UK project supercharges vessel charging future

The Port Infrastructure using Novel energy Storage (PINS) project, funded by the Department for Transport through UK SHORE, will develop scalable, commercially viable vessel electrification systems to overcome grid and cost barriers that have previously limited progress.

“Overcoming electric infrastructure blockages at ports and harbours is critical to meeting maritime decarbonisation goals,” said Dr Jonathan Williams, CEO of MSE International, lead partner in the project.

“The PINS project was developed to address this challenge, exploiting rapid advances in battery technologies and building on MSE’s leadership in shore power commercialisation.”

Early-adopters

By integrating advanced energy storage and intelligent management systems, PINS aims to create a blueprint for sustainable port infrastructure that supports both current and future vessel charging needs.

Coordinated by MSE International, the consortium of nine partners from industry and academia will deliver front-end engineering design for next-generation vessel charging networks across three pilot sites – Cowes, Portsmouth and Falmouth Harbour.

These early-adopter locations will test solutions ranging from automated wireless charging to megawatt-scale connectors and evaluate four key battery types, including Lithium Iron Phosphate and sodium-ion technologies.

By combining innovative energy storage, renewable generation and flexible shore power infrastructure, PINS aims to enable ports to accelerate vessel electrification, lower operational costs and reduce carbon emissions.

PINS project partners are: Blue Tech Ventures Ltd (a subsidiary of MSE International); Swanbarton; Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies (CENEX); Connected Energy Ltd; Portsmouth International Port; Falmouth Harbour; Cowes Harbour Commission and Solead Energy Ltd.