A new UK Government-backed initiative is set to transform port battery and shore power infrastructure at British ports.
The Port Infrastructure using Novel energy Storage (PINS) project will explore scalable, smart recharging systems for vessels, integrating advanced battery technologies and energy management to overcome grid constraints and cost barriers.
Led by MSE International, the nine-partner consortium includes Swanbarton, Cenex, Connected Energy, Solead Energy, and several port authorities. Together, they will deliver Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for commercially viable solutions tailored to different port environments – without relying on subsidy.
Pilot sites include Cowes, Portsmouth and Falmouth Harbour. Technologies under evaluation span present-day LFP and second-life lithium-ion batteries, alongside future sodium-ion and soluble lead flow batteries, with an emphasis on UK supply chain potential.
Innovations will also include automated wireless charging and megawatt-scale connectors, optimised for varied vessel types. Benefits for ports and operators include reduced CAPEX, load peak shaving, grid arbitrage, and expanded energy services such as EV and bus charging.
Dr Jonathan Willliams, CEO of MSE International, commented, “Overcoming electric infrastructure blockages at ports and harbours is critical to meeting maritime decarbonisation goals. The PINS project was developed to address this challenge, exploiting rapid advances in battery technologies, and builds on MSE’s leadership of commercialisation planning for the Sea Change shore power project at Portsmouth.”
Funded through UK SHORE and delivered by Innovate UK, PINS supports the UK’s wider push to decarbonise maritime transport and accelerate clean energy adoption by utilising port battery systems.
