The marine industry is facing a growing wave of pressure to clean up its act.
Maritime emissions are a significant contributor to water and air pollution in and around our ports, harbours and waterways. The UK’s domestic maritime sector emits approximately 5.8 million tonnes of CO2 annually which is roughly equivalent to the emissions from manufacturing 3.2 million tonnes of steel.
Large cargo ships and ferries, unsurprisingly, contribute the bulk of these emissions. But smaller vessels also have an impact. Addressing carbon output across all vessel types is key to making meaningful progress towards the UK Government’s ‘Net Zero by 2050’ target.
Marine operators are grappling with the need to reduce emissions without sacrificing the effectiveness of their operations – that’s especially critical in the military and life-saving missions conducted by partners such as the RNLI and Serco (who run a fleet of vessels on behalf of the Royal Navy). There’s a lack of clear guidance on which sustainable technologies are suitable for their specific needs and a real shortage of data on current vessel usage. Without data it’s impossible for them to reduce emissions in their existing operations, let alone consider new technologies. And, if that isn’t challenge enough, they’re under increasing pressure to reduce costs.
In 2023 PurpleSector won the third round of the Department for Transport and Innovate UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. Its founder, Mark Mathieson MBE, explains what’s happened since.
“We were awarded a grant to explore the feasibility of a greener cleaner marine propulsion system and to develop tools to help tailor green solutions to the industry.
“PurpleSector is a group of engineers and data scientists. We honed our skills in the high-octane world of motor racing where every fraction of a millisecond counts and where data capture and analytics drive improvement. We’re now applying those Formula 1 tools and techniques to other industries to solve problems. At pace.
“For this project we brought together a consortium of marine experts who shared our commitment to turbo-charging the sustainability agenda in marine.
“There were several different stages to the project. We started out by capturing data on how our partners were using their vessels to better understand their requirements. We equipped RNLI, Serco and Cowes Harbour Commission vessels with our Formula 1-derived sensors. These boats then continued their normal operations while onboard loggers collected detailed data on performance, usage patterns and environmental impact.
“We used smart analytics to cluster the data to define a set of typical journeys for different vessel types. Then we used these models to simulate real-world operations to test and validate sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel power sources.
“To do this we developed a sustainably fuelled electric powertrain – which is more than an engine, it’s the complete system responsible for generating power and transmitting it to water to propel a vessel. Our powertrain is a hybrid – built to run on both electricity and eMethanol. On fully electric mode it eliminates emissions near ports and harbours, and then it automatically switches to eMethanol to ensure excellent range and power while recharging the battery.
“eMethanol is widely used in motorsport as it’s safe and has excellent performance qualities. It’s a green fuel and can cut CO2 emissions by up to 95% compared to conventional fuels. It’s also clean burning so it extends a powertrain’s life, bringing additional cost and environmental benefits. Plus, unlike hydrogen or ammonia – which need to be stored in specialist systems – it’s compatible with existing fuel storage and transport systems making it the most scalable solution. Importantly, our powertrain can flex between any eMethanol and gasoline mix: a practical solution while clean fuel supply chains mature.
“Extensive testing both on the water and on a dynamometer – a test rig that simulates real-world operating conditions – demonstrated that our hybrid powertrain is a viable alternative for our partners’ vessels, and other similarly driven vessels in operation across the nation. Our results showed that this new greener, cleaner solution is a game-changer with the potential to eliminate emissions when running on electric and reduce them significantly when running on eMethanol.
“But just as important were the data-driven insights we were able to share with partners on their current operations. These insights enable them to optimise the way they use their fleet to reduce carbon emissions today. This is significant because the incentives and supply structure just aren’t in place yet for marine operators to rip and replace their current powertrains with more sustainable solutions.
“We’ll be publishing our findings at the end of March, but we’re already working with organisations such as Harwich Haven Authority to give them the insight and advice they need to make informed, sustainable decisions. We’re determined to use our findings and approach to accelerate change, increase efficiency, and reduce cost and emissions.”
To find out more about this innovative project, download the report from 31st March 2025 at www.purplesector.tech.
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