News
Portsmouth Port’s sustainability plans move into the fast lane
Monday May 24th, 2021
Portsmouth International Port have taken delivery of a fleet of new electric vans, which are all part of the port’s commitment to become the first net carbon neutral UK port by 2030, and the first zero emission port by 2050.
Improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions are two of the most pressing issues facing the maritime and marine industry today. Portsmouth International Port, which is the UK’s largest and most successful municipal port, is taking a proactive, bold, approach.
They’ve been taking people on legendary journeys for the past 45 years, and now they are on their most significant yet, to become the first net carbon neutral UK port by 2030, and the first zero emission port as part of the UK government’s Maritime 2050 strategy.
As part of that journey, the Port is moving over to electric vehicles, starting with the vans that the engineering team use.
The four new Nissan e-NV200 vans are compact, versatile and fully equipped with Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology. This 100% electric van with zero emissions is equipped with a 40kWh battery, meaning there is plenty of power available for the Port’s engineers to travel both on and off-site for jobs.
Portsmouth International Port’s head of engineering, Stephen Watkyns said: “These new electric vans are clean, quiet and a pleasure to drive.
“They’ve got plenty of range, with no compromise on space inside, meaning that the engineering team have not had to change the way they work with the move to electric. Most importantly, they are helping to make the Port and Portsmouth a cleaner and greener place to be”.
Combined with the installation of new solar arrays at the port this summer and battery storage technology, it means that these vans will be able to be charged by power completely generated by renewable energy at the port.
This is just one of many green projects at the Port. These include the use of air quality monitors to measure pollutants in real time, alongside other measures such as wind turbines, the use of advanced fuels and the arrival of two new LNG powered ships for Brittany Ferries in the coming years.
