A subsidiary of the UK’s ELIRE Group, ELIRE Infra, and its consortium partners have secured £1 million (around €1.152 million) in UK Government funding. The funding will help ELIRE to develop hydrogen floating power hubs that will decarbonize port operations and support the UK’s transition to net zero.
The £1 million was awarded under the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) Round 6, delivered by Innovate UK in collaboration with the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE), part of the Department for Transport.
The “Hydrogen Floating Power Hub Feasibility Programme” will run from September 2025 to March 2026, ascertaining the commercial and technical potential of deploying floating, off-grid hydrogen power systems as a replacement for fossil fuel-based port energy infrastructure. If the assessment is successful, it could birth the UK’s first operational hydrogen floating power hub 3 years from now.
With ELIRE Infra as leader and coordinator, the project will involve key industry players like Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Ricardo UK, Rux Energy UK, Schneider Electric, Triton Anchor Europe, University of Strathclyde, and Sealand Projects.
According to ELIRE, in the next 10 years, the programme plans to cut 500,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions globally, while improving local air quality and port energy resilience.
Reports have said that the hydrogen floating power hub mixes hydrogen fuel cells with renewables like solar and biofuel-powered microturbines, delivering about 5 MW of clean energy in a modular, floating format.
ELIRE shared that the adaptability makes it ideal for several port environments, from dense urban harbours to remote coastal hubs.
“Hydrogen’s power density far exceeds that of traditional industrial batteries. This allows us to create smaller-footprint, scalable systems ideal for ports with grid or space constraints. We see this as a transformative step for maritime decarbonisation globally,” Luke Jenkinson, founder of ELIRE Infra, said.
“This is more than technology—it’s a new energy model for ports. By integrating hydrogen storage, renewable power, and microgrid systems on a floating platform, we’re creating a blueprint that can scale worldwide,” Chris Carlisle, Project Lead at ELIRE Infra, stated.
The project views the River Thames as a possible early deployment site, and when the feasibility program ends around March next year, the consortium plans to unleash detailed system designs that are set for regulatory approval, vendor-selected, costed equipment lists, validated platform structural and seakeeping assessments, and a convincing business case to trigger investments for full-scale deployment.
The project will also offer employment opportunities in engineering, fabrication, and operations, while aiding the acceleration of hydrogen adoption across shipping and logistics, and replicable clean energy models for ports all across the globe.
James Lovett, Innovation Lead for Future Maritime Technologies at Innovate UK, said, “Hydrogen Floating Power Hub is an excellent example of UK-led innovation tackling a hard-to-abate sector. This consortium has the expertise to develop a commercially viable zero-emission solution for port operations.”
Maritime Minister Mike Kane added, “It’s exciting to see investment in green fuels driving innovation, skills, and manufacturing across the UK. This £30 million round of funding is crucial to cleaning up sea travel and trade as we chart a course to net zero shipping by 2050.”
