EMEA News
Archipelago Yachts-Led Consortium Wins UK Funding for Methanol Project
Yacht designer Archipelago Yachts-led consortium has won UK government funding to develop methanol-based energy technology for electric vessels.
The support comes through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (round 6), delivered by Innovate UK under the UK SHORE programme, Archipelago said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.
The project, Methanol Pathfinder UK, will develop a system that converts methanol into hydrogen onboard to power electric vessels.
The aim is to create a clean and practical range-extension solution that cuts reliance on diesel engines and supports zero-emission shipping.
The consortium also includes Chartwell Marine, Blue Deep International, E1 Marine, and Auriga Energy. Together, the partners will design and test a modular methanol-to-hydrogen system that can be integrated into different types of electric vessels.
"This Innovate UK funding marks an exciting next step in our mission to bring real-world, zero-emission solutions to the water," Dr Stephen Weatherley, CEO of Archipelago Yachts, said.
UK SHORE has invested more than £230 million since 2022 to support more than 247 maritime projects across the UK, attracting more than £107 million in private investment to accelerate the sector's energy transition.
