Monaco backs EU project to decarbonise shipping with hydrogen
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
The Princely Government is co-funding MARINER, a 13-partner European research project developing hydrogen propulsion technology for maritime vessels.
The Princely Government has joined a European research consortium working to decarbonise commercial shipping, marking a notable step in Monaco's engagement with EU-backed innovation programmes. The MARINER project, coordinated by Norwegian institute NORCE Research, brings together thirteen partners from the maritime, energy and technology sectors to develop and validate hydrogen-based propulsion systems for vessels.
Monaco has held a co-financing arrangement with the European Commission since 2022 that allows Monegasque companies to participate in certain collaborative EU projects despite the Principality being outside the bloc. That framework is what makes the government's involvement in MARINER possible, and its use here signals an intention to apply it more actively in the maritime and environmental space.
For a Principality whose economy and identity are closely tied to the sea, backing cleaner shipping technology carries obvious relevance. The Port of Monaco and the broader yachting and maritime services sector operating out of the Principality stand to be directly affected by whatever decarbonisation standards emerge from European regulation in the coming decade. Projects like MARINER are where those standards are shaped.