Following a successful Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition 4, a consortium of Scottish companies have secured further funding, awarded by Innovate UK, to accelerate decarbonisation across the UK maritime sector by advancing green hydrogen production for shore power and vessel refuelling at the Port of Leith in Edinburgh.
Waterwhelm, along with partners Forth Ports, Logan Energy, PlusZero Power, and Targe Towing Limited, will follow their highly successful 12-month Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) 4 project with CMDC6. CMDC4 showcased the world’s first green hydrogen shore power demonstrator that used clean, green hydrogen energy to reduce carbon emissions from vessels when berthed in port. The project saw the consortium combine their innovative technologies to produce, store, and utilise green hydrogen for shore power at the Port of Leith in Edinburgh. CMDC6 will once again combine these technologies to support the next stage of deployment; expanding the use of hydrogen for shore power to include the refuelling of hydrogen-powered vessels at the Port of Leith. The upcoming project seeks to develop the business case for future opportunities to accelerate decarbonisation across the UK maritime sector.
Alongside lead partner Waterwhelm, PlusZero Power will integrate a new combined heat and power (CHP) version of its hydrogen internal combustion engine (HICE) to produce waste heat for Waterwhelm’s game-changing water reuse and desalination technology, marking a world-first approach. Waterwhelm will treat wastewater from a nearby wastewater treatment works to provide freshwater for sustainable hydrogen production. The production of hydrogen will be conducted by Logan Energy, who will provide the necessary electrolyser, hydrogen storage and refuelling infrastructure. Forth Ports and Targe Towing Limited will provide valuable infrastructural and logistical support.
As an early initiative to accelerate the decarbonisation across the UK maritime sector, CMDC6 aims to eliminate carbon emissions from diesel generators, reduce water demand from local water networks, and negate barriers related to high capital costs for hydrogen infrastructure development, while also supporting the development of appropriate hydrogen regulation and compliance. As a result, by pursuing these aims, CMDC6 supports: Zero Carbon Ports, which seeks to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable or waste energy streams, Forth Ports’ commitment for its operations to be carbon neutral by 2032 and net zero by 2042, the evolution of UK ports to become hydrogen hubs, and hydrogen stakeholder and supply chain engagement.
CMDC6 is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme in the Department for Transport. UK SHORE has allocated over £230m since 2022 to develop the technologies necessary to decarbonise the UK maritime sector and to capture the economic growth opportunity of the transition. Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is the main delivery partner for UK SHORE interventions.
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Image credit: Forth Ports
