Two North East universities are to lead separate Government-backed research hubs as part of pivotal moves to drive forward Ƶ decarbonisation.
Durham University is to lead a new £21.3m national research partnership focussed on decarbonising the Ƶ maritime sector. The university will drive forward the Ƶ National Clean Maritime Research Hub (Ƶ-MaRes Hub), which aims to ramp up the decarbonisation and elimination of air pollution from maritime activity in ports and at sea. As well as environmental impacts, the hub will also focus on the potential economic and social benefits of transitioning to a clean maritime future.
The Ƶ-MaRes Hub is a consortium of 13 universities led by Durham and including researchers from Aston, Birmingham, Brighton, City, Cranfield, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Solent, St Andrews and Ulster universities. The creation of the new hub was announced by the Ƶ Government’s Maritime Minister, Baroness Vere of Norbiton, during London International Shipping Week, where she was joined by the director of the Ƶ-MaRes Hub, Professor Tony Roskilly, chair of energy systems in the department of engineering at Durham University.
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The hub will carry out research in sustainable marine fuels, low-carbon power and propulsion systems for shipping, decarbonised port operations and infrastructure, improved maritime operations and vessel efficiency. It also brings together over 70 industrial, civic and international organisations as project partners, including shipping companies, ports, equipment and service providers, fuel producers and civic bodies.
Prof Roskilly said: “Our vision is to create a pioneering research hub providing technically, environmentally, socially and economically informed ways to decarbonise the maritime sector. The Ƶ-MaRes Hub will harness the depth, breadth and diversity of research being undertaken in the Ƶ to foster collaboration, drive forward innovation and transformation, and set a global benchmark for excellence in maritime research.”
Funding includes £7.4m from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Department for Transport, with an additional £13.9m financial and in-kind match funding from consortium universities and project partners.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “With 95% of the Ƶ’s trade happening by sea, the maritime sector is vital to our country’s economic output but it’s also one of the biggest contributors to the Ƶ’s emissions. That’s why it’s so important that we focus on how decarbonising maritime can help grow the economy – today’s package helps create highly skilled jobs and supports the levelling up of our coastal communities.”
Meanwhile, Newcastle University is leading the Research Hub for Decarbonised Adaptable and Resilient Transport Infrastructures (DARe) – a new national hub which will provide expertise, innovative modelling and engagement to support net zero transport networks.
The hub will help to upgrade and decarbonise the Ƶ’s complex and interconnected national, regional and local transport infrastructures and to adapt to the effects of climate change. Leaders said it will identify pathways and solutions for delivering a resilient, net-zero transport system that works for people and communities.
Funding of £10m has been awarded by the Department for Transport and Ƶ Research and Innovation to the DARe hub, which brings together Cambridge, Glasgow and Heriot-Watt Universities as partner institutions.
Professor Phil Blythe, professor of intelligent transport systems, and head of the future mobility group at Newcastle University, said: “We are delighted to be awarded the hub which will be the National focus for research into how we decarbonise and make resilient our Transport Infrastructure.The hub will engage widely to bring together the leading academics from across the Ƶ and their civic and industry partners so we can focus on understanding the underpinning science and engineering to enable us to tackle these real challenges and provide the models that will help us understand the impact and find the most appropriate solutions.”
