IMO’s Net Zero Framework can provide significant incentives for electrification and boost support for COP31 35-by-35 electrification target
New UCL report reveals major renewable electricity infrastructure projects can find bankable demand from shipping driven by the IMO’s NZF.
London, Thursday 15th October 2026 – Using the Grand Inga hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a case study, the report shows that adoption of the IMO GHG policy, the Net Zero Framework, could help to provide a strong demand and investment justification for renewable electricity projects in developing countries that have so far struggled to move forwards into implementation.
The report, ’Electrification investment from IMO’s Net Zero Framework – A case study on Grand Inga hydropower project’, by UCL Energy Institute's Shipping and Oceans Research Group, evaluates two opportunities for electricity from Grand Inga to support maritime decarbonisation while creating new electricity demand and business case for the DRC project; shore power (cold ironing) for vessels berthed in DRC ports, and green ammonia production for use as a low-carbon marine fuel, fertiliser feedstock and export commodity.
The Grand Inga hydropower project has long been held back by the absence of large, reliable electricity demand capable of supporting project financing. The report finds that while shore power offers an attractive local decarbonisation opportunity, green ammonia production could provide the scale of demand needed to help underpin future phases of the project — while simultaneously opening export markets across Africa, Europe and the maritime fuel sector.
Jesse Ralph-Gbobo, Researcher at the UCL Energy Institute Shipping and Oceans Research Group, said: “Although much of the focus relating to shipping decarbonisation has been on transition to new fuels, electrification, including use of cold ironing, is one of the cheapest ways to comply with IMO NZF regulation. This analysis shows there is strong potential for NZF to unlock grid and electrification related investment.”.
Key findings and implications for industry and policymakers:
Under IMO’s NZF, shore power offers an immediate, competitive compliance solution and strong business case for electrification investment in DRC: also likely to be the case in similar countries: The demand for cold ironing could create demand for electrification that helps to unlock supply-side and grid investment in developed and developing countries.
IMO NZF can also unlock investment for renewable electricity use to create green ammonia supply: this is the far larger and more strategically significant opportunity, where it can be produced competitively. Grand Inga’s estimated low electricity costs in combination with high supply reliability (high production utilisation) make this plausible for helping to make the investment case in this instance.
Weakening IMO’s NZF will weaken electrification opportunity: lowering the GFI stringency, reducing the compliance/enforcement cost, or removing the reward mechanism can undermine business cases both for cold ironing and green ammonia related electrification projects.
The opportunities extend beyond shipping: renewable electricity, electrification related investment and green ammonia produced at Grand Inga could also supply Central and East African electricity and fertiliser markets, as well as open up opportunities for wider domestic electrification and international exports.
Dr Mohd Shoaib, Research Fellow at the UCL Energy Institute Shipping and Oceans Research Group, said: “Where energy use can be electrified, it is increasingly the case that this is the cheapest way to reduce emissions, as found here for ships at berth in DRC. This indicates that shipping’s decarbonisation can also contribute to the COP 31 electrification goal and needs to be given attention and credit alongside efforts made to electrify other sectors.”
Cold Ironing Results
Metric | Value |
Annual Calls | 352 |
Berth Hours | 22,770 |
Electricity Demand | 20.99 GWh/year |
HFO Displaced | 4,975 t/year |
MGO Displaced | 4,704 t/year |
Emissions Avoided | ~18,600 tCO₂e/year |
