NatPower Marine and Peel Ports Group are to start installing shore power at the UK ferry port of Heysham this month.
In the initial phase, the first plug will go live and then it will be expanded to four across all of the berths, by next year.
This will enable all of Heysham’s Irish Sea routes to operate with zero emissions, while the vessels are berthed and at sea, supporting full electric propulsion of the ferry services, as the first part of the full electrification of the Irish sea.
“Heysham is where the UK’s first green shipping corridor becomes real. One plug will soon become four, serving every Heysham route to Ireland and giving operators the confidence to move quickly on vessel electrification,” said Martin Olverson Development Director Marine, NatPower Marine.
The company claimed that this investment supports the UK Government’s industrial and economic growth objectives through more sustainable passenger and freight routes.
NatPower Marine said it was also developing partnerships with other ports and shipping operators in the area.
Furthermore, the electrification of all four berths at Heysham is aimed to reduce CO₂ emissions on Irish Sea routes by over 10,000 tonnes annually, along with significant cuts in NO₂ and SO₂.
The £10 mill project is part of a larger £100 mill plan to deploy shore power infrastructure across ports in Great Britain and Ireland.
Once fully implemented, the initiative could cut emissions by up to 166,800 tonnes of CO₂, 2,180 tonnes of NO₂, 1,060 tonnes of SO₂, and 470 tonnes of methane per year, highlighting the environmental benefits of port electrification.
Shipping is already the greenest form of transport but there’s still a huge role for ports to play in de-carbonising the supply chain. We can only do that with collaboration, innovation and long-term commitment from everyone involved, which this project embodies, according to Lewis McIntyre, Managing Director, Peel Ports Group.
