The UK Department for Transport’s (DfT) published the summary of responses to its recent call for evidence on shore power at UK ports.
According to the summary, 73% of respondents support the use of cold ironing to reduce emissions at berth, and 12% were completely against it.
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DfT added that the respondents agreed over the barriers and incentives for shore power uptake in the UK. They specifically highlighted high capital costs, demand uncertainty, high electricity prices, and energy grid constraints as the most significant barriers to the growth of shore power.
In addition, the majority of respondents was supportive of the UK government providing a greater coordinating function regarding the adoption of shore power. However, there was no consensus as what this role might involve.
On the other hand, responses indicated a consensus on whether there should be a government mandate for shore power. Namely, most of the respondents agreed to a mandate either on shore power or a technological neutral option combining the use of alternative fuels, such as a zero-emission at berth mandate.
Furthermore, some respondents claimed that while the use of shore power can deliver benefits, there are potential negatives, such as the potential cost and disruption caused to local areas.
As far as the costs to owners and operators are concerned, it was noted that retrofitting costs for vessels to allow them to hook up to shore power were estimated to be between £400,000 to £800,000 for large vessels and £60,000 to £400,000 for small vessels.
The call for evidence ran between 7 February and 25 April 2022. The DfT invited views on the costs and benefits of shore power, its potential for emission reduction, the scale of vessel emissions at berth and the options to enable the rollout of the technology.
