NatPower Marine and Peel Ports Group are set to commence installation of shore power at Heysham port this month, with the first plug live in the initial phase and expansion to four across all berths, by 2026. This will enable all Heysham routes within the Irish Sea to operate with zero emissions while at berth and at sea, supporting full electric propulsion of the ferry services, as the first part of the full electrification of the Irish Sea.
The Heysham initiative forms part of a wider £100m ($136m) partnership between NatPower Marine and Peel Ports Group to roll out e-ship charging infrastructure across the operator’s terminals.
Martin Olverson, development director marine of NatPower Marine, said: “Heysham is where the UK’s first green shipping corridor becomes real. One plug will soon become four, serving every Heysham route to Ireland and giving operators the confidence to move quickly on vessel electrification. We are building the backbone of a clean shipping network so ferry and freight lines can invest in the next generation of zero-emission ships.”
Startling statistics from NatPower Marine claim that to decarbonise the global shipping industry, 4 petawatt-hours (PWh) of clean energy per year is needed – equal to the annual electricity consumption of the US.
NatPower Marine is looking to invest in a global charging network covering 120 port locations by 2030. To this end, the company earlier this month teamed with Hong Kong-based shipowner Wah Kwong Maritime Transport to set up a joint venture to roll out large-scale shore power and vessel charging infrastructure across Asia.
The new company, Wah Kwong NatPower, will start with projects in Qingdao and Hong Kong.
