A panel discussion around \u201cShore power \u2013 overcoming the barriers to infrastructure and delivery\u201d cover issues around investment, take-up, grid capacity and other challenges for ports and terminals under pressure to provide shore power for vessels.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the UK picture, Geraint Evans said: \u201cThere is a lack of thinking about ports, especially major ports, as a strategic sector and what they will need to thrive and develop \u2013 road, rail and power.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are concerns around \u201ca lack of thinking from a government perspective and then into the National Grid\u201d, he said. \u201cWe feel that we are trying to explore the right projects and take them forward but we shouldn\u2019t be having these depths of discussions about power. There is a real risk that we drive away private investment.\u201d<\/p>\n
For shore power and other electrification needs, estimates range from multiples of four to 15 in what ports will need in terms of power in the coming years, said Geraint Evans. \u201cWe need to be making that case to governments at all levels. Shore power should not be as big an issue as it is; power should not be as big an issue. We need to make sure that ports are considered in the same way as airports or other CNI (critical national infrastructure).<\/p>\n
Arjan Meijer, Area Sales Manager at Cavotec, said: \u201cUnfortunately, we see shore power projects postponed a couple of years because there is no grid power. There are semi-temporary solutions with batteries and generators, but that is an issue. Energy companies need to be encouraged to make the investment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Permitting is another issue, he added. \u201cSurprisingly, when a tender is granted or a contractor awards, all kinds of permit processes are needed to start it up after that. If we all think about that in an earlier stage, we could benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Evans, Head of Operations at Portsmouth International Port, explained the port\u2019s Sea Change project to design, build and operate a shore power system across its three busiest berths.<\/p>\n
Portsmouth, a municipal council-owned port, had to take a risk, agreeing to pay \u00a33m for securing access to the last remaining energy in its area before there was any guaranteed funding or support for the project.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we had missed out, we would have had a significant problem to deliver on our customers\u2019 needs and wants,\u201d said James Evans.<\/p>\n
Subsequently, the port gained funding support, including from the UK government\u2019s ZEVI (Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure) fund, as part of a demonstration programme.<\/p>\n
The \u2018main driver\u2019 in the project has been Portsmouth\u2019s main customer, Brittany Ferries, said James Evans, but the shore power provision will benefit others and, it is hoped, attract new port users. Critically, the system allows for simultaneous powering of multiple vessels with different AC frequencies, voltages and ship-shore connections, and the energy supply is on a green tariff.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe technology created for shower power may not be the same everywhere,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are different connection types and different frequencies \u2013 we have to cater for the wants and needs of our known customers and the potential of customers we don\u2019t know of yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a service of the council, the port had a duty to do its part, including in helping to improve air quality for local residents, he concluded \u2013 but there is a potential downside for any early adopters of shore power. \u201cIf the technology advances quickly, there is a risk of equipment obsolescence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ports in the UK face a lot of issues related to planning, \u201cbut power is the thing that is keeping us awake at night,\u201d Geraint Evans, Chief Executive of the UK Major Ports Group, told delegates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,7],"tags":[],"sponsor":[],"class_list":["post-2006","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-news-coastlink"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2006\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2006"},{"taxonomy":"sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/coastlink\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sponsor?post=2006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}