A Hampshire Case Study – discussion

A brief look forward at the consequences for the port of Southampton and the surrounding area given the objective of achieving net zero carbon by 2050

The generality of the issues is discussed on this website at

https://mvteal.co.uk/legacy/zero-carbon-ship/

The implications for Southampton were broadly that

  • 5 cruise ship berths would require shore power (by 2021 there was one berth so equipped)
  • All the container ship berths would require the same
  • Arrangements would need to be made for Fawley (and possibly Hamble) terminals to provide shore power
  • The remaining berths would also require shore power.
  • The tug, dredging and launch fleets in the Port would eventually need to be converted to either electrical or hybrid power involving fuel cells fed by hydrogen or ammonia
  • The Isle of Wight ferries would need to be upgraded to electric or hybrid power using hydrogen/ammonia fuel cells.
  • Hydrogen/ammonia sourcing and refueling capabilities would be needed
  • Some LNG refuelling may be needed (e.g P&O cruise ship Iona)
  • Shore vehicles such as straddle carriers would need to be converted to electricity.
  • Facilities would be needed for charging import/export cars
  • Other port vehicles would need charging facilities

At the same time

  • Long haul road transport for containers would be converting to hydrogen/ammonia fuel cells
  • There would be strong local demand for electricity for charging private vehicles in Hampshire and driving heat pumps in domestic and office scenarios.
  • Local bus fleets would probably go electric using batteries or fuel cells, further adding to the demand

Meanwhile

  • Hampshire was almost always a net importer of electricity
  • Marchwood and Calshot power stations (oil) have been closed down
  • Didcot power station (coal) has been closed
  • The 2 aircraft carriers based at Portsmouth require shore power equivalent to a small town (a new main feed from the grid has been installed to cope with this)
  • There are about 20,000 leisure craft of various sizes between Poole and Chichester and most will need some adjustment to their engines, and the provision of new refueling facilities
  • To (slightly) offset these issues, a new interconnector from France has just been commissioned, landing at Lee on Solent

So where is all this electricity and hydrogen/ammonia going to come from?

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