Malin Group & Partners Take the Next Step to a Cleaner Way to Build with MariLight 2

Malin Marine Consultants, part of Malin Group and specialists in the marine industry, have been awarded support through the latest round of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC4), for MariLight 2, an ambitious, forward-thinking project that seeks to develop Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) technologies that will revolutionize the way ships, boats and other marine structures are designed and fabricated in the UK, creating an innovative, sustainable, and comprehensive manufacturing framework towards decarbonization targets.

In the UK there is considerable emphasis on reducing emissions to reach greener maritime transport solutions, with the stated target of decarbonizing all sectors to achieve ‘net zero’ by 2050. To do so, current design and manufacturing processes must be investigated and improved upon.

MariLight 2 will bring together eight cross-sectoral organizations, leaders in their fields including design, manufacturing, and technology providers, to develop and deliver these new design and fabrication processes. Five of the MariLight 2 partners worked together in the original MariLight feasibility project (CMDC2) and are now working together to take those developments to pre-deployment stage; printing, certifying and functionally testing optimized structural steel components. 

Regulation, approval, and certification of these new products and processes is an integral part of MariLight 2, and consortium member Lloyd’s Register is undertaking the role of regulator within the project, working with the partners to develop guidance that will become the standard for additive manufactured components in the marine environment.

Chris Dunn, Managing Director of Malin Marine Consultants. (Image credit: Malin Group)

Chris Dunn, Managing Director of Malin Marine Consultants stated, “This is an exciting project which may fundamentally change the way in which the industry works. It may transform not only the types of vessels we create, but the means and manner by which we do so, producing better working conditions, reduced emissions, and energy savings. As such, it resonates with the UK’s maritime aspirations, drawing insights from the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) and the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC), while representing the UK’s commitment to a sustainable maritime future.

We are incredibly thankful for the support from the DfT and Innovate UK, as well as our partners in the project consortium – we cannot wait to kick things off.”

Malin Marine Consultants will be joined in this project by a host of industry experts, including Altair Engineering, BAE Systems, Lloyd’s Register, Hexagon, Siccar, Caley Ocean Systems (part of the Pryme Group), and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS).