The UK’s race to decarbonise the maritime sector has been given another vital boost, with £60 million in government funding distributed to innovative companies nationwide developing futuristic green technology.
For the first time, the UK government is funding the development of new clean maritime technology across a 2-year period. Companies in 12 regions around the UK will benefit from the cash, generating highly skilled jobs across the nation and positioning the UK as a world leader in green solutions.
Last week I visited one of the recipients of the fund, Artemis Technologies in Belfast, to see some of the tech in action.
I was impressed to see how, using technologies adapted from the worlds of high-performance yacht racing, motorsports and aerospace, the company is developing vessels that effectively ‘fly’ above the water surface. The vessels produce zero emissions when foiling and offer energy savings of up to 90% resulting in significantly lower operating and maintenance costs.
The new fund is supporting highly skilled jobs here in the South West too. Nearby Wing Tek Ltd has partnered with the University of Bristol and is receiving funding to develop and demonstrate 2 full-sized prototypes of wind-assisted ships with high tech sails, which will reduce the amount of fuel used by the vessels as well as the emissions they produce.
Other recipients of the fund in our region include the likes of the University of Bath, our local RNLI division and several ship builders who are working collaboratively to deliver the CHAMP 2 (Clean Hybrid Alternative Marine Powertrain) – a project which seeks to demonstrate the benefits that can be realised through clean marine propulsion systems.
Our maritime sector imports 95% of goods into the UK and contributes £116 billion to our economy – more than both aviation and rail combined. With growing the economy one of the government’s top priorities, we must continue our efforts to ensure the UK remains a pioneer in cutting-edge clean maritime solutions.
The funding we’re awarding will help to do just that, bringing emission-free concepts to life and fuelling innovation.
🎥 This week I was in Belfast to meet some of Northern Ireland’s transport leaders, including 👇
🛥️ @ArtemisTechLtd & their ‘flying' boat
🏗️ The iconic @HarlandWolffplc
🚌 A ride on a new zero-emission bus @Wright_bus
👏 Brilliant businesses sustaining skilled jobs pic.twitter.com/Zw9cDuIVXs
— Mark Harper (@Mark_J_Harper) February 19, 2023
This article was first published in The Forester newspaper.
