Freeport East can capitalise on its existing position as a major UK transport hub to evolve into a major UK and international “Green Transport Hub”.
The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) published a report, mapping out how Freeport East’s transformation to a Green Transport Hub can deliver major benefits to both local and national economies, but warned sufficient low-cost renewable energy supplies and associated networks needed to be available, as does a green fuel production, supply and storage chain.
This is going to take significant investment and must be cost-competitive in what is a highly competitive trade and transport marketplace. Freeport East’s evolution into a Green Transport Hub must also be coordinated with other energy transition measures for power, heat and transport across the region.
The REA, therefore, proposed four strategic themes that Freeport East should pursue to achieve a “Green Transport Hub” vision, beginning with enhancing electricity resources. This means identifying investments needed in electricity networks, low carbon generation, customer electricity infrastructure and in electric vehicles.
It is also calling on Freeport East to enable hydrogen production. This includes identifying the investment required in hydrogen electrolyser capacity, with there needing to be a favourable environment to attract investment into those projects, and also identifying and enabling the investment needed in the associated supply chain for methanol and ammonia fuel production, distribution and storage. It further highlighted hydrogen vehicles need a favourable investment environment, with Green Transport Corridors for shipping needing to be identified.
This is something Freeport East has made inroads on since the publication of the report, having signed a memorandum of understanding with East Midlands Freeport for a green freight corridor, which will help to “decarbonise transport and drive enhanced skills and employment initiatives”.
Specifically, the two freeports are pledging to accelerate the technologies, business models, innovation and infrastructure that they say will be needed to drive decarbonisation. They will do this by using green hydrogen, electric charging systems and novel technology applications, including digital twins.
Away from this, other recommended strategic themes for the freeport to focus on as it looks to evolve into a Green Transport Hub are identifying priority investments and business cases to allow for a mixture of public and private finance solutions, and for Freeport East to lead the development of coordinated local energy plans to optimise the delivery of net zero targets across the whole of the energy system. This should also involve preparing delivery plans that identify priority investment needs, delivery models and financing solutions.
