Coastal communities across the country are set to benefit from over £80 million of government funding as the winners of the Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure fund (ZEVI) are announced - supporting economic growth and boosting the UK’s decarbonisation efforts.

The UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) and Innovate UK are delivering over £80 million in match-funding to support close to commercial clean maritime technology.

Funding is available to cover the construction and set up of projects?until March 2025, with project partners covering all costs of demonstrating in an operational environment until March 2028.

The specific technology in scope includes:

• electric vessels and charging infrastructure
• shore power, both on the shoreside and vessel-side
• alternative fuels and bunkering

The multi-million-pound Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) fund, launched in February, is designed to take tech from the factory to the sea by supporting projects which have a long-term impact in reducing carbon emissions.

Successful projects must show they could use this money to work with major UK ports and operators to launch a zero-emission vessel by 2025 at the latest.

One project on the south coast of England, the Zero Emission Network of Workboats, claim their work will deliver savings of 1000 tonnes of CO2 over the span of the three-year demonstration. That’s a saving equivalent to 113,000km driven by an HGV – saving millions of tonnes of CO2 if implemented around the world.

This funding will also support an emission free postal service through Thames Clipper’s project to use a 100% electric fast vessel to deliver Amazon parcels from Dartford to Tower Bridge Quay.

Hundreds of jobs are being supported thanks to ZEVI with the resulting research and development helping the sector shift its energy source away from fossil fuels.

Portsmouth International Port has predicted the funding it’s receiving will help them deliver their 20-year plan and grow their employment from just under 6,000 to just over 40,000 while Collins River Enterprises have forecasted a boost in job numbers by up to 800 thanks to today’s funding.

Details of all the winning projects can be found here.

The ZEVI fund is part of the UK SHORE programme, launched in March 2022 with £206 million in funding. UK SHORE aims to tackle shipping emissions and advance the UK towards a sustainable shipping future.