Overview

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with The Department for Transport to invest up to £34 million in innovation projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.

These will be to develop and deploy real world operational demonstrations of clean maritime solutions as well as carry out innovative feasibility studies and pre-deployment trials.

The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) Round 4 is part of a suite of interventions launched by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE). UK SHORE aims to transform the UK into a global leader in the design and manufacturing of clean maritime technology.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to fund real world demonstrations, pre-deployment trials and feasibility studies into clean maritime technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The aim of strand 3 is to fund detailed feasibility studies and plans for innovative technology demonstrations of scalable clean maritime solutions.

For a feasibility study proposal, your project must undertake a technical and economic feasibility study associated with the development and real world demonstration of on-vessel technologies, infrastructure technologies or both.

For pre-deployment trials, your proposal must design, develop and test novel clean maritime technologies focused for on-vessel technologies or infrastructure technologies or both.

If your pre-deployment trial project is focused on on-vessel technologies, you must only involve factory or dry dock testing. Your project must not plan to test technologies in the water as part of this project.

Your project must:

• underpin a future demonstration by delivering a meaningful technology, route to market, or supply chain innovation
• achieve market potential through a clear strategy for commercialising the technology and the products, demonstrating the potential for significant value to the UK
• illustrate emissions reduction by demonstrating a significant greenhouse gas reduction
• bring together a team with the necessary expertise and experience to successfully deliver the project objectives, and include a representative end user such as vessel operators, ports or harbour authorities

At the end of your project, you must:

• produce a clear, detailed and costed plan for how your technology will be demonstrated in an operational setting in or between ports or on vessels, including your technical approach, objectives and business case
• quantify the potential reduction of lifecycle emissions and positive economic impacts in the future
• outline expected commercial applications and exploitation, and potential market segments
• share your findings with DfT, Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) and Innovate UK.
• produce a clear plan for disseminating the results of your project and knowledge sharing
• explain your understanding of any barriers to market adoption
• detail the barriers to adoption that the future demonstration will overcome and the innovation that will be delivered
• detail the resources needed to carry out your real world demonstration, including funding requirements, timescales for delivery, planning permissions, implications of current and future regulation, new partners and information for a clear business case

This competition is split into 3 strands:

• Strand 1: Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 – Vessel or Infrastructure demonstrations
• Strand 2: Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 – Vessel and Infrastructure combined demonstrations
• Strand 3: Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 – Feasibility studies and pre-deployment trials (this strand)

Themes

Your project can focus on one or more of the following:

Prioritised themes:

• Domestic green corridors
• International ferries
• Vessels greater than 24 metres in length
• Ammonia solutions

Other themes

Vessel low and zero emission technologies:

• vessel propulsion and auxiliary engines, for example, batteries, fuel cells, and internal combustion engines using low or zero carbon alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methanol (green), ammonia or multi-fuel combinations
• 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.
• low carbon energy storage and management
• physical connections to shoreside power or alternative fuels, including fuelling lines
• enabling technologies such as motors, drives, sensor and power electronics
• energy efficiency technologies, where they significantly enhance the vessel range or lower alternative fuel usage to enable the fuel’s viability

Projects developing 100% battery electric solutions for vessels less than 24 metres need to show clearly how their project is novel and how it addresses limitations with existing electric vessel solutions.