A shipyard on Merseyside is plugging the vessels it repairs into the national grid instead of running their diesel generators while in dry dock. Shipping accounts for roughly 15% of global NOx emissions and 5–8% of SOx emissions, both of which damage human and environmental health. Currently, ships undergoing repair, refit, or construction at Cammell Laird burn fossil fuels for onboard power. The Green Shore Power Project replaces that with a zero-carbon onshore electrical supply, eliminating those emissions at berth. If the modular system works at Cammell Laird—the UK’s largest commercial shipyard, handling up to 100 ships a year—it can be replicated across the A&P Group’s four UK shipyards and beyond. The technology is designed for a range of vessels, from Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships to ferries and research vessels like the RRS Sir David Attenborough. The project also supports the Liverpool City Region’s target of reaching net zero by 2040, a decade ahead of the national goal. With roughly 6,000 ships visiting Merseyside annually, the system could be trialled and promoted across associated maritime businesses along the Mersey, contributing to a quieter, cleaner infrastructure that most people never see.
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Cammell Laird Green Shore Power project is an industrial research project aiming to provide a zero-carbon onshore power solution, eliminating the dependence of vessels undergoing repair, refit or build on fossil fuel-based power supply. This will significantly reduce the local and global impact of shipping emissions whilst at Cammell Laird, additionally providing social and economic benefit to the surrounding region and wider UK. In addition to CO2 emissions, shipping accounts for approximately 15% of NOx and 5-8% of SOx emissions worldwide which both cause serious harm to human and environmental health (Innes & Monios, 2019). Introducing a novel onshore power system sourced from the national grid eliminates the emissions of berthed vessels, leading to a more sustainable maritime industry. Using this technology also promotes its use and benefits throughout the UK, making it available for a variety of vessels and situations, from Ministry of Defence (MOD) vessels to environmental research vessels. The project is led by Cammell Laird, the largest commercial shipyard in the UK. Cammell Laird undertake repair, refit and conversion projects on up to 100 ships a year, including ferries, cruise ships, offshore support vessels, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the Royal Navy. We also design and build ships such as the polar research vessel, RRS Sir David Attenborough. Additionally, we are part of the A&P Group, with four commercial shipyards around the United Kingdom. The project partners are Integrum, specialist contractors in electrical infrastructure. Our project has support from vessel operators including the MOD, Fred Olsen, Stena Line, as well as Wirral Council. As part of the Liverpool City Region (LCR), we are committed to working towards their ambition of attaining net zero by 2040, 10 years ahead of the national target. Approximately 6,000 ships visit Merseyside annually which gives Cammell Laird the opportunity to promote and trial the modular technology in associated maritime businesses along the Mersey. This furthers the ambition of the Northwest area of achieving accelerated net zero targets alongside other green projects such as Hynet and Mersey Tidal Power Project. Cammell Laird is proud to be part of Mersey Maritime, an award-winning regional cluster organisation for the maritime industry in LCR and the greater Northwest. Their mission is to continue to be a catalyst for growth, influencing policy and driving change for the good of the sector, which directly reflects the ambition of the Cammell Laird Green Shore Power Project.
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