First UK charging network for electric maritime vessels launched in Plymouth
More installations are now being developed along the city's waterfront
The UK’s first e-marine hub of shore-side charging facilities for electric maritime vessels has been unveiled in Plymouth.
A series of high power DC electric charging stations has been switched on in prominent locations along the perimeter of the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
This includes the world’s first 150kW charging facility at Mount Batten, the UK’s first 75kW site at Queen Anne’s Battery, and a 25kW installation at the Barbican landing stage.
Further installations are now being developed along the city’s waterfront, with additional sites also being identified in Devon and Cornwall with a view to providing electric charging facilities every 10 miles along the counties’ southern coastline.
The charging network has been created through the Marine e-Charging Living Lab (MeLL) initiative, a consortium led by the University of Plymouth in partnership with Plymouth City Council, Princess Yachts Limited and Aqua superpower
It directly responds to the UK government’s Clean Maritime Plan for maritime net zero, and its drive to increase the UK’s current percentage of clean electricity to 100% by 2035.
It has also been designed to offer commercial enterprises of all sizes with a sustainable, cost-effective and time-effective means of making the switch from diesel to electric power.
Research by the University, carried out during the planning stage of the project, has shown it has the potential to reduce port emissions by 96.60% in the next 30 years.
As a result it could significantly cut the sector’s impact on the climate, and reduce the damage caused by harmful gases on both human and environmental health.
Sarah Fear, Project and Knowledge Exchange Manager at the University of Plymouth and lead of the MeLL project, said: "The Clean Maritime 2050 strategy underlines how crucial it is that the sector moves forward, and includes a number of ambitious net-zero objectives.
"That includes the increased electrification of commercial vessels, but if there is no infrastructure in place you cannot support the growing number of businesses looking to employ this technology.
"This charging network is a game-changer for Plymouth’s forward-thinking marine enterprises, and our ongoing research in this field is enabling the city and region to blaze a trail in clean maritime innovation."
Sarah Fear - University of Plymouth
The MeLL project has been funded by the Department for Transport and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.