The European Commission (EC) has approved a €103 million Dutch state aid scheme aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of the Netherlands’ maritime fleet.

According to a Commission press statement issued on Monday, the funding will support both the purchase of new vessels powered by methanol or renewable hydrogen and the conversion of existing vessels to operate on those fuels.

The scheme applies to passenger, cargo and work vessels, with a particular focus on the short-sea shipping sector, which is often central to regional trade and port-connected transport in Europe.

Support will be provided in the form of direct grants awarded through an open and competitive selection process.

The Commission said the aid is designed to help shipping companies deal with the high upfront cost of investing in cleaner technologies, which it described as a major obstacle to broader adoption.

The grants will be available from 2027 to 2031. They are intended to support the rollout of clean shipping technologies while helping meet the objectives of EU policies including FuelEU Maritime and the EU ETS, both of which are part of the wider regulatory push shaping shipping’s fuel choices and emissions compliance planning in the years ahead.

Ship & Bunker News Team

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