The UK government’s Maritime Minister, Lord Davies, recently announced the winners of £33 million of government funding to develop green technologies for ports and ships – accelerating the UK’s race to decarbonise the sector while supporting jobs in coastal communities across the country.

The £33 million has been awarded to 33 projects across all twelve regions of the UK to deliver demonstrations, factory trials and feasibility studies. The government claims that these initiatives position the UK as a leader in emerging clean maritime technologies, fostering sustainable high-skilled jobs across the country and boosting coastal economies.

The funding comes from thefourth round of the government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition(CMDC4), which focusses on developing a range of clean maritime technologies including electric, hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, wind power and more.

Lord Davies visited two of the winning organisions, Aqua SuperPower and RS Marine Group, in Southampton to see their pioneering network of electric chargepoints and electric vessels in action. Thanks to CMDC4, these two winners will work together to build on their existing electric infrastructure to provide electricity back to ports, harbours and the grid, when the vessels are not in use.

“Unlocking a sustainable maritime sector and the economic growth it provides relies on cutting edge technology,” said Lord Davies. “The voyage to sustainability demands bold investments to not just deliver greener shipping but highly skilled jobs across the UK. Today, we witnessed a first-hand glimpse into the transformative solutions that can help shape the future landscape of the maritime industry and support jobs in coastal communities.”

Photo: Lord Davies.