Danish Shipping arrived in Belem, Brazil, with a clear mission. The industry association is turning COP30 into a springboard for faster adoption of fuels that deliver real climate gains, such as green methanol, ammonia, ethanol and advanced biodiesel. By convening ministers, financiers, fuel suppliers and shipowners, the group wants to translate recent International Maritime Organization dialogue into concrete multi-billion-dollar projects.
COP30 comes at a pivotal moment. Shipping produces about three percent of global greenhouse emissions and yet solutions are within reach. Danish Shipping is therefore hosting the public side event Green transition of shipping With or without the IMO to highlight scalable answers. Strong collaboration with Brazil is front and center because the nation can supply renewable ethanol and ammonia derived from abundant sugarcane residues and wind power.
Key Actions Announced
· Launch of a Brazil Denmark fuel corridor concept linking Belem and Aarhus.
· Joint call for international carbon pricing to close the remaining cost gap.
· Agreement to share vessel efficiency data through an open digital platform.
· Commitment that at least five percent of Danish controlled tonnage will sail on net zero fuels by 2030.
A Fresh Perspective
An overlooked factor is the seasonal alignment of Brazilian ethanol harvests with peak Nordic electricity surpluses from offshore wind. Surplus wind power can support ammonia synthesis during
northern summer while fresh ethanol shipments move north during the same shipping window. Coordinating these cycles could cut storage costs and deliver price parity for green ammonia roughly two years sooner than present forecasts suggest. Such timing advantages demonstrate how logistics thinking can accelerate climate innovation.
Conclusion
The message from Danish Shipping is refreshingly clear. The tools funding and political will for clean ocean transport already exist. What matters now is pragmatic collaboration across value chains. Alliances forged at COP30 show that the maritime sector can transform emissions challenges into commercial opportunity and shared prosperity.