Zero emission ferries and vessels are closer to being a reality, as the UK’s maritime minister Robert Courts confirmed £12 million (€14 million) funding to accelerate the research and development of zero emission maritime technologies.
The funding will kickstart decarbonisation innovation in the maritime sector and tackle shipping emissions. UK Shore, created to decarbonise the maritime sector, will aid the UK’s voyage to net zero shipping by 2050 and will support thousands of skilled jobs around the country.
Courts says: ‘At COP26, we pledged to create a green maritime legacy for generations to come, and UK Shore puts us at the forefront of the global green maritime revolution – supporting thousands of green jobs around the country.’Now in its second round, the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) was established from the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan to tackle carbon emissions. The latest funding cements the UK’s position as world leaders in clean maritime technologies and supports the creation of thousands of skilled jobs across the UK.
Maritime UK Chief Executive, Ben Murray, says: ‘The establishment of UK Shore is a very important step on the UK maritime sector’s decarbonisation voyage. Its first intervention – an extension to the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition – is showing the UK is determined to be a global leader in clean maritime. As before, industry will co-invest to create the solutions needed to decarbonise. Continued investment and collaboration with government will drive the momentum we need and create skilled jobs around our coast.’
The CMDC is one of the first initiatives from UK Shore.
Through research and development (R&D) investments, it will provide domestic zero emission ferries, helping to tackle the approximately one million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions that roll-on/roll-off (roro) vessels and passenger-only ferries contribute to the UK’s domestic shipping emissions.
Future elements of UK Shore’s three-year programme will include several more rounds of the CMDC, alongside other interventions to accelerate the development and use of key technologies.
Source: Cyann Fielding, AntwerpXL 2023
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