Public Participation in Developing a Common Framework for the Assessment and Management of Sustainable Innovation

Related sector

• C - Manufacturing
  • Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products
  • Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.
  • Manufacture of other transport equipment
• D - Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
• H - Transporting and storage

SI Lead organisation

The Global Green Corridor Consortium (GGCC) – led by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) - Government actor (Departments, Agencies, etc.) ( National / Federal body )

https://www.mpa.gov.sg/home

SI Scope

SI Process

Start Date: August 2022 End Date: April 2023

Start Date: April 2024 End Date: Ongoing

Start Date: March 2025 End Date: Ongoing

The system enters its Diffusion phase in 2028, as the partner fleet scales to over 200 sustainable-fuel-ready vessels. This scaling is the critical step needed to realize the corridor’s 2030 goal of cutting emissions by up to 30%. The transition to ammonia and hydrogen as the next wave of fuels is planned to follow during the early 2030s.

Link to H2020 SI Priorities

• Climate change mitigation solutions
• Eco-innovation and green economy transition
• ICT systems improving resource efficiency
• Long-term raw materials availability
• Climate action eco-innovation policies

SI Type

• System - This corridor is a multidimensional transformation that integrates technological (hydrogen fuels), infrastructural (port terminals), and digital (data sharing) elements into a single functional network. It requires the simultaneous reorganization of the entire Asia-Europe maritime value chain rather than a single product change.

• Product / Process - The digital layer includes Port Call Optimization services, using real-time data to reduce vessel waiting times and improve the overall efficiency of the global network.
• Service / Process - It involves the technical development of zero-emission vessel designs and the specialized industrial processes required for high-volume hydrogen bunkering at port nodes.
• Organisational / Business model - It introduces new commercial structures, such as ’green fuel contracts’ and ’chain of custody’ models, to make expensive zero-emission energy competitive with traditional fuels.
• Governance - The project relies on a public-private coalition to harmonize international safety standards and regulatory frameworks for handling new fuels like ammonia across different jurisdictions.

SI Objectives

• Decarbonize Trans-Oceanic Shipping: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the world’s longest trade route by transitioning to low-carbon fuels.
• Enable First Hydrogen/Ammonia Voyages: Deploy the first commercial large-scale container vessels powered by green hydrogen or ammonia by 2030.
• Standardize Bunkering Protocols: Harmonize safety standards and refueling procedures between the Port of Rotterdam and the MPA Singapore.
• Implement Digital Data Exchange: Optimize vessel arrival times and fuel consumption using a shared digital ’corridor twin’

• Market Acceleration: Create sufficient demand for green fuels to encourage private investment in hydrogen production infrastructure.
• Strategic Network Resiliency: Reduce reliance on fossil-fuel supply chains and mitigate risks associated with carbon-based energy volatility.

SI Origin

The initiation of this System Innovation was a strategic response to the 2021 Clydebank Declaration signed at COP26, which called for the establishment of ’Green Shipping Corridors’ to reach maritime decarbonization tipping points. The process was formally operationalized in August 2022 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. This initial government-to-government (G2G) agreement was designed not as a traditional trade treaty, but as a ’Living Laboratory’ framework to synchronize the ’Twin Transition’ of green energy and digitalization. To move beyond a high-level vision, the ports immediately appointed two specialized ’Action Partners’ to lead the technical initiation: the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (for techno-economic modeling of fuel pathways) and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) (for route-based port-to-port pilots). This led to th

SI Factors of success

• Technological - Success depends on the rapid maturation of ammonia-ready internal combustion engines and high-capacity fuel cells, alongside the deployment of specialized cryogenic storage and bunkering infrastructure at both port nodes.
• Economic - The innovation requires new commercial structures to bridge the price gap between fossil fuels and green hydrogen. Success is tied to the creation of a viable market for zero-emission shipping services through ’green fuel’ contracts.
• Environmental - The primary driver is the mandatory reduction of maritime carbon footprints. Success is measured by the system’s ability to significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions on a major global trade lane.
• Political - As a government-led initiative, success relies on international policy alignment. It requires high-level bilateral cooperation to establish the regulatory frameworks and safety standards needed for cross-border hydrogen transport.

Sources

• Primary - These include official Cooperation Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), and joint press releases issued directly by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. How they help map the SI case: Players: They explicitly name the ’Network Orchestrators’ (the two ports) and identify the specific 28 global partners across the container shipping value chain, including carriers like Maersk and MSC. Practices: These sources define the ’Green’ and ’Digital’ workstreams, such as establishing working groups for specific fuels (ammonia, methanol, hydrogen) and testing Ship-to-Shore (S2S) data exchange APIs. Outcomes: They state the official targets, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20–30% by 2030 and achieving the first sustainable vessel sailings by 2027.
• Secondary - These consist of industrial reports from the Global Maritime Forum, the World Economic Forum, and academic research (e.g., Erasamus University Rotterdam) that analyze the broader ’Green Corridor’ movement. How they help map the SI case: Players: These reports provide a broader view of ’Stakeholder Clusters,’ categorizing actors into fuel producers, cargo owners, and financial institutions that are not always listed in the initial MoUs. Practices: They offer deep-dives into the ’Feasibility Wall’—the economic gap between fossil fuels and hydrogen—and describe the ’Commercial Structures’ needed to bridge this gap. Outcomes: They provide independent verification of pilot successes, such as the first successful bunkering of liquefied bio-methane in Rotterdam, and evaluate the ’Learning Spillovers’ for other global corridors.