© Supplied by Port of Aberdeen The Port of Aberdeen has switched on a £4 million maritime decarbonisation project, with the first vessel connecting to electric shore power at its North Harbour.
The shore power project allows marine vessels to plug directly into power from the port’s renewable energy tariff, instead of using their own fossil fuel engines.
It will allow ships docked at eight berths in the North Harbour to save on fuel alongside cutting CO2 emissions, pollution and noise.
Once fully operational, the shore power project could cut up to 60,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year, the same as taking around 2,100 cars off the road.
OSM Thome’s NS Iona was the first vessel to connect to the new system, with the vessel one of five undergoing a retrofit to accept shore power as part of the project.
Port of Aberdeen chief executive Bob Sanguinetti said the joint public-private partnership is the largest maritime decarbonisation project in Scotland to date.
“Port of Aberdeen’s net zero journey has taken a significant step forward,” Sanguinetti said.
© Supplied by Port of Aberdeen“[This project] represents a £4 million investment in clean energy and will be a game-changer for Port of Aberdeen and our valued customers, who will benefit from an 80% reduction in their carbon emissions while at berth.”
Maritime decarbonisation
Funding for the project came from the UK government’s Department for Transport as part of the £80m zero emissions vessels and infrastructure (ZEVI) competition.
Danish firm PowerCon installed the system, and the firm’s shore power specialist Peter Selway said pollution from vessels is a “serious – yet often overlooked – environmental and public health issue”.
“For example, vessels at berth account for 46% of greenhouse gas emissions from domestic shipping, and shore power has the potential to eliminate these emissions entirely,” Selway said.
“Shore connection technology is well-established and widely used internationally, but the UK has been slow to adopt it despite the clear and compelling benefits.”
The port has also installed shore power infrastructure to service vessels on two berths at Aberdeen’s Regent Quay as part of Bibby Marine’s electric service operation vessel ZEVI project.
Longer-term, Port of Aberdeen said it wants to expand its shore power infrastructure to supply green electricity at more berths throughout its 7,600m quayside.
UK maritime minister Mike Kane said installing the shore power system is a “major achievement” for the Port of Aberdeen.
“We have charted a course to zero emission shipping by 2050, and it’s innovative projects like this that will help get us there,” Kane said.
“But decarbonisation isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for jobs and for the economy, with green fuels and technology boosting growth and revitalising our coastal towns and cities.”
Port of Aberdeen led an industry and academic consortium to deliver the project, which included OSM Offshore, Tidewater Marine UK Ltd, Connected Places Catapult and the University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre.
Port of Aberdeen
Alongside the shore power project, the Port of Aberdeen is investing in other infrastructure projects as it charts a green future for the UK’s oldest port.
Building on its long history of supporting North Sea oil and gas, the port has invested in a £420m South Harbour expansion as part of efforts to increase capacity for offshore wind service vessels and cruise ships.
The port has also hosted a wave energy demonstrator project developed by Aberdeen’s ZOEX Power.
It comes amid significant investment in ports across Scotland and the wider UK in support of the country’s expanding offshore energy sector.
