Green Corridors in Practice: Assessing Ammonia Adoption for DFDS Ro-Ro Shipping between Gothenburg and Antwerp-Bruges

Abstract

By contrasting the Port of Gothenburg and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, this thesis investigates the infrastructure and regulatory obstacles to operating DFDS ammonia-fueled Ro-Ro vessels on the Sweden–Belgium corridor and suggests solutions at the corridor level. The study used a qualitative, cross-case approach, combining document analysis (port rules, technical assessments, and public plans) with six semi-structured interviews with port authority employees, terminal operators, and industry stakeholders in both ports. A reflective thematic analysis was used to code and synthesis the data, led by the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) framework (which evaluates the maturity of vessel- and port-side systems) and Stakeholder Theory (which explains power, interests, and decision rights). There are four noteworthy findings. (1) Regulatory and safety readiness: Sequencing conflicts and conservative defaults are caused by multi-level governance and misaligned permission "gates" (class, insurer, national authority, and port), particularly in relation to liability and emergency preparedness. (2) Port infrastructure: ammonia-specific adaptations, such as spill containment, continuous detection, and spatial zoning/exclusion, are still mid-TRL and have not yet been verified under real Ro-Ro situations, even though storage and transfer solutions can benefit from previous gaseous-fuel expertise. (3) Stakeholder collaboration and governance: Antwerp-Bruges' polycentric, multi-tenant environment slows choices and increases gatekeeper influence (regulators, insurers, class); Gothenburg's more centralized convening model allows for speedier alignment. (4) Technology readiness: a number of components are at TRL 6–7, but the bottleneck preventing the corridor from being deployment ready is the vessel–port interface, particularly SIMOPS. The thesis suggests the following author-derived strategies: phased retrofits that make use of existing assets; a corridor stakeholder forum with explicit liability-sharing arrangements; early, cooperative engagement with regulators, insurers, and the class during pilots; shared plume-modelling and multi-agency drills; corridor-wide safety and SIMOPS baselines; and standardized TRL criteria across both ports. When institutional consent and technological proof are generated simultaneously in operational Ro-Ro pilots, the corridor moves practically. Conceptually, integrating Stakeholder Theory with TRL demonstrates that the pace from demonstration to normal operations is controlled by institutional synchronization rather than hardware alone. Future research on longitudinal pilots, comparative corridors, and quantitative risk/techno-economic assessment is suggested by the limitations (sample scope and single-corridor focus).