BASILDON and Billericay Member of Parliament Richard Holden has congratulated Basildon-based company AVL for winning UK Government funding for a project to decarbonise shipping routes.

He was speaking during a recent visit to their site in Southfields Business Park where he learned more about AVL's development of advanced propulsion systems including their work on a feasibility study for battery operated ferries from Dover to Calais.

Mr Holden said: "I want to congratulate the whole AVL team on winning funding from the Department for Transport for this important cutting-edge project that could help decarbonise shipping, delivering cleaner travel for passengers.

"A fantastic example of one of the amazing businesses based in Basildon, my visit highlighted that we need to encourage more engineers from around the world to come to the UK.

"I will be urging the Government to do all they can to speed up visa approvals for engineers, so we can help companies like AVL continue their record growth.

"I wish the company well and I look forward to hearing more as the project progresses."

Dr Matthias Wellers, Managing Director of AVL Powertrain UK said: "We are excited to be at the forefront of this transformative project, which is part of the Smart Shipping Acceleration Fund, funded by the UK Department for Transport and delivered by Innovate UK.

"Together with our academic and end-user partners we are committed to driving forward the decarbonisation of the maritime sector and hope that the insights gained from this study will not only support the goals of the UK maritime sector but also set a benchmark for decarbonising one of the most important trade routes in Europe."