Work to transition the maritime sector away from fossil fuels has been delayed due to the hard-to-decarbonize nature of activities such as long-range shipping, but there are reasons to focus and fast-track maritime decarbonization. Ports play a critical role in connecting multiple industrial sectors, energy subsectors, and multiple modes of transport—including road, rail, and shipping—and action at ports can unlock decarbonization opportunities landside and seaside.
On November 3, 2023, Oceans North, the Vancouver Maritime Centre for Climate, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and Arup, convened a multi-stakeholder workshop on New Energy Markets in West Coast Shipping to link clean energy projects with the marine value chain and figure out how energy export projects can be leveraged to decarbonize ports, shipping and marine transportation.
The starting point of this conversation was the Canadian Green Shipping Corridors Preliminary Assessment completed by Oceans North, Arup, and Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub. Energy producers were brought into the room with other supply-chain actors to discuss solutions to zero-emission energy supply and offtake.
This report summarises the discussion and outcomes identified by workshop participants during the event.