UK & Ireland to be Linked by Green Shipping Corridors

NatPower Marine and Peel Ports Group have unveiled plans to establish the first green shipping corridors between Ireland and the UK.

This ambitious project will involve NatPower Marine, a subsidiary of the UK's NatPower Group, developing the nation's first commercial electric ship charging network. This network will support electric propulsion and cold ironing as part of a broader global initiative.

The proposed network will introduce dedicated e-ship charging infrastructure at all eight UK and Irish ports operated by Peel Ports Group. Additionally, the plan includes the installation of electric chargers for cars, vans, and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) at these ports.

Currently, over 3,000 vessels cross the Irish Sea annually, emitting 230,000 tonnes of CO2, 20,000 tonnes of nitrous oxide (NOx), and 18,000 tonnes of sulfur oxide (SOx).

The initial Irish Sea routes identified for this green corridor include Belfast-Heysham and Dublin-Birkenhead. These routes will advance Peel Ports Group's goal of transforming Heysham Port in Lancashire into the UK's first net-zero port, a milestone supported by the port's 90% reduction in emissions from landside plant, equipment, and vehicles.

This initiative represents the first phase of NatPower Marine's £3 billion ($3.81 billion) global charging network, which aims to equip 120 port locations worldwide with charging infrastructure by 2030.

Stefano Sommadossi, CEO of NatPower Marine, stated, “NatPower Marine is investing to deploy the largest global network of charging points to help solve the chicken and egg conundrum facing this industry: shipping lines cannot electrify their vessels if port charging infrastructure is not available, and ports are unable to raise capital for charging infrastructure without certainty of demand from shipping lines.”