UK gov’t launches £77M competition to decarbonise maritime sector

The UK government has launched a multi-million-pound Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition to help decarbonise the country’s maritime sector.

A  £77 million government investment in clean maritime technology was launched today (6 February). This is the first time in UK history the government is intervening to target this level of funding on green maritime tech. The funding will take the tech from the factory to the sea, identifying which projects will have a long-term impact in reducing emissions.

Successful projects must show they could use this money to work with major UK ports and operators to launch a zero-emission vessel by 2025 at the latest.

Examples of such technology include battery electric vessels, shoreside electrical power, ships running on low-carbon fuels like hydrogen or ammonia, and wind-assisted ferries.

“When it comes to tackling climate change, we are taking action on all transport modes, which is why we’re making sure our world-leading maritime sector has a greener future. his multi-million-pound investment will help the latest tech ideas become reality and ensure UK waters will play host to green cargo ships, ferries and cruises in the next few years,” Transport Secretary Mark Harper said.

“Our funding will support a cleaner freight system, a more environmentally friendly tourism industry, and a net-zero maritime sector.”

Furthermore, the investment demonstrates the government’s commitment to a new green age for maritime travel, which is free from emissions, in line with the 1.5-degree temperature target set by the Paris Agreement.

The government is also calling on universities across the UK to join forces to establish a new Clean Maritime Research Hub, with £7.4 million funding from government and additional funding from academia and industry.

The hub will be delivered in partnership with and co-funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The ZEVI fund and Clean Maritime Research Hub are part of the UK SHORE program, launched in March 2022 with £206 million in funding. UK SHORE aims to tackle shipping emissions and advance the UK towards a sustainable shipping future.

“Our National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh set ambitious plans to drive the green maritime revolution as a key step to reaching this government’s net zero targets,” Defence Secretary and Shipbuilding Tsar, Ben Wallace, noted.

To remind, the UK government revealed its plans to invest approximately £4 billion (approximately $5.3 billion) in the country’s regional shipbuilding industry. The investment is expected to support shipyards and suppliers across the UK, delivering a pipeline of more than 150 new civil and naval vessels over the next 30 years.