UK, 17 November, 2022 – Expleo has won the Maritime 2050 Award at the 2022 Mersey Maritime Awards, in recognition of its work to develop Net Zero shipping solutions, support talent development and drive adoption of new technology.
The Maritime 2050 Award recognises projects and activity that directly support the Government’s Maritime 2050 strategy, which is based around seven themes: technology, trade, environment, people, infrastructure, security/resilience and the UK’s competitive advantage.
From an environment perspective, Expleo was recognised for its study into clean propulsion systems which outlines an innovative closed-loop, e-methanol fuel cell solution for global shipping that offers significant Net Zero gains, reductions in operational costs and capital expenditure.
The study, funded by the Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, was published in July 2022 and is highlighted in the white paper, ‘Clean Green Marine – a breakthrough for global shipping.’
Jeff Hoyle, MD Expleo UK and EVP Global Aero, Space & Defence, said: “Winning the Maritime 2050 Award is testament to our continued focus on the big issues facing the global marine industry today – and those issues don’t come much bigger, or more pressing than sector-wide decarbonisation.
“Our solution has the potential to revolutionise shipping enabling the industry to make its own e-fuel, cut emissions and reduce costs. We’re fantastically proud that this study is receiving recognition and of all the team members who played a part in it.”
Jon Wines, Capability Director – Marine, Expleo, said: “To meet the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) timeline for carbon emission reduction, many of the world’s 100,000 vessels will need to convert to low-carbon fuel by 2035 – making the development of a viable solution a high priority. We set out to develop just such a solution and the results outstripped our expectations, delivering not only Net Zero benefits, but cost too.”
In addition to its work to drive adoption of new technology and progress the environment agenda in marine, the Maritime 2050 Award acknowledged Expleo’s continued focus on addressing the skills gap in engineering through training and investment in people.
This year it has recruited hundreds of professionals across all disciplines, from engineering to project management. In addition, it has continued to develop emerging talent through its apprentice programme.
Jonathan Taylor, VP of Marine at Expleo, commented: “This year has also seen the continuation of our apprenticeship programme, with each apprentice undertaking six months in a college environment, prior to being deployed into an engineering team. We’re incredibly proud of the programme and the opportunity it affords to engage with and develop the next generation of marine engineering talent.”
He concluded: “This win is all thanks to our people and the bold, innovation mindset they apply to every task they undertake. They have worked tirelessly to develop new solutions that address the big challenges we face in maritime, increase awareness of new technology and support the development of engineers. I am proud to say that for the second year in a row we are officially ‘award-winning’!”
