Harbour seeks partner to deliver new ship shore power
A major harbour plans a partnership to design, build and run a shore power facility for visiting ships, signalling a shift in port-side energy use.
A major harbour plans a partnership to design, build and run a shore power facility for visiting ships, signalling a shift in port-side energy use.
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A major port is preparing to plug visiting ships into the power grid. Belfast Harbour has signalled its intention to develop a shore power facility for larger vessels and is seeking a commercial partner to help design, install and run the system, in a move that could reshape how ships are supplied with energy while alongside.
On 26th November 2025, Belfast Harbour published a prior information notice titled Shore Power Facility Partnership. The harbour authority wants a partner that can take responsibility for the full lifecycle of the project: from designing and installing the onshore infrastructure to operating the facility once it is in place.
According to the notice, the partner will be expected to provide and manage power connections for vessels and to set the sales tariffs for electricity supplied through the new facility. That combination of technical delivery and commercial control suggests the harbour is looking for an integrated energy services provider rather than a straightforward construction contractor.
The short summary focuses on what the partner will do, rather than setting out the precise layout or capacity of the system. It does not specify in this overview which berths or types of vessel will be connected, or how the facility will be funded, but it does make clear that visiting ships will be able to draw power directly from shore rather than relying solely on their onboard generators. For ship operators looking to cut emissions at berth, the ability to plug in at a major port could shape decisions on future fleets and routes.
Belfast’s move comes amid a surge of shore power projects across multiple ports throughout 2025. In June 2025, LONDON GATEWAY PORT LIMITED issued a contract notice for Shore-to-Ship Power Infrastructure at London Gateway and DP World Southampton. That project covers the design, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance of systems that will allow ships to connect to the electrical grid, with the explicit aim of reducing emissions and noise in port areas.
Elsewhere around the coast, the Port of Dover set out its own ambitions in July 2025, when the Dover Harbour Board launched the Port of Dover Green Project. That prior information notice looks for strategic funding partners to develop shore power charging for ferries, framing the scheme as a way to cut carbon emissions and support wider maritime decarbonisation initiatives. Taken together, the Dover and Belfast notices point to a new phase in port investment, where large harbours are looking beyond traditional quay works towards energy infrastructure that interfaces directly with ships.
On the continent, ports are moving at pace as well. In June 2025, the Department of Contracts in Malta went to market for a High Voltage Shore Connection System at Malta Freeport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, specifying the use of energy efficient and environmentally friendly products. By September 2025, the Grand port fluvio maritime de l'axe Seine in Le Havre had followed with a call for an Electrical Connection System for Ships serving container vessels at the Quai des Amériques, spanning design, execution, maintenance, training and commissioning support.
Further north, ports are investing both in enabling infrastructure and in the expertise to run it. In September 2025, Copenhagen’s Udviklingsselskabet By & Havn I/S sought Technical Advice for Transformer Installation to support a new shore power system for cruise ships. In October 2025, the port authority at Klaipėda invited services for an Onshore Power Supply Project for cruise ships at specified berths. And in November 2025, the Special Fund Port published a tender for Supply of Green Electricity for newly installed shore power systems at Bremerhaven, while the Hamburg Port Authority AöR launched a framework for Shore Power Systems Service, seeking qualified personnel to operate authorised installations at cruise terminals.
The cluster of tenders across 2025 shows that shore power is shifting from isolated pilots to a mainstream requirement for larger ships. European initiatives, including FuelEU Maritime and dedicated decarbonisation funds, provide an important backdrop, but the notices themselves highlight very practical motivations: lower emissions, reduced noise in port areas and a clearer route for shipowners to decarbonise port calls.
Belfast Harbour’s search for a partner to both build and operate the facility echoes a broader trend in procurement, where public authorities are bundling design, delivery, financing and long-term operation into a single relationship.
In June 2025, Portsmouth City Council opened early engagement on an Affordable Extra Care Housing Development, looking for providers able to design, build, finance and operate specialist housing for older people and adults with care needs. A month later, Ports of Jersey issued a notice seeking a Development Partner for a Hotel Project at Merchants' Quay in St Helier, emphasising close collaboration with local partners and the preservation of historical heritage. And in July 2025, West Northamptonshire Council went to market for a Development Partner for St James Depot, again putting partnership and structured dialogue at the heart of a major regeneration scheme.
For ports, this kind of model is now extending from land and buildings to energy systems. By asking its partner to manage vessel connections and set electricity tariffs, Belfast Harbour is indicating that commercial and operational know-how will be as important as engineering capability. The examples from Bremerhaven and Hamburg underline that once shore power hardware is in place, ports still need reliable supplies of green electricity and skilled operators if they are to deliver on environmental promises.
The push to connect ships to the grid mirrors a broader pattern of electrification across local authorities and public bodies. In July 2025, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets published its EV Charging Fast Project, aiming to procure at least 300 fast charging points in partnership with Barking and Dagenham through the LEVI funding scheme. September 2025 saw Warwick District Council consult the market on EV Charging Infrastructure in South Warwickshire, seeking to expand off-street charging while inviting feedback on the feasibility of delivering net-zero carbon services.
Housing providers are moving in the same direction. In August 2025, Stonewater Limited began engaging suppliers on Electric Vehicle Charging Services, covering the supply, design, installation, operation and maintenance of charging hardware and software across numerous car parks. Later in November 2025, the London Borough of Lewisham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich jointly sought Electric Vehicle Charging Services focused on residents without off-street parking.
On the generation side, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council used August 2025 to test the market for Solar PV Installation at BCP Sites. And in November 2025, a contract notice titled Consultants for Decarbonization Projects was published, seeking legal, economic, technical and support services to assist in the maturation and implementation of projects under Decarbonization and Modernization Funds, with a focus on renewable energy, energy autonomy and the modernisation of infrastructure. Together with the Bremerhaven green power contract, these notices point to a growing focus not just on installing new electrical loads, but on securing low-carbon generation and advisory capacity to back them up.
Belfast Harbour’s shore power partnership notice is still at the early information stage, and many details remain to be worked through with the market. For shipping lines, power utilities and specialist engineering firms, it flags a forthcoming opportunity to help shape a significant piece of energy infrastructure at a busy harbour.
As the project develops, several issues are likely to draw close attention:
For now, the notice confirms that shore power for larger ships is firmly on the agenda in Belfast. In the context of parallel investments at other ports during 2025, it suggests that plugging ships into the grid is becoming a central strand of how ports plan to stay competitive in a tightening regulatory and environmental landscape.
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