France goes big on maritime decarbonization with ‘CORIMER low-carbon ships’ initiative

The French government is launching a new call for proposals to accelerate the production of low-carbon ships and boats in the country.

The “CORIMER Low-Carbon Ships”call for proposals aims to support innovations and accelerate the decarbonization of the maritime transport sector. The closing date for proposal submission is October 15, 2025.

Led by the Guidance Council for Research and Innovation of Marine Industries (CORIMER) and operated on behalf of the state by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), this initiative aims to give professionals in the maritime sector the opportunity to continue to innovate in order to decarbonize.

Specifically, the initiative intends to support the innovation, development, or improvement of components, equipment and systems enabling the decarbonization of maritime transport and service operations and river transport as well as to support demonstrator, pilot, or commercial-first projects that would allow the marine and inland waterway industry sectors to develop new solutions and to structure.

The program will support non-fossil fuels-powered projects focused on the reduction of energy consumption and impacts— such as those focused on energy efficiency and operational excellence, etc. What is more, the integration of renewable and low-carbon energy into ships and boats would be supported, including innovative propulsion systems, electric propulsion, sustainable fuels (except H2), low-carbon energies and wind propulsion.

“Decarbonizing ships is essential to achieving our climate objectives. This concretely implies that the sector is able to both decarbonize the existing fleet and produce low-carbon ships. This call for projects will support companies’ commitment to decarbonization and innovation in the maritime sector. This is my goal for the planet and for our maritime industry,” Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, the Sea and Fisheries, commented.

“This upcoming call for projects is an important step in the decarbonization of maritime transport. It will support the emergence of decarbonized technologies and contribute to the competitiveness of the industrial sectors that depend on them. This is our challenge: to strengthen our skills and know-how in the maritime transport industry with the ambition of reconciling industrial sovereignty and environmental transition,” Marc Ferracci, Minister for Industry and Energy, pointed out.

“Companies in the maritime sector are determined to commit to decarbonization, as demonstrated by the increasing number of low-carbon vessels being put into service. However, they are still too often faced with insufficiently mature technologies. This is why the Government will launch this new call for projects, in order to support the efforts of the sector and to encourage the emergence of efficient and competitive low-carbon solutions,” Philippe Tabarot, Minister for Transport, stated.

The decarbonization of maritime transport is said to be a major challenge to achieving international and European climate objectives. The European Union, as part of its “Fit for 55” plan, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from this sector by 55% by 2030 and 90% by 2050.

France is committed to “a very strong and ambitious decarbonization” of this sector, with the the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships as its main compass.

“It is therefore essential that maritime transport be technologically ready to enable this decarbonization,” The French Ministry of Ecological Transition explained.

In related news, France witnessed a boom in the windship propulsion sector in 2024, which is expected to continue this year as well. The country has welcomed several new ships to its wind-powered fleet in support of eco-friendly transport, with a number of vessels under construction yet to enter service.