£8m for schemes aiming to reduce shipping emissions

32 projects aiming to reduce emissions in and around the UK will share £8 million as beneficiaries of the latest round of UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) funding which has been announced by the Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK.

The projects are working across three pioneering programmes:  the Smart Shipping Accelerating Fund, the International Green Corridors Fund (UK-Netherlands) and the International Green Corridors Fund (UK-Ireland).

30 of the funding winners are working within the Smart Shipping Accelerating Fund and include projects such as:

Project Sunflower
This is a groundbreaking initiative, looking to create autonomous solutions for Terminal Tractors at ports, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases in the shipping supply chain.

Project BlueWater
A project that will explore how multi-use drones can improve smart shipping, port efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and boost air quality.

EcoRoutePlanner
This project is looking to bring advanced digital tools for smart route planning and operational efficiency for crew transfer vessels responsible for servicing off-shore wind farms.

The International Green Corridors Fund (UK-Netherlands) winner is a project that aims to create a Green Shipping Corridor between Port of Tyne (UK) and IJmuiden (Netherlands) by decarbonising the route that is currently served by ageing vessels. This will also include testing the operational feasibility of these vessels and the landside infrastructure to support its rollout.

The International Green Corridors Fund (UK-Ireland) winner will test methanol against other fuel alternatives and erxplore methanol bunkering and production at each end of the corridor.

James Lovett, Maritime Lead at Innovate UK, said: ‘Like so many transport industries, transitioning to green technologies has historically been a challenge for the maritime sector. With extremely busy shipping channels and routes reliant on old technologies, integrating sustainable solutions whilst maintaining current levels of activity is a difficult process.

‘UK SHORE’s funding programmes have all been commissioned with the objective of reducing the UK maritime industry’s carbon emissions. Each of the 32 announced winners present their own innovative projects, looking to accelerate the rollout of greener technologies and processes throughout the industry.

‘We’re excited to see how these projects unfold over the coming months.’