UK government pledges £34m to accelerate the development of clean maritime technologies

The UK government has committed a further £34m (US$43m) to the country’s maritime sector – as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition’s fourth round of funding –  to help decarbonize operations and grow the economy.

The CMDC aims to foster and promote continued progress toward net zero goals through the development of novel and sustainable technologies. The government has now invested a total of £129m (US£165m) through the competition.

“Pushing the boundaries of possibility is integral to the UK’s global ambition of a greener maritime sector,” said maritime minister Baroness Charlotte Vere. “That’s why today’s new round of funding continues to set that course, not only keeping our climate goals on track but also boosting opportunities for private investment, new jobs and growing the economy.

“The UK’s maritime sector is one of the most competitive and innovative in the world and today’s latest clean maritime demonstration competition funding is testament to that.”

The funding application process will be open between August 2 and September 27, 2023. Bids will be assessed against an array of criteria to see how likely the proposed solutions are to deliver real-world demonstrations of clean maritime technology.

During the first three rounds of the CMDC, 105 UK-based projects were awarded over £95m (US$121.5m) to support the design and development of clean maritime solutions and eventually commercialize them.

An example of this is MJR Controls’ offshore charging system, which can be installed on wind turbines at sea. Additionally, Collins River Enterprises was awarded £6m (US$7.7m) to demonstrate the viability of a zero-emission electric river ferry on a route between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe in London.

“Instilling confidence in the UK shipping industry to invest in new technologies and fuels is central to reaching net zero,” explained Sarah Treseder, chief executive of the UK Chamber of Shipping. “This funding, with a focus on real-world demonstrations, will help to do that and unlock investment from across the shipping community to deliver the technologies that will reduce emissions while ensuring shipping remains at the heart of the UK’s economy.”

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