Freeport East, as part of a consortium, has been awarded funding which it will now use to develop green technologies for ports and ships.
With backing through the government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, the Shoreside Power from Optimised Hydrogen Lifecycle (SPOHL) project will focus on developing cutting-edge technologies that can reduce maritime emissions with novel applications of green hydrogen storage and hydrogen fuelled engines.
With diesel engines estimated to be responsible for 90% of global port emissions, reducing these will be the project’s main focus, with it producing an end-to-end system that begins with a solar PV system hosted by Cranfield University. This will deliver power to the vessel when at birth. Once supply exceeds demand, electricity will be fed into a high-efficiency power management architecture – provided by HyWaves – which drives an electrolyser to produce green hydrogen.
This hydrogen will then be stored courtesy of technology provided by Rux Energy. This is noted as being a crucial stage when it comes to providing the long-term, cost-effective energy storage capable of managing seasonal and operational variations. The hydrogen will then be fed into high efficiency engines from Carnot, providing on demand power. Shoreside generators will be connected to vessels when they are moored in port.
Clean Air Power will control the flow of hydrogen into the engines with its High Pressure Hydrogen Injection technology, while the Manufacturing Technology Centre is on hand to provide expertise, guiding the path to engine development, as well as providing design for manufacture insight, optimised for additive manufacturing processes. This will be tested at Brunel University in London, while the vessel operator point of view will be provided by Carisbrooke Shipping throughout the project.
Freeport East is central to the project, with it assisting with outreach and engagement with other port operators, shipping lines and the trust port, Harwich Haven Authority.
