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The north's journey to becoming a world player in a zero-emissions future

Accelerate green shipping and digitalized shipbuilding

The maritime sector in the Northern Netherlands is pooling its knowledge and expertise to realize the technology needed for “green” shipping and digitalized shipbuilding. The “Digital & Green Maritime Coalition” is founded on the initiative of the Groninger Maritime Board and Conoship International, we strive to lead the way in the transition to large-scale emission-free shipping. To this end, the partners are developing the “Green & Digital Maritime Innovation Ecosystem North-Netherlands” (GDMIEN-NL). The initiative is supported by the Province of Groningen and SNN with an ERDF subsidy of 1.4 million euros.

Innovative Industry Development in the Northern Netherlands

Developing new technologies for emission-free shipping, as well as for related industrial activities for building and supplying the equipment and installations for ships from existing industrial sectors.

Maintaining and structurally expanding employment

In the most important sector of the Northern Netherlands manufacturing industry: the maritime industry.

Accelerating emission-free shipping

By offering society the opportunity to build the first “green” ships, based on existing knowledge, and kickstart the building process and industrial activities required for a large fleet of emission-free ships.

Employment: 5000 additional FTE by 2030

New industrial activities will focus entirely on the production of green energy systems and emission-free ships. This will lead to new employment in existing maritime companies (now about 4500 FTEs) and expand the employment in new and existing factories with about 5000 FTEs by 2030.

Some “green” technologies that are currently used only land are already compatible with use on ships. This means that the industry transition can already begin. By combining this with the digitalization and robotization of the shipbuilding process of the Northern Netherlands shipyards and their co-makers, this transition will go hand in hand with a major technological innovation in shipbuilding. This means the innovative emission-free ships can be built here in a very competitive manner. This makes employment in this industry in the North of the Netherlands even more future proof.

Contribution to emission-free economy: 18 megaTon CO₂ & x kiloTon NOx (nitrogen) reduction potential of fleet built in the Northern Netherlands up to 2050

The accelerated emission-free shipping offers the region, its industrial transition, and society an enormous additional opportunity. Society is eager for an accelerated transition to an emission-free economy, without the emission of CO₂ and nitrogen compounds (NOx). With the right support from government, the plans of the Digital & Green Maritime Coalition can make a considerable contribution to this in the very short term by beginning with what is already possible. This will bring many emission-free ships into commercial service.

This makes the Northern Netherlands a potential world player in the field of developing and producing the required innovative emission-free ship propulsion technology, and in building and supplying the ships in which that technology is optimally integrated.

Digital & Green Maritime Coalition projects

This project will develop “Redox Flow” battery systems for fully electrically powered cargo ships. It is carried out by a start-up company in cooperation with the University of Groningen and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen. The concept is based on “land-based” technology which has proven to be effective. A new test facility and a factory with hundreds of FTEs are planned for the battery systems’ production. With smart stimulation, the Netherlands can build a global leader in emission-free electric freight transport by sea.

Full electric propulsion on Conoship vessel with Redox flow battery
Share robotic facility of the Green Maritime Coalition

The development of a robotized micro panel factory with and by the Northern Netherlands shipyards, for centralized digitized production of steel panels and sub-sections for the shipyards. This will make the production of ships in the Northern Netherlands shipbuilding even more efficient, with production prices that are more than competitive with East and Southeast Asia. This will lead to an expansion of shipbuilding capacity and employment with the co-makers of existing yards.

This project aims to expand the development and production of the “VentiFoils”: auxiliary wind propulsion units for ships. These units are produced by Econowind BV in Groningen. After the successful “Proof-of-Concept” of smaller 10 m VentiFoil systems on coastal vessels, they will now also produce installations for much larger deep-sea vessels. There is strong growth in demand from all over the world for these types of vessels. New production facilities will be developed and built for the large-scale serial production of “VentiFoils XL” (30-50 m height).

Wind assisted propulsion on Conoship CIP vessel
Future fuel ready Conoship vessel

This project will look at the maritime application of fuel cell technology. The hydrogen developments at Gasunie and fuel cell supplier Holthausen/Hyzon in Groningen are still mainly focused on the automotive sector but are being expanded to include maritime applications. This will generate new employment opportunities and facilities to produce these technologies in the Northern Netherlands.

This project will focus on adapting CO₂ capture systems for use on maritime vessels. Bouman Industries of Veendam is now successfully supplying CO₂ capture systems for use on land. They are also developing the technology for use on board, ultimately targeting use on commercial vessels. To this end, they are planning to expand their facilities in Veendam to allow large-scale production.

LNG-CO2 capture onboard EverLoNG project
Fieldlab shipbuilding Green Maritime Coalition robotics

In the FieldLab Smart Shipbuilding 4.0 project, new assembly methods will be developed. These new methods aim to make optimal use of the supplied “micro panels” and to integrate the ship systems into them. Digital support for the cooperation and coordination of co-makers and shipyards will make the finishing and installation of emission-free technologies and other engine room and electrical systems in ships much more efficient. As a result, shipyards in the Northern Netherlands can apply and integrate innovative zero-emission technologies in ships that are built competitively. This means the latest “green” innovations are not immediately available in elaborate design packages at shipyards in East and Southeast Asia.

This project will develop and construct four “Proof-of-Concept” ships for the further testing and development of the “green” technologies and construction processes. The coalition envisages that, in cooperation with governments, support mechanisms will be developed to enable these emission-free ships to compete with their polluting fossil-based competitors. The aim is to show the market that “it can be done”.

Proof of concept Conoship hydrogen ship

Accelerate green shipping and digitalised shipbuilding with the Digital & Green Maritime Coalition partners

Technology developers

Builders

Shipping companies

Knowledge institutions

Educational institutions

Governments

Cooperation between the members of the Digital & Green Maritime Coalition, combined with digitalization of the building process we make the future of emission-free shipping in the Northern Netherlands. Support is needed from the Province, EU, and national government to accelerate the innovations and development of the Northern Netherlands, for:

  1. R&D activities in GMC of approx. EUR 20 million
  2. Investment in new GMC production locations in North Netherlands: approx. EUR 250 million
  3. Development and testing of four Proof-of-Concept vessels:
    • Investment phase: ca. EUR 40 million: subsidies R&D/valorisation/NOx-free/CO2-free sailing + participation & financing guarantees
    • Operational phase until 2050: ca EUR xx billion SDE++ subsidy on green H2 + on emission-free transport for an “operational level playing field” with competing for fossil-based transport
    • ETS CO₂ rights for shipping (limited amount of SDE++ compensation needed)

Together the Digital & Green Maritime Coalition is leading the way in the transition to large-scale emission-free shipping.
Parties that have committed are various industry partners, knowledge institutions, and the Groninger Maritime Board.