The Council of Ministers has approved, at the proposal of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the National Action Plan for the Decarbonisation of Maritime Transport, which includes a plan for public aid of 250 million euros over the next 5 years (2026-2030). This aid is intended to support shipping companies in the renewal and transformation of existing ships and the construction of new ones that are low in greenhouse gas emissions. This figure is far from the one initially planned, according to maritime sector sources who indicated to NAUCHERglobal, who recall that the investment comes from the revenue collected from the inclusion of maritime transport in the European Union (EU) emissions trading scheme.
After learning of the approval by the Council of Ministers, the Director General of the Merchant Marine, Ana Núñez, stated in exclusive declarations to NAUCHERglobal that “we value the Maritime Transport Decarbonisation Plan positively, as it lays the foundations for the commitment to transform the sector into a much more sustainable activity. It is an initiative on which we have worked hard to move forward.” Despite admitting that the total budget of the plan, set at 250 million euros for the next five years, “is not the amount we initially expected, it is true that it offers flexibility to allocate more funds, if available, through other channels.”
Although there is a belief that the National Action Plan for the Decarbonisation of Maritime Transport is funded by the revenue from the Emissions Trading Systems (ETS), the surcharge on CO2 emissions from ships in community waters, Ana Núñez clarified that “not all the revenue from the maritime ETS goes to the sector, which is why we are happy that it has been approved by the Council of Ministers.” From now on, the Merchant Marine will work on materializing the plan through the publication of ministerial orders with the requirements that beneficiaries must meet so that shipowners can advance and commit decisively to investments to decarbonize the maritime fleet.
New Fuels
Likewise, the aid will promote pilot projects for the use of new renewable fuels of non-biological origin, such as ammonia or methanol. The initial planned investment of 250 million comes from the revenue generated by the incorporation of maritime transport into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). These funds will be distributed through tender procedures in which shipping companies can participate, provided they meet the required requirements.
The Administration will ensure compliance with the commitments made by the beneficiary companies and will annually supervise the emissions associated with the subsidized projects. This plan, led by the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, has the consensus of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, and establishes the strategic lines, measures, and aid programs to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Decarbonisation Plan
The National Action Plan for the Decarbonisation of Maritime Transport is one of the pillars of the recently approved National Maritime Strategy 2025-2050 and the Safe, Sustainable and Connected Mobility Strategy 2030, both from the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. It is also a response to the commitments made by Spain within the framework of the International Maritime Organization and the European Union, especially in the context of the Fit for 55 legislative package, the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), and the FuelEU Maritime Regulation.
