Splash247: South Korea puts green shipping corridors into law

Published by Splash247

South Korea is moving to turn green shipping corridors from bilateral pledges into domestic law, publishing the detailed rules behind what Seoul claims is the world’s first dedicated legislation governing their development.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on Thursday it had drawn up the enforcement decree and regulations for the Special Act on Support for the Establishment of Green Shipping Corridors, with public consultation starting next week. The law takes effect on April 1 next year.

Green corridors are routes connecting ports where low- or zero-carbon fuels, electricity and other clean technologies are used to reduce emissions across the maritime transport chain.

The new Korean rules will spell out which marine fuels qualify, the requirements ports must meet to be designated environmentally friendly and the procedures for establishing individual corridors.

The legislation is significant because green corridor projects around the world have largely developed through memoranda of understanding between governments, ports and shipping companies rather than through dedicated national legislation.

South Korea is pairing the framework with a much wider shipbuilding and fleet-renewal programme.

Under its second national plan for developing and deploying environmentally friendly ships, covering 2026 to 2035, Seoul intends to support the green conversion of 889 public and private vessels.

The government also plans to support smaller domestic yards with green ship design and equipment demonstration projects while encouraging more environmentally friendly tonnage to be constructed in Korea.