UK Chamber of Shipping wants shore power mandate

The Chamber’s proposals come in response to a call for evidence by the Department of Transport, and follow new findings from Hong Kong based Fung Research, which shows China has 50 shore power facilities. Currently only two British ports are equipped with shore power facilities; Orkney and Southampton.

A report last year also found the US, Canada, Norway and Sweden have more than double the UK’s shore power facilities.

Sarah Treseder, CEO of the UK Chamber of Shipping, said: “The UK is 20 years behind on shore power. Catching up now requires a clear and targeted regulatory framework to drive adoption across our fleets and ports.

“The government has shown it is prepared to back our industry in developing new solutions for our net zero transition. It must also act fast to back deployment of green solutions like shore power, which are already tried, tested and trusted.

“Our ships are already making progress in decarbonisation. But government must continue to support us, and those who provide the infrastructure we rely on, for us to fulfil our commitment to net zero.”

The lack of availability of shore power in ports remains one of the major barriers to the technology’s uptake across the country. A recent survey of UK Chamber of Shipping members found 78% consider the lack of port infrastructure to be the biggest hurdle to implementation. Whereas 48% cited the cost of retrofitting existing fleets, and 43% pointed towards the lack of regulatory requirements.

The industry body also urges government to invest in a manner similar to how it has publicly invested in electric charging points for cars, and how other governments have supported industry in developing their own shore power facilities.

Ships that don’t plug into electric shore power technology at ports should pay a compliance fine, according to the Chamber’s 12-point policy plan. And the proceeds should go towards establishing a new greenhouse gas fund, dedicated towards rolling out shore power across all UK ports and fleets.

Research last year, commissioned by Maritime UK and produced by Dutch-based consultants, Royal HaskoningDHV, that while the UK has only very recently opened two shore power stations across its coast, last year the US had 10 shore power facilities, Canada five, Germany four, Italy three, France three, Norway 11, Sweden eight, Finland three and Denmark three. However, The Motorship notes that significant variations in wholesale electricity prices exist between the UK and Scandinavian countries.

Earlier this week, Interferry and the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) agreed to promote the provision and use of shore power for the European ferry sector.