MSE International has won funding from the UK Government Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) 2024 to lead a new project, PRIMET; Port Recharging Infrastructure for Maritime Energy Transition.
The project will accelerate the roll-out of port and harbour infrastructure needed to support the rapid expansion in vessel recharging and shore-powering facilities which are essential to realise the government’s Clean Maritime Plan.
Primet will develop outline solutions for supplying energy to shore power/recharging facilities in three ports/harbours using in-port flow batteries to reduce the peak grid load and optimise utilisation of in-port renewable energy, thereby strengthening the case for investment. The project will exploit an innovative flow battery technology (under early-stage development at the University of Southampton) thought to offer tangible cost advantages over other battery types.
For many vessels, especially those operating in domestic waters, electrification has a crucial role to play in achieving DfT’s priority for decarbonisation and air quality improvements. Delivery of sufficient electrical energy to these vessels, when they need it, imposes severe challenges on port-side infrastructure and the wider electricity distribution network. It is becoming increasingly clear that the lack of adequate shore-side energy infrastructure and the costs of reinforcing this infrastructure represent a very substantial barrier to maritime decarbonisation.
Failure to address this problem could undermine the case for investment in port recharging and shore powering systems with the result that vessel operators will delay their own energy transition. The Primet project hopes to accelerate the pace of electrification and bring forward investment in electric vessels.
The target markets for this project are ports, harbours and jetties where vessels will import electrical energy, either to recharge their on-board batteries (in hybrid or all-electric systems), and/or to supply their hotel loads. Including recreational marinas, there are about 1,000 such locations in the UK, of which almost all currently lack the infrastructure they will need to support widespread vessel decarbonisation. Primet could enhance the cost-benefit balance of investment in the energy systems these ports and harbours will need and therefore enable a more rapid roll-out of this infrastructure.
Dr Jonathan Williams, CEO MSE International, said: “Inadequate availability of affordable and reliable energy resources in ports and harbours is a major barrier to maritime decarbonisation. The Primet project will explore and advance some key options to address this barrier and offer solutions for small harbours as well as major ports.”
This project is funded by the UK government’s TRIG programme and delivered by Connected Places Catapult. A total of 32 projects will share the £1.4m investment to drive innovation and growth.
