- Maritime shipping welcomed the UK’s strategy as a “major turning point” for the industry, putting the sector on track to lead the world by 2050.
- The NSS also includes a 30-year, cross-government shipbuilding pipeline of more than 150 new vessels, to provide certainty for yards.
- A new Maritime Capability Campaign Office (MCCO) has also been launched by the Department of Trade, targeting export opportunities worth up to £600 million over next five years.
Maritime shipping welcomed the UK’s strategy as a “major turning point” for the industry, putting the sector on track to lead the world by 2050, says an article published on safety4sea website.
National shipbuilding strategy
The national shipbuilding strategy includes:
- Significant funding for green shipping projects across the UK, a new government office (MCCO) to open up exporting opportunities worth up to £600 million, and a new DfE-led unit to drive new skills and talent into the industry;
- A 30-year, cross-government shipbuilding pipeline of more than 150 new vessels, to provide certainty for yards.
- The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) contains plans to boost the competitiveness and productivity of UK shipbuilding, which the Prime Minister has identified as one of his major policy priorities.
This includes more than £200m funding for green maritime projects through a new UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions, a new government team to open up exporting opportunities worth up to £600 million, and establishing a taskforce to drive new skills and talent into the industry.
British Marine welcomes the launch of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, and we look forward to supporting Government in their ambitions to boost competitiveness and productivity and reaffirm the UK’s position as a global leader in shipbuilding Lesley Robinson, CEO of British Marine, the trade association for UK leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry.
Re-introduces the Home Shipbuilding Guarantee Scheme
The NSS also includes a 30-year, cross-government shipbuilding pipeline of more than 150 new vessels, to provide certainty for yards, and re-introduces the Home Shipbuilding Guarantee Scheme (HSGS), giving firms a government-backed guarantee for loan repayments to reduce financing costs.
According to research by First Marine International, the HSGC could boost orders to UK yards from £60m to more than £400m per annum, an increase of more than 660%.
This forms part of a £4 billion government investment overall over the next three years.
Major turning point for UK shipbuilding
The NSS also includes the launch of UK-SHORE, a new dedicated unit within the Department for Transport focused on decarbonising the maritime sector. The unit will expand the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), government-funded research and development competition, to a multi-year programme.
The CMDC’s first instalment, last year, saw funding for projects such as the world’s first green submarine, and was vastly oversubscribed with bids for 225% of the available budget.
A new Maritime Capability Campaign Office (MCCO) has also been launched by the Department of Trade, targeting export opportunities worth up to £600 million over next five years, with global maritime trade levels expected to treble by 2050.
Moreover, the Department for Education also launches a UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce to work collaboratively across government, devolved administrations, and industry, to drive the new skills and talent required to transition to net zero and lead the world in maritime technology.
Today’s refreshed strategy marks a major turning point for UK shipbuilding and the maritime sector as a whole. Its investment in green technology, broader scope covering commercial and leisure vessels, dedicated support to boost exports and focus on skills and government-industry collaboration, marks a key step on our journey to becoming the world’s most competitive maritime nation by 2050 Ben Murray, CEO of Maritime UK, the umbrella body for the industry, said.
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Source: safety4sea
