The Sea Change project will design, build and operate a ‘shore power’ system across the three busiest berths at Portsmouth International Port. This will allow visiting ferry or cruise ships to turn off their engines when in the port, as they will be able to ‘plug-in’ and use green electricity to run their onboard systems.
Sea Change has the potential to revolutionise the UK’s maritime sector, and further establishes Portsmouth International Port’s reputation as a living laboratory of green technology with industry-leading sustainability credentials. This project realises the full potential of two new LNG-electric hybrid ships from Brittany Ferries, which will begin sailing from Portsmouth starting in spring 2025 and will be shore-power ready.
Providing shore power will reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality around the port. It is estimated that the system will save over 20,000 tonnes of CO2e per annum from 2027. This is the equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of around 2,500 UK households (source) or making 11,111 round trips by plane from London to New York (source).
Brittany Ferries has introduced two new LNG-electric hybrid ferries, which run on a combination of cleaner liquefied natural gas (LNG) and battery power. With shore power available at the port, they will be able to charge their batteries and run on battery power when manoeuvring through Portsmouth harbour, improving air quality and supporting the industry-wide shift to zero-emission shipping.
