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CEMEX – Project Lead – global manufacturer of building materials, with 3,000 people employed across 450 sites nationwide. In the UK, they are a leading provider of aggregates, cement, ready-mixed concrete and rail sleepers.
iconsys– Technology Provider – Leading UK systems integrator and solutions provider, offering power, control, automation and mechatronic solutions for clients in key focus sectors
WMG – Academia/Modelling – a multi-disciplinary department within the University of Warwick, renowned for tackling industrial, environmental and societal challenges through collaborative research with companies of all scales and complexities.
Cemex has set a target to reduce its direct net CO2 emissions by 47% (from a 1990 baseline) by 2030 and to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 across the company. As part of this target, Cemex were keen to develop a clean shore power system.
One of the vessels, Cemex Go Innovation, was the perfect candidate for the implementation of clean shore power. Built in 2020, she arrives in Port for a 10-hour period, 4 hours discharging aggregates and 6 hours awaiting the correct tides.
With 400T of CO2 emitted during each operation, providing a reduction to this would clearly have a huge impact on the local communities. With the demonstrator site at Shoreham, the affected population is just short of 300,000 people.
Our iConvert™-based solution has wide scale applicability throughout the Marine & Ports sector, and indeed to any business beyond these sectors looking to manage their operational energy more effectively. You can find more information on our iConvert™ solution and how it’s powering the next generation of wind farms.
Laurence Dagley, Operational Excellence and Business Development Director for Cemex West Europe materials commented: “Our initial feasibility study for this shore power system identified an opportunity to save a significant amount of CO2 during each dredger discharge, while also improving local air quality at the port itself.”
“The timings for this stage are tight but the potential benefits are considerable, as it will allow us to gain real experience of all the hardware, in a real environment, whilst being able to study full scale operation and quantify the benefits. Utilising the Cemex Go Innovation, already the newest and most advanced aggregates dredger in the industry, this will be the first dredger in the UK to be shore powered and marks an exciting progression in our efforts to decarbonise.”
The Feasibility project concluded in early 2024 after consortium work was finalised. The outcomes included:
Jordan Tassell, Head of Marine & Ports for iconsys: “This is a fantastic opportunity to progress towards a demonstration of the smart shore power system, a cutting-edge solution that goes beyond the standard. The aim is to offer key functionality and benefits that will support uptake within the maritime sector and drive the future of vessel connectivity.
“iconsys is driven by the ambition to develop our specialised skillset in this domain, leveraging this demonstration project as a strategic platform. Our commitment is not just limited to system integration; we aim to detail, design, and manufacture a solution that sets a benchmark in efficiency and reliability. This venture aligns with our broader vision of pushing the boundaries of innovation and playing a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of smart, connected ports and vessels.”
After applying for & successfully receiving further funding under CMDC4, the object of this phase is to get a fully operational demonstrator model in operation, including:
Understandably, the challenges to bring this ground-breaking project to a real-world solution are plentiful. They include:
We chose to utilise a microgrid configuration, which would allow multi-input/ multi output configuration.
The microgrid acts as a small scale, localised energy system that can operate independently or in conjunction with the main power grid, perfect for the integration of renewable energy solutions.
It’s being built within bespoke modular containers, which can easily be scaled up and down to suit different footprint requirements.
The output is based on maximising utilisation, so even when the vessel isn’t alongside, the stored power can be redirected to power site operations or to the national grid to enable energy trading, thus generating a revenue.
Civil work packages to allow installation and commissioning of the system are in the works, with official demonstration scheduled for March 2025.
Dr Andrew McGordon, Reader in the Energy Applications Group at WMG, University of Warwick: “This is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the learnings form the feasibility study using an innovative mix of real and virtual hardware, to understand the operational challenges of decarbonising this sector whilst developing state of the art energy management strategies to maximise CO2 emissions savings.”
Following successful demonstration of the Shore Power System in March 2025, next steps include:
We will use the learning and modelling to scale the shore power solution from the demonstrator stage to full commercial deployment, meeting the growing needs of UK ports.
Our demonstrator sets the foundation for a standardised approach to shore power across the UK, ensuring compatibility and ease of integration with multiple energy sources.
Our solution includes detailed ROI and emissions reduction models, offering clear insights into the financial and environmental advantages for stakeholders.
Building on the success of this project, iconsys is ready to collaborate with ship owners, operators, and ports to deploy smart shore power solutions nationwide, optimising energy use and reducing emissions.
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