£33 million boost to turn green ports and ships into a reality
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£33 million for new technologies to cut shipping emissions, support
jobs in coastal areas and boost local economies. Total
funding awarded through the Clean Maritime Demonstration
Competition (CMDC) now £128 million, helping support the maritime
industry to deliver net zero emissions. Among the winners are
initiatives dedicated to constructing electric vessels and charging
ports, propelling a new era of sustainable maritime
innovation. ...Request free trial
£33 million for new technologies to cut shipping emissions, support jobs in coastal areas and boost local economies. Total funding awarded through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) now £128 million, helping support the maritime industry to deliver net zero emissions. Among the winners are initiatives dedicated to constructing electric vessels and charging ports, propelling a new era of sustainable maritime innovation.
Maritime Minister Lord Davies has today (26 January) 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, helping grow the economy in the long term. The £33 million has been awarded to 33 projects across all twelve regions of the UK to deliver demonstrations, factory trials and feasibility studies. These initiatives position 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 the fourth round of the government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC4), which focuses on developing a range of clean maritime technologies including electric, hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, wind power and more. Lord Davies visited two of the winning organisations, 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. Maritime Minister Lord Davies said: “Unlocking a sustainable maritime sector and the economic growth it provides relies on cutting edge technology to propel it to the next level. The voyage to sustainability demands bold investments to not just deliver greener shipping but highly skilled jobs across the UK. “Today, we witnessed a firsthand glimpse into the transformative solutions that can help shape the future landscape of the maritime industry and support jobs in coastal communities.” Government funding is a crucial driving force for cutting edge technology, inspiring investors to engage in pilot incentives. CMDC4 builds on three successful previous rounds, which allocated over £95m to 105 projects and leveraged over £45m private investment. The continued demand for funding underscores the industry's strong interest in clean maritime investment. This support has also fostered partnership between the Government and the private sector – paving the way for exciting innovations that will decarbonise the maritime industry. Lesley Robinson CEO of British Marine said: “British Marine is proud to celebrate the achievements of our members who are leading the way in sustainable maritime innovation and are among the beneficiaries of the government's £33 million investment in green maritime technology. “This significant funding is just one way in which Government can help accelerate our industry’s journey to net-zero emissions and marks a new era in maritime history. Many of our members are pioneering electric vessels and charging ports, in-turn, contributing to environmental sustainability, job creation, and the UK's levelling up agenda. We're excited to witness this pivotal shift towards a cleaner, more prosperous maritime future." Mike Biddle, Innovate UK Executive Director for Net Zero said: “The maritime sector continues to demonstrate a keen appetite for decarbonisation which is highlighted by the 33 winning projects of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4. “Today’s announcement shows UK industry is embracing research and development as a solution to a global industry-wide problem and I’m inspired by the ambition of our maritime innovators. “The CMDC4 projects will build upon the proven success of previous rounds where DfT and Innovate UK have worked in partnership to show the UK is a leading voice in maritime’s green transition.” Today’s funding comes from the wider £206 million UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme, announced in March 2022. The CMDC is one of the many initiatives from UK SHORE to fund green technology. Last year, the government launched the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure competition to support projects in the latter stages of development, and the Clean Maritime Research Hub – aimed at the early science and research behind green technology. Notes to editors Breakdown of grant funding across regions –
UK SHORE In March 2022, the UK Government announced the biggest government investment ever in our UK commercial maritime sector, allocating £206m to the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme. The UK SHORE programme is focused on developing the technology necessary to decarbonise the UK domestic maritime sector. The UK SHORE programme is delivering a suite of interventions throughout 2022-2025 aimed at accelerating the design, manufacture and operation of UK-made clean maritime technologies and unlocking an industry-led transition to Net Zero. The UK SHORE programme includes the flagship multi-year Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) which provides match-funding to help bring pre-commercial technologies closer to market readiness. CMDC4 has allocated £33m to 33 projects across the UK to deliver demonstrations, pre-deployment trials and feasibility studies between April 2024 – March 2025. The projects are supported by over 120 partners and will leverage more than £16m of private investment. CMDC4 follows the successful first three rounds of the CMDC, which allocated over £95m to 105 projects. CMDC1 was launched in 2021, prior to the UK SHORE programme. CMDC is funded by the Department for Transport and delivered by Innovate UK. CMDC4 Winners CMDC4 is allocating £33 million grant funding to 33 projects, including demonstrations, factory trials and feasibility studies. Below are summaries of the ten demonstration projects which will develop their solutions from April 2024 and demonstrate their solution for at least two weeks by 31 March 2025. The full list of winning CMDC4 projects will be available here on Friday 26 January.
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