Summary
This submission, authored by the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI) at the University of Southampton, responds to the Department for Transport’s Call for Evidence on Net Zero Ports. Drawing on multidisciplinary expertise from engineering, air pollution science, and maritime policy, the report underscores the critical role of ports as future energy hubs. It highlights the urgent need for scalable shore power, renewable energy integration, and zero-emission bunkering infrastructure to meet decarbonisation goals without compromising port growth or resilience. The evidence reveals significant barriers, including inadequate grid capacity, high capital costs, regulatory fragmentation, and uncertainty over fuel pathways, which threaten the UK’s ability to compete globally and meet International Maritime Organization (IMO) targets.
The authors call for coordinated government action, including long-term investment strategies, stable regulatory frameworks, and targeted support for innovation, to unlock ports’ full decarbonisation potential. They also advocate for rapid deployment of shore power, emissions-at-berth requirements, and advanced environmental monitoring to reduce GHG emissions and protect local air quality. To address capability gaps, they propose a national Centre for Green Maritime Innovation (cGMI) to support technological readiness, workforce training, and systems integration. Without urgent investment and cross-sector collaboration, the UK risks falling behind global leaders like Rotterdam and Singapore in the transition to clean maritime trade.
Authors
Prof. Alan J Murphy, Professor in Maritime Engineering, University of Southampton
Prof. Damon Teagle, Director of SMMI and Professor of Geochemistry, University of Southampton
Prof. Dominic Hudson, Shell Professor of Ship Safety and Efficiency, University of Southampton
Prof. Matthew Loxham, BBSRC David Phillips Fellow, Professor School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton
Dr. Seyedvahid Vakili AFNI, MRINA, FHEA, Research Fellow at SMMI, University of Southampton
Prof. Stephen Turnock, Professor of Maritime Fluid Dynamics and Head of School of Engineering, University of Southampton
Dr. Wassim Dbouk, Marine and Maritime Policy Research Fellow at SMMI, University of Southampton
Dr. Natasha Easton, Air Pollution Chemist, University of Southampton
Mr Panos Manias, Mechanical Engineer, PhD Candidate, and Senior Research Assistant at SMMI, University of Southampton
Nadiya Catel-Arutyunova, Policy Officer SMMI
