The Port of Aberdeen has initiated construction on Scotland’s largest commercial shore power system, a significant move towards reducing maritime emissions.
The £4 million initiative aims to have the shore power system at the Port of Aberdeen operational by March 2025, providing clean electricity to vessels docked at seven berths within the port’s premises.
Funded in part through the Department for Transport’s Zero Emissions Vessels and Infrastructure competition, the ‘Shore Power in Operation’ demonstrator project represents a major step in the UK’s maritime sector towards environmental sustainability.
Shore power is seen as key to reducing the carbon emissions of the shipping industry, with it allowing ships to turn off their polluting engines while in port.
The EU has mandated that from January 1, 2030, container and passenger ships — including cruise ships — greater than or equal to 5,000 gross tonnage (GT) must connect to shore power in main EU ports in the trans-European transport network.
While UK ports won’t be bound to those rules, many of the largest ports in the country have already been hard at work installing shore power, including Southampton, although reports have previously suggested that shipping firms are largely avoiding plugging in to shore power due to the high cost of electricity in the UK.
Bob Sanguinetti, CEO of the Port of Aberdeen, commented, “We are delighted to be breaking ground on this project, which is pivotal on our journey to net zero by 2040. This is a great example of public and private partnership to drive forward advances in delivering green infrastructure for ports.”
Known as ‘cold-ironing’, the shore power technology by PowerCon will allow ships to connect to the local grid and draw electricity directly, significantly reducing their reliance on marine gas oil. This not only cuts carbon emissions by over 80% but also notably reduces particulates, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, and noise pollution.
Maritime Minister Mike Kane remarked, “Decarbonising shipping is crucial to our plans of creating more sustainable jobs and a cleaner environment. Today’s announcement marks a significant step forward in achieving this, putting the UK at the forefront of sustainable port technology and anchoring its position as a global leader in tackling climate change.”
The project is a collaborative effort involving a consortium that includes technology and innovation centres, engineering specialists, modern vessel owners and operators, a university and research centre, along with public sector bodies. It aims to thoroughly evaluate the construction and performance of both land-side and vessel-side power infrastructure, as well as conduct a commercial analysis to gauge the financial and socio-economic returns for the port and its stakeholders.
Peter Selway, Shore Power Specialist at PowerCon, stated, “Aberdeen is at the forefront of renewable and sustainable energy initiatives. We hope this project will provide substantial commercial and environmental benefits for the port, its surrounding wildlife, and the local community.”
This initiative is part of the Port of Aberdeen’s broader strategy to invest up to £55 million over the next decade to become the UK’s first net zero port by 2040. The port is unique in the UK for participating in three of the ten projects supported by the Department for Transport’s ZEVI competition.
