APCL Group to develop groundbreaking green energy project

Two of APCL’s companies will deliver pioneering clean energy projects following successful bids for government funding.

Cammell Laird in the North West will develop a cutting-edge Green Shore Power Project, following a £3.5m funding injection from the UK Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4).

This project is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 4 (CMDC4), funded by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK. CMDC4 is part of the Department’s UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme, a £206m initiative focused on developing the technology necessary to decarbonise the UK domestic maritime sector.

The £7m project will be the first of its kind in the UK and provide a zero-carbon onshore power solution, removing the dependence of vessels undergoing repair, refit or build on fossil fuel-based power supplies at the famous Mersey shipyard.

In the South West, A&P Falmouth will also be able to provide sustainable clean shore power to vessels after it was successful in a bid to the UK Government’s Zero Emission Vessel Infrastructure fund (ZEVI).

ZEVI was announced in February 2023, funded by UK Government and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. As part of ZEVI, the Department for Transport allocated over £80m to 10 flagship projects supported by 52 organisations from across the UK to deliver real world demonstration R&D projects in clean maritime solutions.

The £12m shore power project will see A&P Falmouth provide the UK’s first multi-vessel flexible shore power connections on Cornwall’s Atlantic Peninsula. As well as reducing CO2 emissions, the technology will also reduce noise.

Cammell Laird and A&P Falmouth are both part of APCL Group, the global ship building and ship repair organisation.

David McGinley, CEO of APCL Group, said: “Sustainability is a challenge we need to tackle head on as an industry, that’s why we’re hugely excited about these two major new projects and their potential to help drive forward innovation in that field.”

Mike Hill, Managing Director of Cammell Laird said Cammell Laird had been working on the Green Shore Power Project for more than six years, which he said would not only lead to a ‘significant reduction’ in emissions but also be a ‘catalyst for improvement’ across the site’s wider infrastructure.

He said: “Our success in securing this funding demonstrates Cammell Laird’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and to developing a sustainable business of the future, which will benefit our workforce, our customers and wider community.”

Mike Spicer, Managing Director of A&P Falmouth said the project at that site would help support a strategy to achieve net zero across operations there by 2030.

He added: “This hugely exciting project will be a significant milestone on that journey. It is testament to the strength of our bid and our reputation in the industry that we were chosen by UK Government to be one of the recipients of this funding.”