Latent Drive has secured a £630,000 Innovate UK grant to trial its SeaStack electrolyzer at Portland Port, producing green H₂ directly from seawater to fuel a harbor patrol vessel. The HydroPort project, led by Latent Drive in collaboration with Portland Port, Logan Energy, SALINE and the University of Exeter’s Centre for Future Clean Mobility, aims to decarbonize port operations and demonstrate the potential of offshore H₂ production.

SeaStack, the world’s first commercial direct seawater-to-H₂ electrolyzer, eliminates the need for desalination and rare metals, making green H₂ cheaper and more scalable. This breakthrough technology could position the UK’s South Coast as a clean energy hub, contributing to the 60 MMtpy of green H₂ required annually for the maritime sector to reach net zero by 2050.

Frazer Ely, CEO of Latent Drive, stated, “This grant is a huge step towards proving SeaStack’s ability to revolutionize green H₂ production, unlocking a multi-billion-pound market. HydroPort will not only help ports decarbonize but also create job opportunities and strengthen the UK’s leadership in renewable energy.”

Portland Port’s General Manager, Ian McQuade, welcomed the project, emphasizing its alignment with the port’s Green Energy Island vision.

With previous government-backed grants totaling £1.1 MM and a £2.25 MM corporate investment round underway, Latent Drive is paving the way for a future of affordable, scalable green H₂.