The Government’s Maritime Minister has visited Hull as £30m is pledged to ‘turbocharge coastal economies’.
The funding, which the Government hopes will boost regional economies and drive investment and employment opportunities, comes from the latest round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) launched today.
The CMDC is designed to support clean maritime technologies such as electric, wind power, and hydrogen. Previously, the CMDC has benefitted Hull as £3.7m of CMDC funding was used for GT Wings’ AirWing, a wind propulsion system built and delivered at Alexandra Dock. The innovative system reduces emissions on vessels by up to 30% whilst the project is creating opportunities for skilled workers and bringing economic activity to the region, positioning Hull as a hub for maritime innovation.
George Thompson, CEO of GT Wings, said: “We’re extremely excited about the imminent launch of AirWing™, our next-generation, compact wind propulsion technology designed to help even the most challenging ocean-going vessels decarbonise by harnessing wind power.
“This progressive step has been made possible thanks to the support of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, which recognised the transformative potential of this innovation and GT Wings’ ability to scale it for market impact.
“With the UK leading the way in modern wind propulsion, it’s an exciting time to be driving fresh innovation in this space.”
The first AirWing is being assembled at the MMS site at Alexandra Dock and will be installed on a Carisbrooke Shipping vessel, with sea trials scheduled for March.
Captain Simon Merritt, Senior Fleet Manager at Carisbrooke Shipping Ltd, said: “We look forward to the first AirWing being installed on our cargo ship this month, significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
“This project has been accelerated with funding from Department for Transport and Innovate UK under CMDC Round 4. It demonstrates the power of collaboration between leading British companies, turning innovative ideas into real solutions to decarbonise the maritime industry while creating job opportunities in the UK.”
Yesterday the Government’s Maritime Minister, Mike Kane, visited Hull to see how the city has benefitted form the programme ahead of the latest round of funding which will take the CMDC funding total to £159m. On the lastest CMDC funding, Mr Kane said: “This new £30m investment is part of our Plan for Change, growing the economy and making Britain a Clean Energy Superpower.
“I’m proud to see this funding boost growth and create jobs throughout the UK, as well as ushering in an era of zero-emission shipping.”
The application window for the latest round of funding will be open from January 22 to April 16 from Innovate UK.
Mike Biddle, Executive Director, Net Zero at Innovate UK, said: “Innovate UK is delighted to partner once again with the Department for Transport to deliver the latest instalment of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
“CMDC Round 6 is a great opportunity for UK innovators to take part in a world-renowned maritime transport R&D grant funding programme. The competition focusses on the ever-more prevalent issue of decarbonisation within the industry and we’re looking forward to seeing participation from across the maritime transport sector and beyond, focussing on physical, digital, system and skills-based innovation.”
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