Coastal communities across the UK will benefit from a new £30 million ($40.2 million) funding package to advance shipping decarbonisation and support local economies, as announced by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK.
The funding forms the latest round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) and will underpin the development of clean maritime fuels and technologies, including ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, solar, and electric solutions.
The Maritime Minister, Mike Kane, emphasised the wider impact of the investment, stating: “It’s so exciting to see investment in green fuels and technologies spurring on skills, innovation and manufacturing across the UK, delivering on our Plan for Change missions to kickstart economic growth and become a clean energy superpower.
“We’ve charted a course to net zero shipping by 2050 and this £30 million will be crucial in supporting the green fuels and technologies of the future, so we can clean up sea travel and trade.”
Since its inception, CMDC has awarded over £136 million ($182.4 million) to 142 organisations as part of the government’s broader UK SHORE programme – dedicated to maritime decarbonisation – which now supports over 300 projects across the country, including 250 SMEs. Recent projects include the installation of electric charge points at UK ports such as Aberdeen, a demonstration of an electric crew transfer vessel at Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm, and the rollout of a green hydrogen shore power system at the Port of Leith.
During his visit to Clydeport in Glasgow, the minister highlighted how decarbonisation funding is revitalising local shipbuilding. He met representatives from the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), which is supporting Smart Green Shipping’s FastRig wing sail – a Clyde-built, high-tech wind-assisted propulsion system that has the potential to cut fuel use and emissions by up to 40 per cent per annum.
Supported by £3.3 million ($4.4 million) from a previous CMDC round, this technology has now been successfully deployed at sea.
Chris Courtney, CEO of NMIS, commented: “Clean maritime is a vital part of a wider mission to decarbonise transport. Advanced manufacturing is critical to scale up novel solutions that deliver emissions reductions and create new jobs in these industries of the future.”
Further commitments include £3.85 million ($5.17 million) for the Clean Maritime Research Hub, a consortium of 13 UK universities, which will investigate the potential of liquid hydrogen and further advance maritime decarbonisation research.
The investment underscores the UK’s ambition to become a leader in clean energy for the maritime sector, supporting innovation, jobs, and infrastructure in coastal communities nationwide.
