A consortium convened by the Global Maritime Forum (GMF) and RMI has been launched to explore the development of a green shipping corridor linking the Port of Açu in Brazil with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium.

The initiative brings together port authorities at both ends of the proposed corridor alongside industry participants including HIF Global, Fuella, NYK Line, Höegh Autoliners and Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

Furthermore, the group will examine the infrastructure requirements, vessel readiness and commercial frameworks needed to enable the large-scale transport of zero-carbon fuels such as e-ammonia and e-methanol produced in Brazil.

Under the proposed concept, the fuels would be shipped using vessels powered by the same or comparable low- and zero-emission energy sources, forming part of an integrated supply chain approach to decarbonised maritime transport.

The consortium builds on earlier work by RMI and the Global Maritime Forum, including a pre-feasibility study published in November 2025, which identified the Port of Açu as a potentially competitive production hub for e-fuels.

The study cited Brazil’s supportive policy framework for green hydrogen, its largely renewable electricity mix, abundant renewable energy resources and relatively low cost of capital as key advantages. A separate 2024 report by the two organisations, Oceans of Opportunity, also highlighted Açu’s potential to serve as a major export hub for future e-fuel production.

Commenting on the initiative, Eleanor Wells, Senior Project Manager at the Global Maritime Forum, said the collaboration marked a step forward in aligning emerging production capacity in Brazil with anticipated demand for e-fuels in Europe.

Green shipping corridors are dedicated trade routes where the feasibility of zero-emission shipping is catalysed by public and private action.

These routes are seen as central to delivering on the shipping industry’s goal of having zero-emission fuels account for 5% of all fuels by 2030.

While green corridors have rapidly expanded in popularity worldwide, and a handful of initiatives have now reached the realisation stage, the most recent edition of the Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors warned that progress is being stalled by a ‘feasibility wall’ created by the cost gap between conventional and zero-emission fuels.

The Global Maritime Forum and RMI will continue to facilitate the realisation of the Açu-Antwerp green corridor, with work already moving at pace to progress beyond pre-feasibility and develop a feasibility analysis for the corridor. The feasibility analysis is expected to be published by the end of the year, with the consortium meeting regularly in the meantime.

…the Global Maritime Forum stated.