The project consortium including Newcastle University, Port of Tyne, Siemens, North East Local Enterprise Partnership and Connected Places Catapult created the Digitalised and Decarbonised Port Transition Roadmap. The partners leveraged their extensive technical expertise, academic research and wider industry knowledge to define a path to net zero enabled by a real-time digital platform. This universal blueprint for decarbonisation can be replicated in other port environments as well as other industries.

There are significant barriers to achieving decarbonisation of port operations and providing clean shore power. There is currently a lack of evidence on where energy is used or wasted, as well as the best market/financial drivers for energy provision. As well as the ability to determine optimal energy vector mixes for their relative levels (e.g., load sharing, peak shaving, storage and distribution).

Dr Haris Patsios, Senior Lecturer in Power Systems at the School of Engineering, led the Newcastle University project team.

He said: “This project was a fantastic opportunity to apply novel concepts of digitalisation in real world energy systems. We are excited to have had the opportunity to research and develop new solutions for ports that cut across energy systems, marine transport, and data, in collaboration with industry and other innovators, thus helping reduce carbon emissions.”

The digital platform will play a fundamental role throughout the port’s decarbonisation journey by supporting the creation of business cases, scenario planning and investment cases. It will also allow the project consortium to assess the technical, environmental and economic impact of the port in the future.

The Clean Tyne consortium held ‘The Sustainable, Smart Port’ event at the Innovation Hub at Port of Tyne on the 6^th of April. The Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, provided a personalised message for the consortium. Click here to catch up on the event.

The key takeaway from this event is that the consortium has identified four key intervention streams that must be delivered together if net zero 2050 is to be achieved:

1 – Energy Generation and Asset Electrification

2 – Understanding of Business Model

3 – Digital Platform Development

4 – Infrastructure Development

These are actions port operators should consider in the short, medium and long term to enable cleaner, sustainable and more effective operations. As well as inspiring a change of mindset and process within the maritime industry.

Whilst this roadmap sets out a possible timeline for implementing changes to satisfy the 2050 goal, we recognise that this roadmap will need to be refreshed to reflect the evolving world and market.

Download Digitalised and Decarbonised Port Transition Roadmap.