Port of Aberdeen has been awarded more than £200,000 from the UK Government to accelerate its drive to Net Zero by 2040.

The ‘Port Zero’ feasibility study, which is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 2 (CMDC2), will analyse future port power demands, assess low carbon energy sources for equipment (e.g., cranes, tugs, pilot boats) and quayside infrastructure, and help develop a roadmap to decarbonise port operations.

The study will be delivered in partnership with Energy Systems Catapult, Connected Places Catapult and Buro Happold, and aligns with the emissions reductions goals published in the Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Plan.

The project partners also aim to develop a ‘Ports and Regional Strategic Advisory Group’ to address the cross-sector challenges of decarbonisation. The group will agree priorities, develop a solution roadmap that delivers optimum lifecycle emissions reductions and work to address policy gaps that impact the implementation of broader regional decarbonisation initiatives.

Port of Aberdeen is also partnering on the CMDC2 ‘Green Shipping Corridors’ feasibility study led by ACUA Ocean, which has designed a zero-emissions vessel powered by liquid-hydrogen, capable of open ocean transits and transportation of a 4.5ton payload.

The shipping study will develop a detailed project plan for the world’s first hydrogen-powered zero-emission crossing demonstration from Port of Aberdeen to Norway in 2024, which is an economically important potential green shipping corridor route.

CMDC2 was launched in May 2022, funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. As part of the CMDC2, the Department allocated over £14m to 31 projects supported by 121 organisations from across the UK to deliver feasibility studies and collaborative R&D projects in clean maritime solutions.

Bob Sanguinetti, Chief Executive, Port of Aberdeen, said: “Port of Aberdeen is at the heart of the energy transition and international trade. We want to accelerate the transition to Net Zero through the development and introduction of innovative technology and processes which reduce emissions for the port, its users and supply chain. The funding for our ‘Port Zero’ project will help make this a reality.

“Public sector collaboration and investment in ports is essential to decarbonise the maritime industry and achieve government net zero targets. The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition is a positive example of government support in action and we hope to be successful in future funding rounds.”