Southampton maritime engineers champion vision for Zero-carbon Coastal Highway
A collaboration of maritime research and innovation leaders has called for a fleet of zero carbon coastal ships to transform the UK goods distribution reliance on road haulage.
A Comprehensive Spending Review bid is seeking £530 million of Government co-investment for a Zero-carbon Coastal Highway that would enable the UK to become a leading innovator in the global clean maritime sector.
The concept was developed by a core team from the industry-led Maritime Research and Innovation UK (MarRI-UK) initiative, including experts from the University of Southampton, Shell Shipping & Maritime and the BMT Group.
Outcomes from the proposal’s transformation would potentially generate over £1.8 billion additional revenue to the UK, create 39,000 extra jobs and reduce land-based CO2 emissions by between 30 and 40 per cent.
The University of Southampton’s efforts towards decarbonisation in the maritime sector are spearheaded by the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI), a unique, internationally recognised multi-disciplinary centre of excellence for research, innovation and education.
The SMMI was instrumental in establishing the Southampton Centre for Maritime Futures in partnership with Shell Shipping and Maritime, which includes a key theme on decarbonising shipping.