Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support he is providing to increase the number of ships fuelled by LNG.

Natural gas in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) offers the potential for large reductions in all air pollutant emissions but limited GHG savings when compared to incumbent fuels (heavy fuel oil, marine diesel oil).

Our Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, launched in March 2021, allocated over £23m of research and development funding to 55 projects across the UK, including projects exploring internal combustion engine technology that is capable of using zero emission fuels like hydrogen, methanol and ammonia. The competition also supports projects on green shipbuilding, placing the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vessels.

As set out in the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener (October 2021), we will extend the CMDC to a multi-year programme. We will publish details of any future competitions in due course, including guidance for applicants.