Passengers could reap the rewards of greener travel by sea thanks
to the development of new shipping routes only accessible to zero
emission vessels.
Maritime Minister today (Thursday 17 October)
announced the new projects which will receive funds to develop
these future routes, including the Port of Tyne to the Port of
IJmuiden (The Netherlands) and the Port of Holyhead to the Port
of Dublin.
The Department for Transport is also funding the development of
green shipping routes from the UK to Norway and Denmark - the
organisations who will lead these are soon to be announced.
Green Corridors are zero emission maritime routes between two or
more ports. The UK led the development of Green Corridors through
the launch of the Clydebank Declaration at COP26.
Once developed, should the world's biggest shipping companies
operate along these greener routes, it could transform the ‘fast
shopping' industry, making the global shipment of goods more
environmentally friendly.
Maritime Minister said:
“Shipping is a big contributor to global greenhouse gas
emissions, so these new green corridors could be a real game
changer for industry.
“This is exactly the direction we need to be going in to achieve
our mission of becoming a Clean Energy Superpower.
“These new corridors could turbocharge the use of sustainable
fuels, secure the green jobs of the future and advance
environmentally friendly travel to major European capitals like
Amsterdam and Dublin.”
The funding comes from the fifth round of the Government's Clean
Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC5), which focuses on
driving innovative solutions and new technologies to decarbonise
the industry and grow the economy.
Matt Beeton, CEO of the Port of Tyne said:
"Today's funding announcement will support the
development of port infrastructure for electrification and
the refuelling of state-of-the-art clean powered vessels.
This important green infrastructure will ensure that
the Port of Tyne and the Port of Ijmuiden are supporting
decarbonised routes between the North East of England and Europe
with the aim of saving up to 850,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
"Bolstered by the Maritime Innovation Hub, the Port of Tyne
continues to drive sustainable innovation and act as a focal
point for a growing European decarbonised distribution network
for green trade and passenger journeys.
"The River Tyne fuelled the industrial revolution and now it's at
the forefront of greening international logistics."
Visiting the Port of Tyne, the Maritime Minister also announced
separate funding to help make sea travel cleaner and
smarter.
Up to £8m of match funding will be given to 30 projects across
the UK to accelerate plans to develop smart technologies, such as
autonomous systems, AI, robotics and sensors.
These technologies will help position the UK as a world leader in
maritime decarbonisation and will support economic growth and
coastal communities by delivering local jobs and boosting local
businesses.
Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero at Innovate
UK, said:
"Like so many industries, the maritime sector is under immense
pressure to decarbonise its transport and process
methods. Innovate UK is proud to be a key delivery partner
for DfT's UK SHORE programme, which provides a
unique platform for innovators and collaborators to demonstrate
real-world solutions to some of the sector's most pressing
challenges.
"With this year's round of competitions delivering a host of
exciting prospective technologies, from smart shipping drones to
methanol-fuelled vessels, UK SHORE looks to accelerate
the adoption of these sustainable solutions and help the UK drive
towards its Net Zero targets."
This latest round of funding comes from the £206m UK SHORE
programme which is focused on decarbonising the UK maritime
sector through tech innovation.
Notes to editors
- Applications for CMDC5 were independently assessed through
Innovate UK's standard assessment process. Innovate UK is the
UK's national innovation agency and is UK SHORE's primary
delivery partner.
- Total grant funding for CMDC5 is £640,958, to fund
feasibility studies for green corridors, with the Port of Tyne
receiving £76,580 and the Port of Holyhead receiving £64,378.
£500,000 of CMDC5 funding has been committed to
funding feasibility studies with Norway and Denmark to develop
green shipping corridors.
- Separately, up to £8m of match funding will be delivered
through the Smart Shipping Acceleration Fund (SSAF) to 30
projects across the country.
- CMDC5: IGCF and SSAF are both funded by the UK Shipping
Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme in
DfT.
