Namibia is one of five countries in the Global South where pre-feasibility studies for green corridors will be conducted.
The green corridors are maritime routes that showcase low- and zero-emission lifecycle fuels and technologies with the ambition to achieve zero emissions.
They are multistakeholder partnerships where public and private actors work together to realize the potential of decarbonizing a shipping route, promoting closer dialogue and collaboration between stakeholders in the ecosystem along the whole maritime value chain, from the local production of alternative energy and alternative fuels to the port infrastructure, vessel owners and operators and cargo owners.
The green corridor pre-feasibility study identifies the essential enabling conditions for green corridor projects, including financing, safety, and regulation, as well as the ideal geographical areas to develop for the production of alternative energy, alternative fuels, ports and maritime activities in the country.
The pre-feasibility study thus becomes a basis from which the national and local authorities decide on their selection criteria for the green corridors, ensuring that these comply with federal and regional strategies for the green transition.
The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (The Center), the US Department of State, the US Department of Energy, and the Danish Government have joined forces to resource and execute pre-feasibility studies for green corridors.
Fiji and Panama have also been chosen, while the names of the other two will be revealed later.
The plan to conduct pre-feasibility studies was announced at COP28 in Dubai in the presence of US Special Envoy John Kerry, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Minister of Energy of Namibia Tom Alweendo, Prime Minister of Fiji Sitiveni Rabuka, and CEO of the Center Bo Cerup-Simonsen.
The project partners will work closely with national and local stakeholders and the private sector, ensuring strong national ownership and capacity building.
Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping CEO Bo Cerup-Simonsen said: “We are facing a global transition that needs to be inclusive, just and equitable to be truly sustainable: from East to West and from South to North.
“Many countries in the Global South are now acting with dedication and urgency to seize the opportunity of catalyzing a transition with social growth opportunities. We are excited to partner with the US State Department, the US Department of Energy and the Danish Government to establish the Global South Green Corridors with Latin America, Africa and the Pacific countries. ”
Namibia’s hydrogen commissioner, James Mnyupe, said: “Green maritime corridors are an essential response to the need to combat climate change effectively. However, for a seafaring nation like Namibia, they are equally impactful catalysts for development and a bedrock for sustainable industrialization and a key ingredient of our nation’s Green Industrialization Agenda.”
