Portsmouth International Port aims for decarbonisation

Portsmouth International Port intends to significantly decarbonise its energy operations as part of PESO (Port Energy Systems Optimisation), a project co-funded by Innovate UK that aims to show how ports can use smart grid technology and sophisticated management software to reduce atmospheric emissions and improve air quality whilst optimising energy costs.

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"As a port that is owned by the people of Portsmouth, we are committed to take bold action to meet our goal to be the UK's first zero emission port,” Mike Sellers, Port Director at Portsmouth International Port said in a statement. “This innovative project will enable the port to maximise the amount of renewable energy it can produce and use for its own operations.”

The PESO pilot system aims to integrate local electricity generation, novel energy storage and smart energy management to demonstrate how ports can meet emerging on-shore power demands and the requirements of ships using shore power whilst minimising the need for costly grid upgrades and optimising the use of variable tariffs.

The PESO pilot’s main focus will be on the design and construction of novel dual-chemistry battery technology to meet the port requirements; advanced management software to optimise onsite energy generation and storage, and the development of smart port grid infrastructure.

Energy management software will be developed by Swanbarton, the Energy Systems Catapult will assess the future energy requirements around ports and the long-term impact on the energy system.  Marine South East is leading the project and will plan how the technology can be commercialised and rolled out across UK ports.

“Cleaning up maritime emissions is now an urgent priority for the maritime sector and the PESO project will be a critical stepping-stone to achieve this,” said Jonathan Williams, CEO of Marine South East.