Portsmouth says on its website it is officially on track to become the UK’s leading shore power port, following confirmation it will accept an offer from Scottish and Southern Energy Network (SSEN) to secure extra power.
“In under two years we’ll be able to support multiple ships that have capacity to plug-in when they’re alongside the berth, reducing harmful emissions from running engines and meeting net carbon neutral ambitions ahead of the government’s 2030 target.”
The extra capacity from SSEN will provide an initial 15MVA, which starts the process of providing shore power through to the berths where the ships can plug-in. Installation will be completed by 2025, in time for major customer Brittany Ferries, who has two new hybrid ships which will operate from Portsmouth the same year, with the remaining fleet being converted to shore power by early 2027.
