Montrose Port to become 1st Scottish port to provide shore power

Montrose Port Authority has partnered with Norwegian company Plug Shore Power Ltd in a 50/50 joint venture to become the first Scottish port to offer shore power to offshore energy vessels.

As explained, the partnership will see an initial investment of £1 million into the joint venture which will be named Plug Montrose Ltd.

The installation of shore power, which is expected to take around six to twelve months to complete, would see a significant reduction of CO2 at Montrose which will be tracked through Plug’s administration system.

“This joint venture between Montrose Port Authority and Plug Shore Power Ltd is a significant initiative that will support shipping and the offshore energy industry in reducing emissions across their operations,” Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport at The Scottish Government, said.

“I welcome the ongoing role Montrose Port Authority is playing in the transition to a greener economy and delivering Scotland’s ambitious Net Zero targets. Providing a clean energy source for the industry’s vital North Sea supply vessels is an important step towards that aim.”

“We are delighted to be forming this joint venture with Plug as it furthers our commitment to the energy transition and our position as a renewables hub in the region… For Montrose to be the first port in Scotland to offer this facility to vessels servicing the energy sector is an incredible opportunity,” Chief Executive Officer of Montrose Port Authority, Tom Hutchison, added.

Global shipping accounted for 833 million tonnes of CO2 in 2021. Currently, only two British ports are equipped with shore power. This makes Montrose the first port in Scotland to offer it specifically to vessels working in the offshore energy industry.

According to the officials, Montrose Port is strategically well-placed to work with supply vessels servicing oil rigs and wind farms in the North Sea and has positioned itself as a major renewables hub in the area. Many of the vessels regularly calling at the Port already have shore power capacity.

Maria Bos, Chief Executive Officer of Plug, commented: “It is really inspiring to join forces with Montrose Port Authority to build the first shore power system in Scotland for those working in the offshore energy sector. Shore power is an important part of a more environmentally friendly future that contributes to reduction of local emissions, CO2, and noise pollution. The facility will be a major benefit for the port, but also for the town of Montrose.”

Montrose Port Authority is hoping that the installation of shore power will inspire other ports to do the same and aim for a more environmentally friendly and cleaner operation, contributing towards a greener economy and Scotland’s ambitious Net Zero targets.