Vice-Chancellor backs UK 'green' maritime strategy

LJMU’s maritime expertise is helping the UK chart a course for carbon free shipping by 2050.

A raft of research and innovation projects involving the university’s Global Centre for Maritime Innovation (GCMI) underpin the Government’s strategy for a cleaner, greener, more self-sufficient nation.

Today’s launch of a maritime decarbonisation strategy for the UK with a further £30m investment in technology, was backed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power and Chris Shirling-Rooke, Chief Executive of Maritime UK and an honorary fellow of LJMU.

LJMU is the sole UK university partnered with Maritime-UK. 

Professor Power said: “Maritime Decarbonisation is a key focus of the GCMI and we warmly welcome this announcement from Government to take a global leadership for sustainable transport and should signal growth in investment for our net zero solutions for the industry.” 

GCMI is already actively working with partners across industry, government, and academia to deliver those solutions for ships, ports and the ‘last mile’, a term in maritime logistics which refers to post-port delivery to customers or retailers.

Dr Christian Matthews, Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor (interim) for the Faculty of Health, Innovation, Technology and Science, explained: “LJMU has had a long-standing commitment to investment in the development and growth of our sustainable maritime innovation capability. Our involvement in the Maritime and Last Mile Net Zero project will accelerate maritime transport decarbonisation and enhance low-carbon logistics in the Liverpool City Region and its ‘green shipping corridor’ to Belfast.

LJMU is also a partner in the RETROFIT55 project which aims to develop decarbonization solutions and green technologies which can be used by ship-owners to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.