EMEA News
UK Launches £3M Competition for Marine Emission Reduction
The UK is spending £3 million ($4.9 million) to encourage innovative marine technology to reduce emissions with a new collaborative R&D competition, marine news site IBI Plus reports.
"There is huge appetite among UK companies in the maritime and marine sector to deliver innovation, particularly in achieving more low carbon and efficient systems," said Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, which is running the competition.
The competition, Vessel Efficiency II: Better Systems at Sea, is the second of its kind, and the first one attracted funding requests totalling more than three times its available £7 million ($11.7 million) budget, with projects involving propulsion technology, emissions reduction devices, and vessel routing systems.
"The number and quality of proposals submitted last year was excellent and we look forward to receiving a positive response to this new competition," Gray said.
A July report by the U.K.'s Royal Academy of Engineering found that there is "great potential" for emissions reduction in shipping, but more research and funding is needed.
