The UK government is awarding £30m in funding to coastal communities to support the development of green fuels and technologies for shipping decarbonisation.
Funding will be crucial in supporting the green fuels and technologies of the future, so the UK can clean up its sea travel and trade.
Awarded from the sixth round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), successful companies will be given a share of funding to support the development of clean maritime fuels and technologies such as ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, solar and electric.
Boosting economic growth with green fuels and technologies
Investment in green fuels not only supports the decarbonisation of shipping, helping cement the UK as a clean energy superpower, it also revitalises coastal communities by growing local economies and boosting jobs and skills.
CMDC has provided over £136m funding to date to 142 organisations, as part of the wider UK SHORE funding – the government’s flagship programme dedicated to decarbonising maritime – for over 300 organisations, including 250 SMEs.
Successful projects include the installation of electric chargepoint networks across ports, including at Aberdeen, the demonstration of an electric crew transfer vessel at Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm, and the demonstration of a green hydrogen shore power system at the port of Leith.
Maritime Minister Mike Kane said: “It’s so exciting to see investment in green fuels and technologies spurring on skills, innovation and manufacturing across the UK, delivering on Plan for Change missions to kickstart economic growth and become a clean energy superpower.”
High-tech innovations from industry
Minister Kane will meet with workers from the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland during his visit to Clydeport. The National Manufacturing Institute is looking to help Smart Green Shipping scale up the manufacturing of the FastRig windsail.
Built nearby in Glasgow, the FastRig is a high-tech wing sail which can be installed onto vessels, reducing fuel use and emissions by up to 40% per annum. The project received £3.3m from the third round of the CMDC and has now been successfully deployed at sea.
“Clean maritime is a vital part of a wider mission to decarbonise transport. Advanced manufacturing is critical to enable companies to scale up novel solutions that deliver emissions reductions and allow the creation of new jobs in these industries of the future,” stated Chris Courtney, CEO of the National Manufacturing Institute.
Advancing expertise in shipbuilding and manufacturing
During the Clydeport visit, the minister will meet with Peel Ports and local workers at Clydeport’s King George V Docks.
By delivering £3m of investment to support the growing demand for handling huge wind turbine components for the renewable energy sector, Clydeport is keeping Glasgow’s shipbuilding heritage and manufacturing expertise alive, equipping it to meet the modern-day needs of the sector.
“Our recent investment in road infrastructure at King George V Dock to accommodate growing demand for handling wind turbine components, and our ongoing transformative work at Hunterston PARC in Ayrshire to support the renewables sector, demonstrate our commitment to decarbonising supply chains and enabling the transition to a greener economy,” commented Jim McSporran, Port Director at Peel Ports Clydeport.
Research hub for clean maritime operations
Building on its commitment to clean up shipping and deliver on the UK’s climate ambitions, the UK is also delivering £3.85m to the Clean Maritime Research Hub.
Formed from a consortium of 13 universities across the UK, dedicated to conducting scientific research in clean maritime, the funding will enable the hub to continue its important research, and support the installation of a liquid hydrogen facility at Durham University.
The centre will develop the maritime sector’s understanding of the potential impact of liquid hydrogen – which is emission free – in the clean maritime transition.
