UK government launches zero emission vessel competition

Ammmonia	Methanol	BioFuel & Clean Diesel	Nuclear	LNG

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The UK government has launched a zero-emission vessel competition with co-funding of up to £77 million ($92.6m) for successful applicants. The ZEVI fund is offering funding to demonstration projects across three separate categories (or strands) including full-electric vessels and charging infrastructure, shore power technologies (or onshore power supply, OPS) and alternative fuel vessels and related bunkering infrastructure.

Successful projects in each of the three categories must be able to show they could use the money to work with major UK ports and operators to launch a zero-emission vessel by 2025 at the latest.

Port of Southampton

Source: ABP

Applicants to the ZEVI competition will be required to factor in the development of related shoreside infrastructure at ports, harbours and offshore.

The alternative fuel strand covers fossil fuel alternatives such as hydrogen, ammonia and methanol. Unlike the battery-electric strand, electric hybrid vessels operating on alternative fuels will be within the scope of the competition.

The project costs are expected to range between £3-40 million, with a maximum contribution of up to £20 million expected to be available for successful projects. The closing date for the application is the morning of Wednesday 19 April 2023. The UK application page is available here.

The competition will be overseen by Innovate UK, which has previously administered similar competitions in the UK successfully.

Maritime Research Hub Project

Concurrently, the UK government is seeking to bring together UK academic institutions to establish a new Clean Maritime Research Hub with up to £7.4m funding from government and additional funding from academia and industry.

Research in the fundamental science behind clean maritime technologies will be delivered by the hub, building evidence and expertise for the maritime sector. It will also support skills development across the industry and generate knowledge for maritime decision-makers.

The hub will be delivered in partnership with, and co-funded by, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The ZEVI fund and Clean Maritime Research Hub form part of the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme which was launched in March 2022 with £206 million in funding. UK SHORE aims to tackle shipping emissions and advance the UK towards a sustainable shipping future.   

The proposal is also intended to foster the development of green solutions within the UK’s maritime supply chains.

Defence Secretary and Shipbuilding Tsar, Ben Wallace, said: “Our National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh set ambitious plans to drive the green maritime revolution as a key step to reaching this Government’s net zero targets. This investment is a clear statement that we are taking these plans seriously, helping to put the UK at the cutting edge of clean maritime technology while benefitting thousands of UK jobs.”