Zero-emission propulsion system successfully tested on research vessel Published on: 1 May 2025 A pioneering £4.6m project has successfully retrofitted Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s research vessel, The Princess Royal, with an innovative zero-emission propulsion system. Led by renewable electrification specialist AceOn, with support from experts at Â鶹´«Ã½, the project developed battery and hydrogen technology to power the marine vessels used for servicing offshore wind turbines. Funded by Innovate UK under the CMDC 3 call, the aim of Retrofittable Propulsion System for Electric Vessels with Hydrogen Range Extender (RESTORE) was to retrofit The Princess Royal with a battery-electric propulsion system and hydrogen powered generator to charge the battery extending the range of operation. This innovative propulsion system, which is not for permanent installation, provided The Princess Royal with transformative solutions to run on zero emissions in line with addressing decarbonisation challenges in the maritime sector. Project RESTORE The RESTORE project brought together a consortium of leading businesses and academic institutions, including AceOn Group, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Engas Global, Â鶹´«Ã½, Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Liverpool, Taurus Engineering, and CAGE — each contributing specialist expertise to advance clean maritime innovation. The Â鶹´«Ã½ team (Dr Serkan Turkmen, Dr Rose Norman, Dr Kayvan Pazouki, Dr Yi Zhou and supported by PhD researcher Gabriela Grasu), hosted the MP for Â鶹´«Ã½ Central, Chi Onwurah, at Â鶹´«Ã½ City marina. Ms Onwurah boarded the vessel for a zero-emission operation on the River Tyne. Dr Kayvan Pazouki, Senior Lecturer at Â鶹´«Ã½’s School of Engineering, said: “It was a great pleasure being involved in such a fantastic research project designing a hybrid hydrogen-battery propulsion system for The Princess Royal. The new innovative power arrangement and subsequent trials proved zero-emission operation for short-sea shipping in line with decarbonisation strategy. This project paves the way for future green maritime operation.” Mark Thompson, CEO of AceOn Group, said: “AceOn was proud to lead a multidisciplinary team of industry and academic experts at the forefront of maritime innovation in delivering this groundbreaking project as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 (CMDC3). Funded by the UK Department for Transport and delivered by Innovate UK, CMDC3 forms a key part of the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme — a £206 million government initiative focused on accelerating the development of innovative technologies to decarbonise the UK’s domestic maritime sector. Collaborating with such high-calibre organisations was instrumental to the project’s success, and we’re honoured to help drive forward the UK’s clean maritime ambitions.” This project was part of the , funded by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and delivered by Innovate UK. CMDC3 is part of the Department’s UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme, a £206m initiative focused on developing the technology necessary to decarbonise the UK domestic maritime sector. Find out more about the Blyth Marine Station and Research Vessel, The Princess Royal. Share: Latest News Volunteers help turn Whitley Bay beach into maths experiment Members of the public joined mathematicians from Â鶹´«Ã½ to create what organisers believe is the largest aperiodic tiling ever attempted on Whitley Bay beach. published on: 15 June 2026 Student leader drives misogyny law change A Â鶹´«Ã½ student leader has helped change the law after creating a petition to make misogyny a hate crime, which gathered over 114,000 signatures, prompting action in Parliament. published on: 12 June 2026 Freemen of Â鶹´«Ã½ see construction of new Castle Leazes The Freemen of Â鶹´«Ã½ and other key stakeholders have become an indelible part of new student accommodation at Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Castle Leazes. published on: 12 June 2026 Facts and figures
![Â鶹´«Ã½ logo](/gomobileassets/img/logo.svg" "Â鶹´«Ã½"){kind=logo}