Port fears £24m plug-in power system may not be used

A £24m plug-in power system designed to stop ships burning fuel while berthed has not yet been connected and may never be used, a port has said.

Portsmouth International Port's Sea Change scheme was due to be available for cruise ships and cross-Channel ferries in spring 2025.

However, the National Grid connection has been delayed until April and Brittany Ferries has said it will not use it while electricity prices remain high.

Port director Mike Sellers said the scheme "could be a redundant asset".

Electricity is currently four times more expensive than marine fuel, the Press Association has reported.

Shore power, also known as cold ironing, can reduce ship emissions in port as well as contributing to the fight against global warming.

Portsmouth's plug-in power system was previously allocated £19.8m by the Department for Transport and £4.6m by Portsmouth City Council, which owns the port.

Mr Sellers said: "The biggest frustration for me is that we're a demonstration project for maritime decarbonisation.

"We've got a three-year period of demonstrating the overall benefits, the air quality improvements, the health benefits.

"Yet there's a huge risk here this could be a redundant asset.

"We've got no guarantee that ships are going to plug in."

Brittany Ferries said: "We simply can't plug in our two hybrid ships if it costs around £2.5m a year more than running engines while alongside in Portsmouth."

The government intends to incorporate the maritime industry into its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) from July, requiring ships to minimise carbon emissions or fund measures to offset them.

However, Mr Sellers said the cost of ETS would still be less than using shore power.

In a statement, a government spokesperson said: "We're investing nearly £20m in Portsmouth International Port's Sea Change project, helping ships use clean shore power and improve local air quality.

"We recognise that the port has been waiting for an upgraded grid connection before shore power can be used.

"We are working with [energy regulator] Ofgem exploring measures to make connections faster and easier for customers across the country."

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