The Council of Ministers approved this Tuesday, at the proposal of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the National Action Plan for the Decarbonization 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. Likewise, the aid will promote pilot projects for the use of new renewable fuels of non-biological origin, such as ammonia or methanol.
In statements to El Canal during the II Technical Conference on Autonomous Ships, Ana Núñez, Director General of the Merchant Navy, stated: “We have been working for months to have a Decarbonization Plan for Spain. The primary objective is to help our fleet meet the decarbonization commitments and objectives for 2035,” stated Ana Núñez, Director General of the Merchant Navy.
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 bidding procedures in which shipping companies can participate, provided they meet the required requirements.
Núñez detailed that the aid will materialize “through a Ministerial Order, on which we are already working, and which will establish the objective lines. We hope to have approximately 50 million euros per year for 5 years”.
The Administration will ensure compliance with the commitments made by the beneficiary companies and will annually supervise the emissions associated with the subsidized projects.
Regarding the justification for the support, the Director General of the Merchant Navy explained: “We understand that the fleet has already made a significant outlay by paying for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Directive, so it is necessary that we try to assist them so that they can achieve these decarbonization objectives.”
This plan, led by the Directorate General of the Merchant Navy 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.
The National Action Plan for the Decarbonization 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.
The initiative has been led by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, in line with the decarbonization policies of the International Maritime Organization and the European Union
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.
