Feasibility Study for Shore Power in Aberdeen Harbour

This project will undertake a Feasibility Study for a next-phase demonstration project for a green shore power scheme in Aberdeen's existing North Harbour. Key outputs will be an Outline Business Case for the scheme and plans for the demonstration project. The project builds on a recently completed study commissioned by Aberdeen Harbour Board which produced an initial system design for shore power to AHB's berths and completed initial emissions and business modelling.

This demonstrated substantial reductions in GHG emissions and a viable business model. This confirmed the findings of a recent Clusters Research Project undertaken for DfT which stated that Aberdeen was one of two priority ports in the UK for adopting this technology.

Shore power to avoid vessel emissions at berth is an established technology, but significant technical differences exist with the appropriate physical infrastructure and associated system specifications. Its application in this project is for vessels involved in a wide array of activities, including small to medium vessels such as Offshore Service Vessels.

Whilst the system design and associated Outline Business Case will be at the core of this project, work by Connected Places Catapult will take a broader 'system of systems' approach, considering how the shore power developments will fit into full decarbonisation of the existing and new Aberdeen harbours, the vessels using it and its linkages to the wider Aberdeen city region. This complementary part of project will add substantial value to the focused study by using it to develop a transferable blueprint for implementation of shore power which can be replicated in other UK regional ports.

It will help develop a long-term vision of a Net Zero Aberdeen port and how that fits into the broader regional decarbonisation initiatives.