LONDON: Indian-Origin CEO’s Green Submarine Project Wins UK Prize

LONDON: A green hydrogen-powered
under-water transportation submarine system being developed by a company led by
an Indian-origin CEO was on Wednesday named among the winners of the UK
government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.

Dhruv
Boruah’s Oceanways won backing from the GBP 23-million government-funded
research and development (R&D) drive with its concept of a fully-automated
net positive submarine fleet, powered entirely on green hydrogen, could help
cleanse the oceans of toxic pollution by collecting microplastics on its pilot
route between Glasgow in Scotland and Belfast in Northern Ireland.

While
transporting cargo shipments, the fleet could secure significant emission
savings of 27 tonnes of carbon dioxide or CO2 emissions in the first year of
operation, with an overall mission to reduce 300 million tonnes of CO2 as the
fleet grows.

“We
would like to thank our Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP for selecting
Oceanways to support the Department for Transport’s mission to decarbonise shipping
and aid our Prime Minister’s commitment to build back better,” said Mr
Boruah, Founder and CEO of Oceanways.

“Time
is running out and it is imperative we don’t settle for 1 per cent more
efficiency in an existing system, but instead, radically rethink to create
innovative solutions,” he said.

The
entrepreneur is confident that the autonomous, or driverless, system may well
be in a position to transport humans in the future, following its successful
use to transport products.

“It’s
not just JetZero. Oceanways has assembled a world-class team to pioneer SubZero
by creating the new market of net positive underwater transport systems with
zero-emission cargo submarines as an innovative tool to decarbonise shipping
and clean up our ocean,” he said.

The green
submarines are expected to be in use across British waters by 2026 and help
address freight traffic challenges, including shortage of drivers. Oceanways
says it will be servicing short point to point routes with fast, zero emission
delivery. It claims the submarines are superior to a cargo ship in almost every
way: “not only they are weather independent, can reach hard to reach areas
and a lot cheaper to build and operate, but it’s also quieter, secure, more
stable, and cleaner, with zero fumes or pollutants”.

“As
a proud island nation built on our maritime prowess, it is only right that we
lead by example when it comes to decarbonising the sector and building back
greener,” said Grant Shapps, the minister who unveiled the prize-winners
during the ongoing London Shipping Week in Greenwich.

“The
projects announced today showcase the best of British innovation,
revolutionising existing technology and infrastructure to slash emissions,
create jobs and get us another step closer to our decarbonisation targets,”
he said.

The
government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition is supporting the
development of innovative technology to propel Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s
commitment to have zero emission ships operating commercially by 2025.

Also
among the winners is an all-electric charge-point connected to an offshore wind
turbine. The charge-points will be able to power boats using 100 per cent
renewable energy generated from the turbine.

This
offers potential savings of up to 131,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent
(CO2e) emissions a year – the equivalent of removing over 62,000 cars from our
roads. Similar to roadside electric vehicle chargepoints, these will be
operated by semi-automated control, meaning that sailors can moor up by the
wind turbine chargepoint, plug in, charge up, then sail on.

“Through
increased investment and closer collaboration with government our industry can
rise to the challenge of steering the UK’s vessels in a green direction,”
said Maritime UK chair Sarah Kenny.

“We
still have a very long way to go, but today marks an important step towards our
journey to net zero,” she said.

It comes
as UK Maritime Minister Robert Courts backed the opening of the UK’s so-called
greenest cruise terminal. The Horizon Cruise Terminal at the Port of
Southampton, southern England, is the first of its kind, using an innovative
mix of solar panel roofing and clean energy shore power plug-in charging for
ships.