Green fund critical to reduce emissions

The research, commissioned by the British Ports Association, examines the barriers to shore power in UK ports, setting out three proposals to support the industry to meet ambitious emissions reductions targets.

“We recognise that whilst emissions from ports and ships are relatively small parts of the emissions puzzle, there is work to do to continue to bring them down,” said Mark Simmonds, Head of Policy at the BPA.

“Shore power is likely to play a role in reducing emissions from ships in ports in the future, but there are significant barriers to introducing it in UK ports.”

Lack of uptake

The research reveals that there are currently no large-scale shore power connections in UK ports

This is largely due to the prohibitively high capital costs associated with such projects, the price of electricity in the UK and a general lack of consistent demand, meaning there is rarely a commercially viable business case for investing in shore power.

But the BPA says that such systems have the potential to significantly reduce emissions from ships at berth, effectively reducing emissions equivalent to taking between 84,000 and 166,000 diesel buses, or 1.2 million diesel cars off British roads.

One of the solutions to solving uptake that the BPA suggests is the creation of a green maritime fund to support emissions reductions in the maritime industry, including support for shore power where it is viable.

The organisation said it is willing to discuss viability of a zero-emission standard with the wider maritime industry as a way to drive demand and certainty for green investment.

The research was supported with advice, expertise and experience from a number of BPA associate members, including Arkevista, Arup, Schneider Electric, TT Club, and UK Power Networks Services.