absence of regulation in testing and scaling up new technologies. But to now take the industry forward, we need the regulation to catch up and the Committee is right to push the government on this. We have the right technology, and scale can only now be achieved with the regulation that supports this fast-moving sector. The UK can harness first mover advantage to drive autonomy to the next exciting stage in the ocean space.”
Decarbonise the maritime sector The Government aspires for the UK
to become a world leader in zero emission shipping, and to revitalise ports and coastal communities by investing in technology, in turn making the UK more competitive. But industry sees the Government’s net zero emissions target as its biggest challenge.
DfT has said it is working on a follow up to its 2019 Clean Maritime Plan, with aspirations that by 2025 all new vessels ordered for use in UK waters will have zero-emission propulsion capability, and that the UK will be in the process of building clean maritime clusters. These will be focused on innovation and infrastructure associated with zero emission propulsion technologies.
The Government itself recognised in its first Clean Maritime Plan that “the market may benefit from further policy certainty.” The Committee therefore calls on DfT to bring forward the refreshed Clean Maritime Plan without further delay.
The Committee also argues for long term investments in scaling up mature technologies that will help the sector reach net zero, as R&D funding can only take innovation so far.
State investment is needed – over and above the match funding ministers promised in February 2023 – to bolster shoreside electrical power supplies, ‘shore power’. Ports themselves are commercial entities that are often unable to take on risks of high capital costs.
Invest in people
Experts told the Committee of an ageing workforce that struggles to recruit and retain younger workers or those from diverse backgrounds. Less than 4% of seafarers are women.
The rate of technological change has created a necessity for older workers to learn new skills. Martyn Gray of Nautilus International said: “Innovation and education have to move at the same pace, otherwise the whole sector will fall down.”
The report says DfT should review training funding in the maritime sector to establish if there are barriers to access and how the system can be improved. This should include an assessment of the potential costs and benefits of providing fully funded training places for both officers and ratings to attract new workers.
The Committee also heard of a lack of education about careers in the sector, and misconceptions that the majority of roles would entail working at sea.
The Committee welcomes the Seafarers’ Wages Bill but considers it alone will not be sufficient to ensure proper treatment of seafarers. The Government must bring forward its promised Seafarers’ Welfare Charter as soon as possible, and make it mandatory for UK operators.
Enable ‘smart shipping’
Autonomous ships that use sensors to help them navigate or to assist crew are widely seen as the cargo vehicles of the future. This ‘smart shipping’ would allow a vessel to sail more efficiently, thereby reducing costs and boosting competitiveness.
The Committee was told by the National Oceanography Centre that challenges with recruitment have resulted from a “lack of defined quality standards [regulation] for autonomy”, which has led to “a lack of easily identifiable and transferable skills”.
The 2022 Queen’s Speech stated that the Government would “introduce new laws that safely enable […] remotely operated vehicles and vessels.” The Committee was then informed in December that new legislation had been shelved. The necessary reforms must be legislated for at the earliest opportunity so that a major commercial opportunity for UK innovators – at the forefront to date – is not lost.
78 | The Report • June 2023 • Issue 104
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144
