PINS Project Launched to Pioneer Shore Power, Recharging Infrastructure for UK Ports

A new collaborative initiative, the Port Infrastructure using Novel energy Storage (PINS) project, has been launched to validate the feasibility of a next-generation shore power and vessel recharging infrastructure. 

Funded by UK Government through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) in the Department for Transport, PINS is aiming to overcome the grid power and cost barriers that have constrained previous port electrification projects, such as the SeaChange project in Portsmouth, by integrating intelligent energy storage and management systems within port operations.

The project is coordinated by MSE International and brings together nine partners from across industry and academia, combining expertise in maritime operations, energy storage technologies, and systems engineering. Together, the consortium will deliver Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for a scalable and commercially viable electrification solutions for a range of ports and harbors, designed to be attractive to ports and vessel operators without the need for subsidy.

The PINS project will develop and evaluate solutions across three early-adopter port and harbor sites:

• Cowes, where new recharging infrastructure will support two Green Corridors — along the Medina River and across the Solent.
• Portsmouth, where the project will assess the added value of energy storage in new SeaChange shore-power facilities serving cross-channel ferries.
• Falmouth Harbor, where recharging solutions will be designed for future small electric passenger ferries operating from standard 415V AC 3-phase connections.

For each pilot site and vessel duty-cycle scenario, PINS will evaluate four key battery technologies. Present-day feasibility will be assessed using Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and re-used Lithium-ion batteries, while future (2030) viability will be examined using sodium-ion (NIB) and soluble lead flow batteries (SLFB).

The project will also explore power transfer solutions from shore to vessel, including automated wireless charging and megawatt-scale connectors, optimized to serve a wide range of vessel types and sizes.

PINS is designed to deliver real-world, commercial benefits for ports, harbors, and vessel operators, including;

• Accelerating electrification of vessels in grid-constrained locations.
• Demonstrating commercially viable, multi-vector port energy systems, including Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) that deliver cost savings through load peak shaving and grid power arbitrage.
• Optimizing on-site renewable generation (particularly PV solar) to reduce dependency on grid supply and minimize carbon intensity.
• Reducing civil works CAPEX through lower power ratings for sub-stations and associated underground cable runs to at-berth BESS facilities.
• Expanding the utility of port infrastructure to provide energy services for other users, such as electric vehicle and bus charging.