Project Summary
MSE International has created a project known as PRIMET – Port Recharging Infrastructure for Maritime Energy Transition – to accelerate the roll-out of port and harbour infrastructure needed to support the rapid expansion in vessel recharging and shore-powering facilities. The project will develop outline solutions for supplying energy to shore power and recharging facilities in three
ports and harbours using batteries. The idea is to reduce peak grid load and optimise utilisation of in-port renewable energy, thereby strengthening the case for investment. Solutions will make use of a highly innovative flow battery technology offering tangible cost advantages over other battery types.
Project Achievements
PRIMET aims to accelerate the roll-out of port and harbour infrastructure needed to support the rapid expansion in vessel recharging and shore-powering facilities which are essential to realise the UK’s Clean Maritime Plan. It has developed outline solutions for supplying energy to shore power/recharging facilities in three ports/harbours, using in-port flow batteries to reduce
peak grid load and optimise utilisation of in-port renewable energy, and thereby strengthen the case for investment. PRIMET solutions exploit a highly innovative soluble lead flow battery technology (under early-stage development at the University of Southampton). Project activities PRIMET has developed and specified energy network configurations incorporating Soluble Lead Flow batteries, (SLFBs), to meet vessel and other load profiles and to exploit in-port renewable generation; performed a comprehensive analysis of SLFB options against Li-ion and Vanadium RFB as a baseline, including assessing technical maturity, capital costs, and levelized cost of stored energy. This analysis has used software developed in previous Department for Transport (DfT) supported projects. The project has also developed additional custom analysis software. PRIMET has developed a business model and value proposition, feeding into a costed commercialisation plan and timeline. This will justify further investment to bring the SLFB solution to market, initially focusing on three interested early adopter customers.
Conclusions
No single battery technology is universally superior; the choice depends on specific operational needs. Lithium-Ion Batteries are suited for applications where energy density and rapid response are crucial. Vanadium Flow Batteries are recommended for scenarios prioritising safety, modular scalability, and long service life. Soluble Lead Flow Batteries, with ongoing advancements,
present an economical option for large-scale Long-Duration Energy Storage with fewer supply chain vulnerabilities. Future developments in these technologies will further refine their applicability, contributing to the decarbonisation and resilience of port infrastructure.
Next Steps
This next phase of work PRIMET has expanded to include three ports, a low emission transport consultancy and two battery research organisations. This consortium is seeking funding to validate the technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness of innovative vessel shore-power and recharging infrastructure. A central feature is energy storage in the port or harbour operating under a multi-vector energy management system. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) have become a commercially attractive solution for meeting high, intermittent loads that are encountered in port shore-power systems. This next phase of work will show how these solutions could be deployed and operated on a commercial basis. TRIG funding for PRIMET has enabled the creation of a powerful
consortium of technology experts and end users to develop commercially viable battery based energy solutions to address the shore-power challenge facing all ports and shows how these solutions could be deployed and operated on a commercial basis.
