Maritime sector firms in Liverpool city region are being urged this week to apply for cash from a £60m Government decarbonisation fund. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool city region maritime sector firms are this week being urged to apply to a £60m Government decarbonisation fund.

Cluster organisation Mersey Maritime will host a free event on Tuesday morning (October 4) to explain more about the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. This event is open to members and non-members of Mersey Maritime.

On a trade mission to New York last week, Mersey Maritime chief executive Chris Shirling-Rooke met with new Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan. They discussed how Merseyside firms can benefit from the fund.

In March the Department Transport set up UK SHORE (UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions). It has been tasked with allocating £206m to fund projects designed to help slash emissions across the maritime sector.

In this latest funding round £60m is on offer. The application window will close at 11am on Wednesday, November 9. Mr Shirling-Rooke says the fund represents a fantastic opportunity for maritime firms, large and small, to slash emissions and raise productivity through new innovation.

Maritime in the Liverpool city region is worth £5bn a year and offers employment to tens of thousands of people. It is one of the most successful maritime clusters in Europe. Mr Shirling-Rooke believes the region can take the lead in helping the UK achieve its net zero goals.

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“The new Transport Secretary, who I met during my attendance at the Atlantic Future Forum last week in New York, has just announced a third round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition,” he said.

“This will help companies and scientists to make emission-free maritime a reality. It is the largest allocation of funding yet. It is testament to the level of ambition and the resources needed to move us forward on the journey to clean and green maritime.

“The decarbonisation of the maritime industry is a top priority nationally. Here in the Liverpool city region we can play our part too. Maritime in this region touches all aspects of the industry.

“We are well placed to bring together the sorts of companies who have an interest and expertise and the vision to deliver projects that would benefit from this funding opportunity.

A number of Mersey Maritime members, including Bibby Marine and Expleo, have already pitched successfully for grant support in earlier rounds. They received significant sums for their projects.

From 9am to 12 noon it will host the event at its Maritime Knowledge Hub headquarters in Birkenhead. There will be an introduction from Kate Drury, a senior official at the Department for Transport. To register click here.