The Government closes the consultation on the maritime decarbonisation plan in a week

The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility concludes in one week the period of public consultation on the bases of the aid programme for the decarbonisation of maritime transport, “a key initiative at a time when the sector is going through growing regulatory and competitive pressure”. The consultation, open until 15 April, is the last step prior to the definition of a subsidy scheme that seeks to accelerate the energy transition of maritime transport, while trying to contain the adverse effects arising from the application of the European emissions trading system (ETS). Specifically, this public consultation aims to gather the opinion of the sector (shipping companies, operators, associations and other agents involved) “on the design of the regulatory bases of the programme, including aspects such as eligibility criteria, the type of bankable projects or the effectiveness of the proposed measures”. With this, the ministry seeks to adjust the instrument before its final approval and ensure that it responds to the real needs of the market. The future order will establish the aid framework for the period 2026-2030, with a competitive competition model that will prioritise those projects with the greatest capacity to reduce emissions per euro invested. In addition, the programme aims to channel resources towards capital-intensive investments, such as ship renovations, engine modernisation, the adoption of low- or zero-emission fuels or the adaptation of port and energy infrastructures, in line with the European objectives of the Fit for 55 climate package and international decarbonisation targets. The measure comes in a context marked by the tensions that short-sea maritime transport is going through, where operators and shipping companies have been warning of a loss of competitiveness compared to the road. Since the entry into force of the ETS for maritime transport, the sector has warned of an increase in costs that has not been passed on homogeneously to the rest of the modes of transport. In fact, during the last conference on short-sea maritime transport, the CEO of Grimaldi in Spain, Mario Massarotti, questioned the application of the system in this segment by considering that “it could make sense on certain lines, but not in short distance when you are promoting removing trucks from the road and you do not penalize them”.

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