There are two new grant funding opportunities from Innovate UK (a branch of the UK government) for innovative clean maritime and smart shipping projects, with a total budget of £20m. The end-game is to help in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by the UK’s maritime sector and support the transition to Net Zero by 2050. Project sizes can range from £25k-£4m.  There are two strands of funding: Strand One: Project sizes between £25,000 and £1,000,000. Strand Two: Project sizes between £100,000 and £4,000,000. Projects can focus on one or more of the following themes:

On-vessel low and zero emission technologies:

• vessel propulsion (battery, fuel cell, hybrid, or engines using low carbon alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methanol or ammonia)
• propulsion systems using internal combustion engine technology capable of using multiple fuels including zero carbon options (such as hydrogen, methanol, ammonia)
• wind propulsion, including soft-sail, fixed-sail, rotor, kite and turbine technologies, targeting a range of ship types from small vessels to large cargo carriers, both as primary and auxiliary propulsion
• on-vessel power generation and fuel production to reduce GHG’s e.g. wind turbines, solar panels, synthetic fuel production
• low carbon energy storage and management
• physical connections to shore-side power, including fuelling lines
• enabling technologies such as motors, drives and power electronics

Port and shore-side solutions:

• shore-side low and zero carbon fuelling including bunkering of such fuels
• charging infrastructure and management
• low and zero emission shore-side power solutions, such as enabling docked vessels to turn off their conventional power supply for ancillary systems
• shore-side renewable energy generation at the port to supply vessels
• zero emission shore-side power supply as vessels are in harbour for the vessel’s main propulsion system, including grid or renewable energy supply
• low carbon fuel production (such as hydrogen, methanol, ammonia)
• zero emission infrastructure, including stationary assets for freight handling and port operations

Smart shipping technologies:

• autonomy, digitisation and better journey efficiencies directly and indirectly delivering quantifiable energy efficiency savings and, therefore, GHG emission reductions
• other smart shipping technologies, including the control of the emission reduction systems including but not limited to wind propulsion

For more information please select the following links:

STRAND ONE: https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/888/overview#scope

STRAND TWO:  https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/887/overview

If you are interested in accessing these funds, please do contact us via this website “get in contact” page or at: hello@keystoneinnovation.co.uk