The UK’s second-largest port operator, Peel Ports Group, is set to use hydropower to power its Queen Elizabeth II Dock at Eastham, Merseyside.
To achieve this, Peel Ports has partnered with Czech renewable energy specialist Hydropol to install a state-of-the-art twin Archimedean screw generator at the site’s 30-foot lock. The hydropower generator will generate 1,500,000kWh daily and has already been connected to the dock’s electricity network.
In order to access the renewable energy generated, Peel Ports has signed a private energy purchasing agreement with Hydropol.
The generator will also power the site’s Green Automotive Hub, which has been enabling sustainable vehicle manufacturing since its launch in late 2023. The £10 million project sits on a 9.5-acre site on the River Mersey and has been supporting the decarbonisation of the local area.
Lewis McIntyre, managing director – Port Services at Peel Ports Group, said: “The introduction of hydropower at Queen Elizabeth II Dock is another major achievement as we seek to make our operations greener and more sustainable for the future. The amount of renewable energy set to be produced is significant and builds on Eastham Dock’s sustainable credentials.”
‘UK’s largest’ rooftop solar project set for Port of Liverpool
In other news, Peel Ports and energy supplier E.ON revealed plans in March 2024, to develop the “UK’s largest” roof-mounted solar project at the Port of Liverpool. This marked the first of several projects set to be developed between the two companies.
The exact number of panels and project capacity is subject to final design sign-off, but E.ON estimated that as many as 63,000 panels could be installed, generating up to 31MW.
Set to be installed on 26 buildings across the Port of Liverpool and generating up to 25% of the Port’s electricity, E.ON expects the project to be the largest of its kind in the UK.
The 25-year agreement between Peel Ports Group and E.ON will see the energy supplier deliver and finance this project.
A second part of the agreement will also see E.ON repower the existing River Mersey wind farm located at the port by replacing the five existing wind turbines with four new, larger turbines capable of generating close to 20MW.
