Zero carbon shipping market seen topping $4 billion by 2030

By AI, Created 4:24 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The Business Research Company says the zero carbon shipping market is on track to exceed $4 billion by 2030, led by Asia Pacific and China. The forecast highlights hydrogen, ammonia and battery-electric vessels as the main growth engines as shipping firms race to cut emissions.

Why it matters: - Zero carbon shipping is moving from niche to meaningful scale as regulators, carriers and ports push to cut maritime emissions. - The forecast points to a market that could capture about 1% of the parent deep-sea, coastal and Great Lakes shipping market by 2030. - The segment would still be small inside the broader transport services industry, but the report shows clear momentum in alternative fuels and low-emission propulsion.

What happened: - The Business Research Company released its Zero Carbon Shipping Market Report 2026, covering market size, trends and forecasts for 2026-2035. - The report puts the zero carbon shipping market above $4 billion by 2030. - The market is expected to grow at a 9% CAGR through 2030. - The report also sizes the parent deep-sea, coastal and Great Lakes market at about $730 billion by 2030. - The broader transport services industry is projected to reach $12,477 billion by 2030.

The details: - Asia Pacific is forecast to be the largest region in 2030, at $1.6 billion, up from $1.0 billion in 2025. - Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a 10% CAGR. - China is projected to be the largest country market in 2030, at $0.9 billion, up from $0.5 billion in 2025. - China is also expected to grow at a 10% CAGR. - Cargo ships are projected to be the largest ship-type segment, accounting for 27% of the market, or about $1 billion, in 2030. - The report segments the market by fuel type into green hydrogen, green ammonia, bio-liquefied natural gas, methanol and synthetic fuels. - The report segments the market by technology into fuel cell propulsion, battery-electric propulsion, hybrid propulsion systems, wind-assisted propulsion and solar-assisted propulsion. - The report segments the market by application into deep-sea shipping, short-sea shipping and inland water transport. - The report segments the market by end user into manufacturing, oil and gas, agriculture, retail, passenger transportation and other industries. - The cargo ships segment is supported by retrofitting of existing vessels, digital voyage optimization and investment in zero-carbon fuel supply chains. - The report projects the cargo ships market to grow by $0.3 billion from 2025 to 2030. - The container ships market is projected to grow by $0.3 billion over the same period. - The tankers market is projected to grow by $0.2 billion. - The bulk carriers market is projected to grow by $0.2 billion. - The passenger ships market is projected to grow by $0.1 billion. - Together, those five ship-type segments are expected to add more than $1.3 billion in market value by 2030.

Between the lines: - The forecast suggests shipping decarbonization is being driven by technology readiness as much as policy pressure. - Hydrogen propulsion is gaining attention for medium- and long-distance routes because of onboard storage improvements, fuel-cell efficiency gains and the absence of direct carbon emissions. - Green ammonia is emerging as a competing option because it is easier to store than hydrogen and can support long-haul decarbonization. - Battery-electric vessels are advancing fastest in short-sea shipping and inland waterways, where improved battery density and charging infrastructure matter most. - The report assigns annual growth contributions of about 3.0% to hydrogen propulsion, 2.8% to green ammonia and 2.3% to battery-electric vessels. - The report says Asia Pacific’s growth is linked to maritime trade expansion, green port spending, fleet modernization and collaboration between shipping companies and technology providers. - The report says China’s growth is tied to shipbuilding leadership, pilot zero-emission vessels, hydrogen and ammonia fuel ecosystems, electrified short-distance fleets and propulsion investments.

What’s next: - More capital is likely to flow into alternative-fuel bunkering, green port infrastructure and fleet retrofits as carriers prepare for tighter decarbonization targets. - Hydrogen and ammonia infrastructure will be key watchpoints for long-haul shipping. - Battery-electric adoption is likely to keep advancing first in coastal and inland routes. - The Business Research Company is offering a free sample and the full report through its website, including the sample request and the detailed report.

The bottom line: - Zero carbon shipping is still a small slice of global maritime transport, but the report shows a fast-forming market built around hydrogen, ammonia and electrification.