Dover Clean Ferry Power: Finding the Route to Electrification.
The Port of Dover (PoD) plays a critical role in the UK’s economy, handling a staggering £144 billion of trade annually. There is the potential to facilitate an increase of up to £173bn per annum as part of its ‘Port of Dover 2050: Empower Exchange’ initiative that aims to deliver long-term smart, seamless and sustainable trade and travel.
The port currently supports 59% of all ferry journeys between the UK and Europe, making it the busiest port for international passengers in the country.
With 11 ferries operating daily and up to 130 vessel calls, the port’s activities are essential to regional and national prosperity. However, these operations come at a cost as 24,000 tonnes of CO₂ are emitted annually by ferries manoeuvring within the harbour. The total emissions, including at sea and in French ports, could be 20 times higher.
The PoD has made significant strides in reducing its own emissions by achieving an impressive 96% CO₂ reduction since 2007 by installing 1.56 MW of solar panels and implementing a range of other measures. In 2023 the introduction of hybrid electric vessels to the PoD highlighted new opportunities and challenges on the decarbonisation journey. To help them navigate this transition, they turned to the expertise and insights of WMG at the University of Warwick.
The Challenge: Building a Sustainable Future
The PoD want to facilitate the decarbonisation of ferry operations while ensuring economic viability and operational efficiency. With its strategic location contributing £3 billion to the economy, PoD must balance sustainability with growth. To achieve this, it partnered with key business and academic players for the Dover Clean Ferry Power (DCFP) project, funded by the Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC).
The consortium included WMG, P&O Ferries, Schneider Electric and University of Kent Business School. The group came together to explore the feasibility of electric power solutions for the short strait (Dover-Calais) ferries and to create a robust plan for a greener future.The WMG Zero Emissions Transport Application Group (ZETA) has a leading reputation for delivering system and application-level solutions to real world problems through system analysis, system modelling & simulation, and system control & optimisation.
They were tasked with forecasting power demand from the new hybrid ferries and future scenarios including full electrification of the existing ferry fleet. The findings allowed the consortium to quantify the electricity supply challenges and identify supply-side solutions using local energy generation, storage options, and shore battery charging scenarios. They could then develop a phased, costed implementation plan for a future demonstration project.
The Solution
WMG developed the innovative Multi-Input, Multi-Output (MIMO) energy model that analysed power demand, energy requirements, and emission outputs based on temporal real-world data from P&O Ferries and PoD, spanning a whole year of operation
The MIMO modelling approach allowed the investigation of 1728 scenarios which were combinations of demand (varying degrees of ferry electrification, varying numbers of electrified ferries) and supply (grid upgrades, energy storage systems). In many future scenarios, an energy storage system was essential and the control of this was optimised to always deliver power to the vessels whilst minimising CO2 emissions. The use of this energy storage system was found to be critical to bridge the gap in electrical supply capability in the area.
This work provided actionable insights for both technical implementation by Schneider electric and financial planning by the University of Kent’s Centre for Logistics and Heuristic Optimisation, based on the strategic priorities of Port of Dover.
The Impact:
A key outcome for this project has been the development of a new and unique tool that can answer a variety of complex, real-world questions.
The feasibility study showed that a phased decarbonisation strategy could be both environmentally and economically beneficial.
The invaluable findings from the MIMO energy model included:
- Dover’s current 4.5 MW grid cannot support future decarbonisation, with peak demand potentially reaching 14.5 MW for 2 hybrid ferries and up to 160 MW for full fleet electrification, requiring new energy solutions.
- A phased transition has been recommended, taking advantage of cold ironing which allows refrigeration, cooling, heating, lighting and other equipment to receive continuous electrical power whilst the ship loads or unloads its cargo. It could take place as follows:
- Phase I: Cold ironing for 12 ferries (27% CO₂ reduction at the port and 3% across channel).
- Phase II: Add recharging for 2 hybrid ferries (39% CO₂ reduction at the port and 15% across channel).
- The transition offers financial benefits for both the port and ferry operators.
- Future ferry technologies remain uncertain, with no mature supply chains for alternative fuels like ammonia, methanol, or hydrogen. While blended fuels may be a near-term solution, green electricity could be a viable long-term option for Dover, though challenges remain in managing variable demand.
The PoD has used this valuable information to put together a strong business case for a green corridor at the short straits that will impact a wider range of operational partners. With the right financial and planning support in place, they can lead the maritime sector into a cleaner, greener future that promises significant environmental and economic benefits for all involved. Given Dover’s position as one of Europe’s busiest ferry ports, if the technology can be demonstrated at Dover, it can be confidently applied to many other ports.
Dr Andrew McGordon, Reader at WMG said; “this project was a fabulous demonstration of the capabilities of the consortium to address a real-world problem, developing innovative tools such as the MIMO model to provide exploitable outcomes. The challenge of electrification of short straits ferries is considerable, but we have demonstrated a pathway to realising this.”
Vicki Beatty, Head of Safety, Quality and Environment at the Port of Dover added;
“WMG’S Zero Protype modelling capability has been critical in providing data for making future investment decisions on the port’s road to net zero.”
“The work WMG has been undertaking as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition feasibility study supports the port hugely in understanding and optioneering the future direction and investment required at the Port to meet the ever-increasing energy demands of a grid constrained Port have been essential. This need continues as new scenarios are identified and need to be examined further to support investment decisions and to continue the work from the feasibility study into a potential demonstration fund.”
If you’d like to speak to WMG experts about a novel energy challenge, contact us at wmgbusiness@warwick.ac.uk