The UK Government has launched new unit, UK SHORE, to tackle shipping emissions and advance the UK towards sustainable shipping.
Thousands of ships, cruises and vessels will become greener with £206 million ($279 million) investment to support zero emission sailing and skilled maritime jobs, as part of the Government’s Shipbuilding Strategy. This is the first UK office purely dedicated to making maritime greener.
Known as the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE), the new unit will be housed in the Department for Transport, building on the success of the UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) launched last year.
UK SHORE will implement a R&D programme, including a multi-year clean maritime demonstration competition, and will work in partnership with industry to tackle supply and demand issues with ship building and help build greener vessels – from cruises, to tankers to and leisure boats.
UK SHORE will also help develop the infrastructure to enable zero emission technologies, and the physical infrastructure needed to power these new-age vessels.
The programme will include a multitude of technologies including hydrogen, electric and ammonia.
Funding under UK SHORE will relaunch manufacturing hotspots across the UK, creating new skilled jobs and opportunities while levelling up local economies.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Climate change is a global challenge and it’s essential that, with our maritime sector’s rich history of green travel, dating back thousands of years, we tackle shipping emissions.
“I want UK-SHORE to take the industry back to the future. The age of the sail was the first green maritime age; new technology will bring us to a second green age. And as we turn the tide for green shipping, I can’t wait to see thousands of new jobs created around the country too – from masterful shipbuilding to the high-tech sailors of tomorrow.”
Following the successful CMDC round in 2021, the extension of the competition will reveal details in the coming months and it will be open to a range of UK innovators – from small businesses to universities.
The UK Government will deliver this programme in parallel with regulatory changes, ensuring a strategic approach to the transition to zero emission shipping as the Government continues to implement its Transport Decarbonisation Plan.
UK SHORE will deliver a suite of interventions inspired by our experience of decarbonising other transport modes. It will look at programmes such as the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, transforming the UK into a global leader in the design, manufacture and operation of clean maritime technology.
