The Nordic Roadmap for the Introduction of Sustainable Zero Carbon Fuels in Shipping for 2025 to 2027 is managed by DNV with support from Everllence, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Icelandic New Energy, Sintef Ocean and VTT. Its focus is to turn early pilots into scalable, commercially viable routes and to address the financial and policy bottlenecks that have so far slowed progress.
Phase one of the roadmap ended last year and set the strategic direction for fuel pathways and identified opportunities for Nordic collaboration. Phase two shifts the emphasis to identifying and developing two to three priority corridors towards realisation. A new task force will examine models for joint financing and risk sharing among operators, cargo interests and governments.
Zero-carbon fuels face significant cost challenges, and the partners note that coordinated policy support and market demand will be needed to justify investment in production and bunkering capacity. Transition progress will be monitored annually through a new barometer established under the roadmap, which will track developments and highlight areas where policy or industry action is falling behind.
The Global Maritime Forum recently reported that three of the four green corridors currently in operation globally are in the Nordic region. These include two ferry routes between Sweden and Finland, and a hydrogen fuelled vessel operating from Norway to Rotterdam. Several other Nordic corridor proposals are under development but have yet to produce tangible results, underscoring the importance of a structured regional approach.
Policymakers in the region argue that cross border cooperation is essential for maintaining momentum. Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Norway’s minister of climate and environment, commented: ‘The Nordic countries have a strong green maritime industry, and through good cooperation, the Nordic region has great opportunities to establish zero emission shipping routes. This collaborative project will pave the way for that. This new phase of the project aims to strengthen collaboration among industry stakeholders and explore how we can finance green shipping routes. We are moving from planning to action, and I look forward to following the project as it progresses.’
Industry groups also stress that achieving scale requires alignment across research, finance and technology. Markus Rautanen of VTT said: ‘Decarbonizing shipping is not just a technological challenge, it is a systemic transformation that demands collaboration across research, industry and policymakers.’
Trond Johsen of Sintef Ocean noted that while the roadmap provides direction, the practicalities remain complex. ‘The roadmap tells the industry where to go, but is less detailed on what to pack and how to afford the tickets. With the Phase 2 project, we will support the industry and the governments with insights and tools to get through the ever challenging implementation process.’
Stakeholders expect phase two to place greater emphasis on the interests of cargo owners, who will be critical in underwriting demand for low carbon services. Port readiness for alternative fuels, from hydrogen to advanced biofuels, is also a priority, particularly as infrastructure gaps remain a constraint in areas such as Iceland where the fishing fleet presents a specific challenge.
