A new £30m investment has been announced by the government to help make sea travel more environmentally friendly.
According to the government, the investment is part of its broader plan to establish Britain as a clean energy leader.
The funding will be distributed through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), which supports the development of various clean technologies including electric, hydrogen and wind power solutions for ships.
Maritime Minister, Mike Kane, said: “This new £30 million investment is part of our Plan for Change – growing the economy and making Britain a clean energy superpower.”
One success story from previous funding rounds can be seen in Hull, where local company GT Wings is developing an innovative wind propulsion system called AirWing.
The technology, which can reduce vessel emissions by up to 30%, is being installed on its first cargo ship this month, with sea trials planned for March 2025.
George Thompson, CEO of GT Wings, said: “We’re extremely excited about the imminent launch of AirWing, our next-generation, compact wind propulsion technology designed to help even the most challenging ocean-going vessels decarbonise by harnessing wind power.”
The Maritime Minister also visited Hull to see how the city has benefited from the £3.7m previous CMDC funding.
The competition has already shown results and supported over 300 organisations across the UK attracting more than £100m in private investment.
Additional projects have included installing Britain's first electric chargepoint network in South West ports and fitting a state-of-the-art carbon capture system on a vessel.
Maritime Minister, Mike Kane, added: “I’m proud to see this funding boost growth and create jobs throughout the UK, as well as ushering in an era of zero-emission shipping.”
Companies interested in applying for the latest round of funding can submit applications between 24 January and 16 April 2025.
The programme is managed by Innovate UK and is part of the larger £236m UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) initiative, which aims to decarbonise Britain's maritime sector.