{"id":6452,"date":"2026-07-28T12:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T11:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/portstrategy.nfdtesting.uk\/greenport\/2026\/07\/28\/exclusive-rethinking-energy-on-the-inland-waterways\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T14:23:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T13:23:15","slug":"exclusive-rethinking-energy-on-the-inland-waterways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/news\/products-services-greenport\/exclusive-rethinking-energy-on-the-inland-waterways\/","title":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: Rethinking energy on the inland waterways"},"content":{"rendered":"

As European ports and inland terminals face mounting pressure to reduce emissions under tightening environmental regulation, technology providers are increasingly focusing on how vessels, charging infrastructure and renewable energy systems can operate as a coordinated logistics ecosystem.<\/p>\n

According to Wattlab CEO, Bo Salet, the future of inland waterways will depend less on isolated technologies and more on integrated energy management across the wider supply chain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest opportunity is to stop looking at decarbonisation as a collection of separate technologies and start treating it as one integrated energy system,\u201d he tells GreenPort<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf ports, vessel operators and technology providers optimise their own part independently, there is a real risk of creating an unnecessarily expensive and over-dimensioned infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Integrated approach<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Salet believes this integrated approach will become increasingly important as inland shipping operators seek commercially viable routes towards vessel decarbonisation without creating operational disruption.<\/p>\n

While early maritime solar projects often focused on auxiliary onboard loads, Wattlab\u2019s work with inland vessels including Blue Marlin<\/a> and MS Helios have demonstrated how solar power can contribute directly to wider vessel energy systems when combined with batteries and intelligent energy management.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an important shift, because it shows that renewable energy onboard inland vessels can be integrated into the vessel\u2019s wider energy system, not only used for lighting, HVAC or other auxiliary loads,\u201d Mr Salet explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cProjects such as MS Helios and Blue Marlin helped demonstrate what is technically possible when solar generation, batteries and energy management are combined intelligently.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Mr Salet stresses that batteries remain central to accelerating decarbonisation across Europe\u2019s inland waterways.<\/p>\n

Wattlab\u2019s WEstack modular battery system has been developed to reduce generator runtime, improve fuel efficiency and make hybrid operation more accessible for inland shipping operators.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time, we see the biggest near-term decarbonisation potential for inland shipping in the battery system itself,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSolar can be a valuable addition where the vessel profile allows it, but the battery is the enabling technology that creates flexibility in how energy is generated, stored and used onboard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bigger picture<\/strong><\/p>\n

For ports and terminals, the implications extend far beyond vessel technology alone.<\/p>\n

Mr Salet argues that shore power deployment and charging infrastructure planning must evolve alongside onboard battery adoption to avoid unnecessary investment pressure on already constrained electricity grids.<\/p>\n

\u201cA good example is shore power,\u201d he says. \u201cIf every berth has to be equipped to deliver the maximum charging power every vessel might need, the required grid capacity and investment become enormous. In many regions, grid congestion is already a major constraint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, onboard battery systems could allow ports to deploy more flexible charging strategies while improving overall energy management efficiency across terminals and logistics hubs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf vessels are equipped with onboard battery systems such as WEstack, those batteries can act as energy buffers,\u201d Mr Salet says.<\/p>\n

\u201cShips can charge at lower, more manageable power levels over a longer period, while still having sufficient energy available.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Mr Salet, this integrated approach could significantly reduce the scale of grid reinforcement projects required at ports while accelerating adoption of lower-emission inland shipping operations.<\/p>\n