US legislation would create US$1Bn annual funding for zero-emission ship technologies  

A bill has been filed in Congress to provide US$1Bn annually to finance R&D and the deployment of zero-emission technologies on US ships.

The legislation, HR 10174, Zero Emission Vessel Innovation Act, was introduced during the ‘lame duck’ session of Congress in the House by Representative Nanette Barragán (D-California) and seven Democratic co-sponsors on 20 November.

The legislation directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a program to support the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of zero-emission vessels and retrofit or replacement of existing vessels with zero-emission technologies and charging or fuelling infrastructure, and for other purposes. The legislation was referred to the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The NGO Ocean Conservancy said it worked closely with Congresswoman Barragán to craft the bill, which it says would provide dedicated funding for first adopters of new, clean technologies; a critical gap in existing efforts to decarbonise the shipping industry. US$1Bn would be made available annually from 2025 to 2034 under the bill.

International shipping produces about 3% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to IMO. The organisation has proposed and enacted measures to reduce CO2 and GHG emissions from ships, with an ambition to reach net zero by 2050.

“Transitioning this industry to zero-emission technologies has the power to help us meet our global climate goals and improve public health, and that starts right here in the US,” said Ocean Conservancy US policy manager for shipping emissions, Caroline Bonfield. “We must ensure this industry has the resources to retrofit existing vessels and design and build new zero-emission vessels.”