Shore power connects ships to land-side power networks, so they don’t need to burn fuel oil in their auxiliary engines to produce electricity for onboard use while in port, reducing air pollution. Because UK grid electricity is low-carbon, this also cuts greenhouse gas emissions. Shore power is also an enabling technology for greater use of hybrid/all-electric ships, which need battery recharge. But UK deployment is low. The UK Government sees shore power as a core component of its maritime decarbonisation strategy and is considering policies to accelerate deployment. This note summarises research analysing the barriers to deployment, and how they could be overcome, based on interviews with 40 industry stakeholders.
