UK Government allocates £60m to scale-up green maritime solutions
The UK Government has committed a further £60m to support the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, with funding set to scale-up a fully electric ferry prototype and hydrogen-powered vessels.
Funding for projects will be provided over a two-year period via the third round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC3) which forms part of the wider £206m UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) scheme, announced in March 2022.
To mark the announcement, Transport Secretary Mark Harper visited Artemis Technologies in Belfast, one of the recipients of the fund. Using technologies adapted from the worlds of high-performance yacht racing, motorsports and aerospace, Artemis is developing vessels that effectively ‘fly’ above the water surface. The vessels produce zero emissions when foiling and offer energy savings of up to 90% resulting in significantly lower operating and maintenance costs.
Other winners include a project led by Collins River Enterprises to build and test a fully electric ferry on the River Thames between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe, building on research funded through the first round of the CMDC.
Another project led by AceOn Battery Solar Technology will develop hydrogen-powered vessels to transfer crew to wind farms off the northeast coast of England from the Port of Blyth.
WingTek is also receiving CMDC3 funding to develop and demonstrate two full-sized prototypes of wind-assisted ships with high tech sails, which will reduce the amount of fuel used by the vessels as well as the emissions they produce.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said, “Our maritime sector imports 95% of goods into the UK and contributes £116 billion to our economy – more than both aviation and rail combined. With growing the economy one of the Government’s top priorities, we must continue our efforts to ensure the UK remains a pioneer in cutting-edge clean maritime solutions.
“The funding we’re awarding today will help to do just that, bringing emission-free concepts to life and fuelling innovation.”
The funding comes just days after the Government pledged £77m to invest in developed green maritime technology solutions, in a bid to launch a zero-emission vessel on UK seas by 2025.
The £77m funding has been made available through the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition. The competition will be overseen by Innovate UK and funding will specifically target “well-developed” solutions that can be scaled.
The Government is targeting technologies such as battery electric vessels, shoreside electrical power, low-carbon fuels like hydrogen or ammonia and wind-assisted ferries.
Successful projects will be chosen to work with major UK ports and operators with the aim of launching a zero-emission vessel by 2025 at the latest.