.

On August 27, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that they have prepared the enforcement decree and enforcement regulations for the Green Shipping Corridor Support Act, and that these drafts will be open for public comment from September 2 to October 13. The special act, which was enacted and promulgated in March, is scheduled to go into effect on April 1 next year. Prior to the law’s implementation, the government will clarify requirements for green ships and eco-friendly ports, and establish detailed procedures for officially designating green shipping corridors.

Green shipping corridors are routes that aim to achieve zero carbon emissions throughout the entire logistics transport process between ports by using low-carbon or zero-carbon fuels and eco-friendly technologies. Korea is the first country in the world to establish a special law supporting the creation of such green shipping corridors.

The enforcement regulations define green ships as those using methanol, hydrogen, ammonia, biofuels, or renewable synthetic fuels as power sources, as well as ships powered by electricity or fuel cells. The requirements for eco-friendly ports, such as those equipped with facilities to supply fuel for eco-friendly vessels, will also be set. When designating a green shipping corridor, the route name, origin and destination, port calls, ship type, and power source must all be officially announced.

The government has also established detailed criteria for forming a green shipping corridor support council and for developing specialized talent. It will promote international education, training, and cooperative programs, as well as build databases for specialized human resources and related statistics. Research, policy support, and related activities may be entrusted to organizations such as the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority, the Korea Institute of Maritime and Fisheries Technology, and the Korea Ocean Business Corporation.

In tandem, the government will push ahead with the “Second Basic Plan for the Development and Dissemination of Eco-Friendly Ships (2026-2035).” Centered on five strategies—future ship R&D for carbon reduction, deployment of new technologies, expansion of eco-friendly fuel supply infrastructure, dissemination of eco-friendly ships, and fostering a green shipping and shipbuilding ecosystem—the government will support the conversion of a total of 889 private and public vessels by 2035.

Through these efforts, the government’s goals for 2035 include capturing a 25% share of the global shipbuilding market and a 50% share of the zero-carbon vessel market. In the shipping sector, the plan is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Korean-flagged vessels operating internationally by 61% compared to 2008, and to cut shipping sector emissions under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) by 20.2% compared to 2018.

In particular, to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized shipbuilding and equipment companies—which often lack the capacity to respond to eco-friendly technologies—the government will focus on providing support for eco-friendly ship design and equipment demonstration projects. It will also promote the domestic construction of eco-friendly ships by strengthening collaboration between the shipbuilding and shipping industries.

Jung Dohyun, Director-General of Maritime Safety at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, stated, “While the Eco-Friendly Ship Act has focused on supporting ships for technological development and deployment, the Green Shipping Corridor Support Act aims to support decarbonization across the entire shipping process. We will continue building a shipping decarbonization ecosystem and support Korea’s industrial sector in becoming a leader in the global market.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.