Marine / New project aims to establish ‘green shipping corridor’ to Northern Isles with hydrogen ships
MORE information has been released about a multi-million pound project which aims to establish a “green shipping corridor” between Aberdeen and Orkney and Shetland – with hydrogen-powered autonomous ships being used to transport cargo.
The Hydrogen Innovation – Future Infrastructure & Vessel Evaluation and Demonstration (HI-FIVED) project has been awarded nearly £4 million in funding from the UK Government.
The project also hopes to deploy liquid hydrogen bunkering technology at the port of Aberdeen.
The scheme, which is worth £5.4 million in total, sees London based ACUA Ocean aim to build and operate the world’s first maritime autonomous surface ship powered by liquid hydrogen.
The government funding has come through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, which aims to support new maritime technologies in the push to net zero.
The HI-FVED project is expected to be delivered in the autumn of 2024, and one aim is to demonstrate this method of cargo delivery over other types like drones.
It is backed by a consortium which includes the Port of Aberdeen, the University of Southampton, Zero Emissions Maritime Technology, Composite Manufacturing and Design, Trident Marine Electrical, and NASH Maritime.
Marlene Mitchell, commercial manager of Port of Aberdeen, said: “We are delighted to be part of this transformational project, which is wholly in alignment with our green ambitions and that of the wider project team.
“Zero-emission fuels and vessels are an essential element in achieving decarbonisation within the maritime sector and green shipping corridors will play a key element in meeting the sector’s goals.
“This project offers a unique opportunity for our newly operational South Harbour to act as a practical and at-scale living lab for net zero in the port and maritime sector and will directly address the theme of zero-emission infrastructure and will also consider feasibility to develop shoreside renewable energy generation at our port to supply vessels in alignment with DfT’s 2019 Clean Maritime Plan.”
ACUA Ocean chief operating officer Michael Tinmouth said “delivering successful technology demonstrations is critical to de-risking future investment in maritime decarbonisation”.
Unitrove is the company behind the liquid hydrogen bunkering plans, and its CEO Steven Lua said the consortium has “great confidence that we will deliver something truly remarkable”.
The project is not the only Shetland-related connection to the latest round of Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition funding.
Significant funding has been given to a project to demonstrate a fully electric boat between West Burrafirth and Papa Stour.
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