Peel Ports has announced that it is working with a consortium led by the University of Liverpool to bid for the UK’s flagship national Clean Maritime Research Hub.
Peel Ports has committed to participating in workshops, sharing operational port data and insights, and allocating staff time to the project as part of a wider partnership with the University of Liverpool’s School of Management.
The designation is part of the government’s UK SHORE programme which aims to decarbonise the maritime sector.
READ: UK Government launches SHORE green shipping project
The programme is set to provide funding grant schemes for early research projects by UK universities.
If successful, the university-led project will receive a total of £7.4 million ($9.2 million) of funds over the course of the next four years.
The research hub would make Liverpool the UK’s centre for clean maritime research and facilitate further academic and industrial cooperation.
The newly created hub will address a number of issues including low and zero-emission fuels for the maritime sector, energy sources, vessel technology, and land side infrastructure.
The winning bid will be announced before the end of the summer by the awarding and funding bodies: the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Department of Transport.
READ: Peel Ports partners with University of Liverpool on green solutions
Lewis McIntyre, Managing Director Port Services at Peel Ports said: “Peel Ports has received numerous industry accolades for its efforts in reducing its environmental impact, including this year’s prestigious Clean Maritime Operator award by Maritime UK.
“We are delighted to support the University of Liverpool in its efforts to bid for projects of this nature, which align to our own net zero 2040 strategy,” McIntyre added.
READ: UK injects £77 million into maritime decarbonisation
Professor Dongping Song from the University of Liverpool’s Management School said: ”Peel Ports’ support and participation is extremely valuable for the application to establish the hub and for the future research in decarbonising maritime industry and beyond.”
This announcement comes in the same week that Peel Ports announced a partnership programme and secured long-term agreements with a number of industry consultants to support vital projects across its operations.
This also comes a year after Peel Ports announced that it will use greener alternative fuels for straddle carriers and plant equipment across the majority of its estate.
