Image Credit: E.ON
In a groundbreaking endeavor, Peel Ports Group and E.ON have unveiled plans to implement the UK's most extensive roof-mounted solar energy system at the Port of Liverpool. This innovative project spans 26 buildings and is poised to harness the power of up to 63,000 solar panels.
Anticipated to yield a capacity of up to 31MW, equivalent to powering more than 10,000 average UK households annually, the initiative is projected to mitigate an estimated 6,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. While the precise number of panels and their generation potential will be finalized in the project's conclusive designs, expectations suggest a significant contribution, potentially fulfilling up to 25% of the Port's yearly electricity requirements.
In a strategic move, the project will be entirely integrated within the Port's existing footprint, utilizing available roof space across its infrastructure. Leveraging the proximity to waterways, all requisite equipment and technology can be seamlessly transported via sea, minimizing disruptions to local roads and infrastructure.
E.ON spearheads the initiative's financial backing and execution, with the installation of the solar panels slated for completion by mid-2026. Notably, over 6,000 solar panels have already been procured and are poised for installation atop the newly constructed 240,000-square-foot Alexandra Dock warehouse.
Furthermore, Peel Ports Group envisions a subsequent project phase focused on repowering existing wind turbines along the River Mersey banks. This phase, anticipated to commence as early as 2027, pending planning approvals and community consultations, could yield an additional 20MW of green electricity capacity by deploying fewer, more giant turbines.
These pioneering initiatives herald the inaugural stage of a transformative 25-year collaboration between Peel Ports Group and E.ON, aimed at propelling Peel Ports Group towards its ambitious target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.
Claudio Veritiero, CEO at Peel Ports Group, said: "We're proud to be embarking on this long-term partnership with E.ON and undertaking this important project together, revolutionising the Port of Liverpool's energy system.
"Ports of the future need to become more sustainable environments, and we must play our part in a greener supply chain. There is still work to do, but this project is a huge step for Peel Ports Group in cutting emissions and driving our ambition to become a net-zero port operator by 2040."
Chris Norbury, CEO at E.ON UK, said the Port of Liverpool is critical to the UK's infrastructure and that decarbonising such sites will be vital to achieving its climate goals.
"Simply put, we all need to move faster on reducing emissions and this huge project will be a massive step in the right direction," he said. "We've been the energy supplier for Peel Ports Group for more than 20 years and I'm proud they're putting their trust in us and our relationship so far to create what will be a clean energy system fit for decades to come.
"Our sustainable solutions help businesses with their environmental ambitions and will be crucial if we are to meet the UK's 2050 net-zero targets."
The sustainable energy project planning applications have been lodged with Sefton Council and Liverpool City Council.
The news comes barely a week after a multibillion-pound tidal barrage connecting Liverpool and the Wirral peninsula was announced as the preferred option for the Mersey Tidal Power project, which hopes to generate clean power from the river's tidal stretch.