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Chamber and committees

Heriot-Watt University Team to Compete in the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge

  • Submitted by: Gordon MacDonald, Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party.
  • Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
  • Motion reference: S6M-17509

That the Parliament congratulates a team of five engineering students from Heriot-Watt University on being selected to showcase their engineering talent on an international stage at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge; understands that the Scotland PlusZero team marks the university’s first ever entry into the prestigious challenge, which is regarded as the most advanced university competition on water; notes that the annual competition brings together more than 1,000 students, engineers and industry leaders from 21 countries at the Yacht Club de Monaco Marina; further notes that the competition showcases sustainable innovations in maritime technology in support of the sector’s transition to a carbon-neutral future; notes that all competing teams must design and build boats powered by renewable energy sources, with Heriot-Watt University showcasing a vessel powered by green hydrogen generated through electrolysis; understands that this vessel uses an advanced energy storage and recharging system through which energy is stored and converted back into electricity for propulsion; acknowledges that the project is backed by a host of key industry partners, including Forth Ports, PlusZero, TCP eco, EPTechnologies, Scotcoin and Hydrogen Scotland; further acknowledges that the Heriot-Watt team is part of the university’s Global Research Institute for Net Zero and Beyond (iNetZ+), a global centre of excellence and institute for research, innovation and teaching in its field, and wishes the team the very best in its efforts to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen as a maritime fuel.


Supported by: Karen Adam, Clare Adamson, Jeremy Balfour, Colin Beattie, Sarah Boyack, Miles Briggs, Stephanie Callaghan, Foysol Choudhury, Jackie Dunbar, Annabelle Ewing, Emma Harper, Bill Kidd, Stuart McMillan, Audrey Nicoll, Kevin Stewart, Paul Sweeney, David Torrance