London river bus service provider Uber Boat by Thames Clippers has secured a £59m funding package to support ongoing investment into its fleet and drydocking facilities.

The funding, which consists of £29.5 million from NatWest and £29.5 million from Santander, will support the London-based firm’s investment plans over the next few years.

They include plans for new vessels, an upgrade to the pier infrastructure and improvements to drydocking facilities.

The facility will also help the business to expand services and increase the number of clean vessels – water ferries powered by electricity – that they employ on the Thames.

Last year, more than 4 million people travelled with Thames Clippers and bosses are expecting continued growth.

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The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract worth £20.5 million to Northrop Grumman UK Ltd for the in-service support of navigation and radar systems across the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) carriers and other naval platforms.

The contract, announced via a transparency notice, covers the Integrated Navigation and Bridge Systems (INBS) of the QEC aircraft carriers, as well as the VM250 Radar, Astute Ships Inertial Navigation System, and MK39 Gyroscope used across multiple naval platforms.

The awarded contract includes a wide range of support services aimed at maintaining the operational effectiveness of these critical systems. According to the notice:

“The Contract will include in service core support of the INBS Equipment and Legacy equipment.”

“The in-service support includes safety management, spares provision, systems repairs, a range of supplementary support tasks and technical support.”

The contract is classified as a Single Source Qualifying Defence Contract and was awarded to Northrop Grumman UK Ltd, based in New Malden. The contract supports the Royal Navy’s flagship carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, by maintaining the crucial navigation and radar systems that enable effective maritime operations.

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Serco has secured three major contracts valued at over £1 billion from the UK Ministry of Defence to deliver maritime services for the Royal Navy. These contracts, which include modernisation and expansion of existing capabilities, will commence later this year.

The international services provider has supported the Royal Navy for nearly 30 years, delivering a range of critical services from military training exercises to harbour assistance. These new contracts will extend that partnership with enhanced services and new responsibilities.

The largest contract, valued at approximately £850 million over ten years, covers the delivery of in-port services at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth, HMNB Portsmouth, and the Clyde, including HMNB Faslane. As part of the modernisation effort, Serco will procure 24 new vessels to replace older ones currently in service. The contract covers vessel towage, passenger transfer, and barge and tank cleaning services at Portsmouth and Devonport.

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NatPower H has entered a partnership with French company HYNAVAL to develop hydrogen-powered vessels and refueling infrastructure, aiming to decarbonize the maritime sector. The agreement outlines the construction of 20 hydrogen-powered ships by 2030 and the establishment of hydrogen refueling infrastructure in key French ports.

NatPower H has strengthened its presence in France by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HyNaval, a leading French shipbuilding and conversion company specializing in hydrogen-powered vessels. This partnership focuses on developing innovative solutions for decarbonizing the maritime sector by utilizing hydrogen as a clean energy source, with an emphasis on the French market.

As part of the agreement, NatPower H will be responsible for the hydrogen supply infrastructure for HyNaval’s projects, which include the construction of 20 hydrogen-powered vessels by 2030. Additionally, the partnership includes a feasibility study to deploy hydrogen refueling stations in key French ports, collaborating with local industrial partners. The goal is to create a scalable, sustainable zero-emission fuel network. Both companies are aligned in their vision for global expansion, aiming to accelerate the green transition in both maritime and inland waterway transport.

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LS Eco Advanced Cables Ltd. (LSEAC) has launched a five-week public consultation on their proposals to develop a high voltage cable production facility at the Port of Tyne, for under-sea electricity transmission – designed to transport clean energy generated by offshore wind onto UK shores.

While plans are at an early stage and still being finalised, total investment is expected to be approximately £923 million, which would put the North East at the heart of the UK’s clean energy transition.

The consultation runs from 14th May to 18th June and provides an opportunity for local communities, businesses and organisations to give their feedback on the proposed development before the final planning application is made to South Tyneside Council later this year.

The facility would lead to 500 direct jobs and a thousand more across the wider supply chain, including in high-skilled roles in engineering. Along with the The North East Combined Authority and the Port of Tyne, LSEAC will work with the region’s schools, colleges and universities to provide training and re-training in the skills needed at the facility, ensuring generations of North East people benefit from the huge employment opportunities.

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Scotland’s Transport Secretary has confirmed that the government is in negotiations with Peel Ports Group to acquire Ardrossan Harbour.

Finance has been made available in the Scottish budget and Fiona Hyslop updated MSPs in Parliament.

“I have instructed Transport Scotland and CMAL to progress discussions about the potential purchase of Ardrossan Harbour by The Scottish Government,” she said.

The harbour faces an uncertain future because two new ferries that will operate CalMac Ferries Limited’s Arran route are too big to fit. MV Glen Sannox, which enters service this week, is sailing from Troon.

Ardrossan will then be left with no scheduled CalMac sailings until the old Arran vessel, MV Caledonian Isles, returns from repairs in March.

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Leading marine scientists have urged the UK government to ban destructive bottom-trawl fishing in the UK’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and transform current protections from ‘little more than lines on a map’ to more robust means of enabling UK marine environments to recover from their ‘current states of degradation’.

The letter blasts the current protections offered to British waters, insisting that while bottom-trawl fishing persists within them, designated areas of marine protection simply won’t fulfil their potential to support thriving wildlife, sustainable jobs, and resilience to climate change.

“While the UK has designated more than 30% of its domestic waters as MPAs, almost all of these are currently little more than lines on a map, since they remain open to highly destructive bottom-trawling and dredging,” the letter reads.

The open communication has been signed by no fewer than 20 of the UK’s leading names in marine science, including Professor Martin Attrill, professor of marine ecology at the University of Plymouth, Professor Pip Moore, professor of marine science at Newcastle University, and Professor Callum Roberts, professor of marine conservation at the University of Exeter and an Oceanographic columnist.

“These fishing practices are simply not compatible with meaningful marine protection,” states the letter.

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Addressing anticipated skills shortages in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation is essential to the future of UK shipbuilding sector, according to a new report by the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), operated by the University of Strathclyde and based at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) in Renfrewshire.

Developed with industry partners and Innovate UK’s Workforce Foresighting Hub, the report highlights the need to equip the workforce with the skills required as the industry evolves and adopts new technology. It looks ahead to the next five years and beyond, emphasising the importance of adapting both traditional roles and emerging ones.

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The UK’s Type 83 destroyer programme, part of the Future Air Dominance System (FADS), is expected to provide significant contributions to the nation’s shipbuilding sector and broader economy, according to responses from Maria Eagle, Minister of State for Defence, in Parliament on 11 February 2025.

The FADS programme will replace the UK’s current Maritime Air Defence Capability provided by the Type 45 destroyers and is currently in its concept phase. Highlighting the government’s strategic vision, Eagle stated in response to a question from Luke Akehurst (Labour MP for North Durham), “This Government is committed to delivering a thriving shipbuilding sector across the UK, supporting the whole supply chain, from design to repair, systems, and integration.”

When asked whether the Type 83 destroyers’ design, manufacturing, and support would be carried out by UK companies, Eagle emphasised that “it is not yet possible to confirm where these ships will be built as it is subject to due commercial process.” However, she confirmed that the programme would secure jobs in shipbuilding until “at least the mid-2040s, depending on the number of platforms built.”

Eagle also underscored that the programme will carefully consider the role of UK businesses and communities in its development. “Analysis of supply chain involvement and social value will be conducted during this phase. Social value and sovereign considerations will inform any subsequent investment,” she said, suggesting that the government is keen on maximising both economic and national security benefits.

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Galileo, a leading European renewable energy development company, developing the PortWind project has announced it has signed a non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Portland Port, an established commercial port on the South Coast of England, to work together with the common goal of maximising opportunities for offshore wind development off the Dorset coast with associated enhanced port infrastructure, supply chain and community benefits onshore.

Portland Port has a history of servicing the offshore wind sector and is in discussions with potential partners to enable and support the future construction and operation of offshore wind developments in the English Channel. With significant deep-water berths and quayside space, Portland Port has the capacity and capability to host construction and operational headquarters, as well as support accommodation and transport solutions.

Offshore wind and port infrastructure are key components of Dorset’s Clean Energy Super Cluster, which seeks to drive economic transformation to power the future and open up new opportunities for training and employment for local communities. The cluster is a proactive response to align and deliver the Government’s Industrial Strategy to boost economic growth, stimulate UK supply chain development, improve energy security and resilience in the UK.

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