Maritime UK Solent talks green shipping and future fuels at roundtable

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Daniel Face

Back row, from left – Elly Toyer, Portsmouth Port; Louise Lea, Wightlink; Lorna Wagner and Anne-Marie Mountifield, both MUK Solent; Deborah Owens and Victoria Race, both DfT; and Zoe Colbeck, The Solent Cluster. Front row – Ana Ulanovsky, Arup; Bonnie Stephens and Hiong San, both DfT.

The team at Maritime UK Solent were joined representatives from the Department for Transport (DfT) and organisations from across the region for a roundtable last week.

At the top of the agenda was green shipping as together they debated and shared approaches to net zero through cleaner maritime fuels.

Topics for discussion included skills, infrastructure investment, technical challenges and the government’s role in helping out industry.

Anne-Marie Mountifield, chair of MUK Solent, said: “The transition to greener shipping is a key priority for the Solent’s maritime cluster.

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“This was a fantastic opportunity to consider and compare transition plans for the maritime fuel switch, and the actions required by all involved to make it a success.

“The event was a concrete step towards collaboratively ensuring the Solent and the UK are well-positioned to retain our strategic position on the global maritime stage.”

Wightlink offered to host the roundtable, providing ferry transport on the day from Portsmouth to the Royal Victoria Yacht Club.

The company is leading the way in green shipping after the introduction of its hybrid cross-Solent ferry, Victoria of Wight.

Keith Greenfield, chief executive of Wightlink, added: “We’re all facing the common challenge of decarbonisation, but we’ve got a lot of skills and expertise in the Solent maritime sector.

“I’m optimistic that between us we can find solutions both for the near future and the long term.”

MUK Solent will continue work with the DfT and Solent maritime cluster to support the sector’s transition to a lower carbon future.

Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL. Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience. Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.