NatPower and Peel Ports Launch Clean Energy Push at Heysham Port

Heysham Port is set to become the first location in the United Kingdom to provide berth-side shore power for shipping, marking the start of a green shipping corridor between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Installation will begin in September 2025, with the first plug available that year and full expansion to four plugs across all berths by 2026.

The project, delivered by NatPower Marine with operational support from Peel Ports Group, is valued at around £10 million. Once fully operational, the infrastructure will enable ferry routes across the Irish Sea to operate with zero emissions while at berth and at sea, supporting the transition to electric propulsion.

According to NatPower Marine, the Heysham development is part of a wider £100 million programme to introduce e-ship charging across all Peel Ports Group locations in the UK and Ireland. The company said the initiative could cut annual emissions at Heysham by more than 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, alongside reductions in nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides.

Martin Olverson, Development Director Marine at NatPower Marine, said: “Heysham is where the UK’s first green shipping corridor becomes real. One plug will soon become four, serving every Heysham route to Ireland and giving operators the confidence to move quickly on vessel electrification. We are building the backbone of a clean shipping network so ferry and freight lines can invest in the next generation of zero-emission ships.”

Lewis McIntyre, Managing Director at Peel Ports Group, added: “Shipping is already the greenest form of transport but there’s still a huge role for ports to play in decarbonising the supply chain. We can only do that with collaboration, innovation and long-term commitment from everyone involved, which this project embodies. However, this goes far beyond environmental goals. Ports are the lifeblood of UK plc and so many of our national economic and social ambitions rely on a thriving maritime sector.”

Peel Ports Group said the investment would support its target for Heysham to become the UK’s first net zero port, building on measures that have already reduced landside emissions by up to 90 percent. When extended across all Peel Ports Group locations, the shore power infrastructure could cut emissions by as much as 166,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, along with 2,180 tonnes of nitrogen oxides, 1,060 tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 470 tonnes of methane.

The project is aligned with NatPower Marine’s wider strategy to develop a global charging network of 120 sites by 2030. In parallel, its parent company NatPower UK is building more than 12.5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity and 100 gigawatt-hours of battery storage to support the stable supply of electricity for maritime infrastructure.

Globally, shipping accounts for about 3 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than Germany’s total emissions, as well as 14 percent of global nitrogen oxides and 17 percent of sulphur oxides. The International Maritime Organization has called for accelerated decarbonisation, with demand for clean energy in shipping expected to reach four petawatt-hours annually, equivalent to the current electricity consumption of the United States.