The Port of Aberdeen Leads Scotland’s Maritime Decarbonization Efforts

The Port of Aberdeen’s North Harbour is now home to what is described as the biggest maritime decarbonization project in Scotland, with eight berths equipped to deliver green shore power to visiting vessels.

According to the port’s officials, the new infrastructure was installed by Danish equipment provider PowerCon and is expected to slash up to 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent over the next 20 years.

The development is said to be a ‘huge’ part of the port’s ambition to achieve net zero by 2040 and to become the first to do so in the country. Aberdeen won funding from the UK Government to design and deliver the first large-scale land-side and vessel-side shore power system in Scotland back in September 2023.

As disclosed, the first ship to be connected to the system was Norway-based ship management company OSM Thome’s NS Iona – one of five units retrofitted to accept shore power as part of this initiative.

The newly electrified berths are related to the “Shore power in operation” demonstrator, which is backed by the Department of Transport’s Zero Emissions, Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition.

ZEVI was first unpacked in February 2023. It is funded by the UK Government and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. As part of ZEVI, the Department for Transport has reportedly allocated over £80 million (approximately $108.7 million) to 10 flagship projects supported by 52 organisations from across the country to deliver real-world demonstration R&D projects in clean maritime solutions.

In addition to this, Aberdeen’s “Smart Port” demonstrator, ongoing since the third quarter of 2024, envisions the port becoming the ‘smartest in the UK’ with a £1 million (around $1.3 million) investment in new technology envisaged to improve safety, connectivity, and sustainability.

As informed, the recent joint public-private partnership at the Port of Aberdeen amounts to a total investment of £4 million (roughly $5.4 million) in new clean energy infrastructure. Per Bob Sanguinetti, CEO of Port of Aberdeen, this could enable the port’s users to cut as much as 80% of their carbon emissions while at berth.

“We’re in the business of clean energy, and we’re driving and supporting the energy transition in the North Sea. That’s why it’s so important that we’re leading from the front – investing in the future of the port and a cleaner, greener way of working which benefits our environment, community and customers as we strive for net zero by 2040,” he remarked.

“Public and private sector partnership is essential to move green infrastructure projects from feasibility studies and demonstrators to deployment at scale.”

Transport Minister Mike Kane further highlighted: “We have charted a course to zero emission shipping by 2050, and it’s innovative projects like this that will help get us there. But decarbonisation isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for jobs and for the economy, with green fuels and technology boosting growth and revitalising our coastal towns and cities.”

Shedding more insight on the development, Peter Selway, Shore Power Specialist at PowerCon, underscored that: “Pollution from vessels is a serious—yet often overlooked—environmental and public health issue. For example, vessels at berth account for 46% of greenhouse gas emissions from domestic shipping, and shore power has the potential to eliminate these emissions entirely.”

Selway also commented that shore connection technology is widely used internationally, but that the UK has been slow to adopt it. In this sense, Selway stated that the endeavor with the Port of Aberdeen represented a “real commitment” to sustainable solutions.

As part of the efforts to implement decarbonization-oriented solutions, the Port of Aberdeen also outfitted two berths with shore power connections at the Regent Quay. This was part of Bibby Marine’s electric Service Operation Vessel ZEVI project.

Ongoing since the third quarter of 2023, the effort seeks to see the construction of the UK’s first electric SOV (eSOV) unit. Partners of the project also include Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime and classification society DNV, London-headquartered oil player Shell, Liverpool John Moores University, and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.

What is more, according to the Port of Aberdeen, installation of shore power for Serco NorthLink’s passenger ferries — backed by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL)— is nearing completion. The project is anticipated to add to the port’s existing sites that support operational activities for customers and towage providers relying on renewable energy.

In the long term, the port’s officials shared that there are plans underway to expand the shore power infrastructure to provide green electricity at more berths throughout the 7,600-meter quayside.